California Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
Uber, a leader in the ride-sharing business, where users order a driver to their location through use of a smartphone application, has increased the insurance coverage that it provides for Uber drivers. Prior to this move, according to the Los Angeles Times, the California Department of Insurance claimed that there was a gap in Uber’s insurance coverage, as it did not cover Uber drivers who were not carrying passengers.
With this change, Uber claims that it now will carry at least the minimum amount of liability insurance coverage for its drivers who cause auto accident injuries to other people. This is an important legal distinction that was highlighted in an Uber pedestrian accident in San Francisco, where a girl was killed after being struck by an Uber car. Uber has attempted to avoid liability for that California wrongful death accident by claiming that the driver was not carrying a passenger at the time, so not technically working for Uber.
The new policy will cover Uber drivers, not only when they are not carrying a passenger for Uber, but also when they are not even responding to an Uber pick-up request. This means that if a driver is available for an Uber pick-up, but merely driving around for whatever reason, if he or she causes an accident, Uber’s insurance will take responsibility.
While Uber may be doing this mostly to fight off arguments from the taxi industry, we support any move that provides more insurance coverage for drivers on the road. This means that those who are injured in California car accidents will be more likely to recover money for their personal injury damages. This should result in increased insurance coverage for California drivers and will decrease the chances that someone will be hit by an uninsured motorist.
Many drivers do not know what happens if they are struck by an uninsured motorist. Some Los Angeles uninsured motorist car accident victims think they are merely out of luck, without first contacting a Los Angeles car accident lawyer. If you are hit by an uninsured motorist, there are many different sources of recovery. We highly recommend that you call our office for a free consultation, wherein we can discuss all of your options for a monetary recovery for your car accident damages.