Summary:
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When in a rideshare crash, prioritize safety, work with insurance, take pictures, get medical help, report the accident, and be prepared.
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Handling a rideshare crash involves ensuring safety, understanding insurance coverage, documenting the scene, seeking medical attention, and reporting the accident.
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Stay calm, gather documentation, and reach out for help after a rideshare crash to protect yourself and navigate the claims process.
When you’re a rideshare passenger, you expect to reach your destination safely. But sometimes road conditions or driver errors can cause accidents on the roads. Even though you might feel anxious in the immediate aftermath of an accident, you can take control of the situation with some measured steps that help your health and finances.
Read on to learn how you should handle a rideshare crash when you’re a passenger.
Prioritize Your Safety
Before you get concerned with car damage or medical bills, start by making sure you’re safe after a car accident. Move to a safe area off the road where you won’t be affected by additional traffic. Look for signs of physical injuries on your body or others involved in the accident. Remember that even seemingly insignificant injuries can turn into severe ones if left unchecked. Call emergency services right away to get help at the scene.
Work with Insurance
After an accident, whose insurance will pay the bills? The answer may depend on where you live, as well as who caused the accident. In some states, a Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy will kick in for medical costs, regardless of who is at fault. In other states, the at-fault driver’s insurance will be the one to pay damages. This may come in the form of insurance from the rideshare company if the driver doesn’t have adequate coverage. When in doubt, seek legal assistance after a car accident to make sure you’re maximizing the help you get from insurance.
Take Pictures
Assuming you have access to your phone, put it to use capturing images of the scene. Strong images can help paint a picture of the circumstances that contributed to the accident, as well as the fallout. Take pictures that indicate problematic weather conditions, like snow or hail. Show vehicle damage and include license plates in the images. Get pictures from multiple angles so you can build a comprehensive picture of the situation. Avoid getting entangled in verbal arguments. Instead, focus on gathering as much evidence as possible.
Get Medical Help
Don’t delay when it comes to checking your physical condition after an accident. Plan on visiting a doctor within 24 hours to ensure you’re not dealing with issues like whiplash that could become chronic. Save all medical records, too. If you end up seeking financial support, you’ll need documentation to demonstrate your medical expenses.
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Report the Accident Through Your App
If you’re using a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft, you’ll need to log an accident report using their apps. You can find the submission field by searching for “accident” within the Help section. The company will need to have a formal indication of the accident for insurance purposes if and when claims enter the situation. Save your trip receipt, too, in case the trip disappears from the app. You’ll want to have as much timestamped documentation as possible to verify that any claims are rightly connected to the accident.
Be Prepared with a Car Accident Checklist
You don’t want to be paralyzed with fear after an accident. You may overlook key steps, like taking photographs or collecting insurance information. Instead, have a checklist in your wallet so you’re able to stay grounded and safe.
Your checklist should indicate tasks like calling 911 and relocating to a safe area, such as a sidewalk or median. Your list should instruct you to take pictures, report the crash through your rideshare app, and seek medical care within a day of the accident. And, of course, you’ll want to reach out to an attorney for help navigating the claims process and tackling negotiations. When you’re proactive about having a checklist, you can steadily make progress toward getting back on your feet.
Making it Through a Rideshare Crash
As a passenger, the last thing you expect is to end up in a rideshare crash. But when you’re diligent about documenting the scene and reaching out for medical help, you’ll be able to protect yourself. Be patient with the claims process and know that a skilled attorney can help make it easier. Most importantly, stay calm and gather all documentation that can validate your case.
