If an Uber or Lyft trip ends in injuries, our rideshare accident lawyers in Shelby can help you make sense of insurance, fault, and next steps while you focus on healing.
At Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers, we have represented injured people across the Carolinas since 1995. Our firm handles rideshare accident claims involving injured passengers, rideshare drivers, other motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, uninsured drivers, and serious or fatal crashes.
If you were injured in a rideshare crash, contact our Shelby personal injury lawyers for a free consultation.
Your Rights After an Uber or Lyft Crash
North Carolina uses an at-fault system, which means the person or party responsible for causing the crash may be liable for the resulting damages. The state also follows contributory negligence. If an insurer proves you were even 1% at fault, it may attempt to deny compensation.
That rule gives insurers a reason to examine everything you did before and after the crash. We address those arguments by building the claim around objective evidence, traffic laws, medical records, vehicle damage, and app-based data.
Depending on your role in the crash, compensation may be pursued through several sources, including:
- The rideshare driver’s personal auto policy.
- Uber or Lyft’s applicable rideshare policy.
- Another at-fault driver’s insurance.
- Your own MedPay coverage, if available.
- Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
- Commercial coverage tied to another vehicle or business.
If the at-fault driver fled the scene or had no insurance, UM/UIM coverage may become especially important. We review each policy carefully so coverage is pursued in the correct order.
How Rideshare Accident Claims Work
Rideshare accident claims differ from standard car accident cases because insurance coverage depends on the driver’s status within the rideshare app at the time of the crash. Identifying the applicable policy is a necessary first step before liability and damages can be fully evaluated.
How Coverage Applies Based on App Status
The insurance available in a rideshare crash typically depends on the phase of the driver’s activity:
- App off: The driver’s personal auto policy generally applies.
- App on, waiting for a ride request: Contingent rideshare coverage may apply after the personal policy is considered.
- Ride accepted or passenger onboard: Higher rideshare coverage is typically available for liability and, in many cases, uninsured or underinsured motorist claims.
Our Shelby rideshare accident lawyers obtain and review rideshare records, including app status, trip data, timestamps, and GPS information, along with all available insurance policies.
That documentation is used to determine which insurer is responsible and how coverage should be applied to your claim.
How Our Shelby Rideshare Accident Lawyers Build Your Claim
We treat rideshare collisions as evidence-driven claims. The insurance company will evaluate fault, damages, coverage, and policy exclusions. We prepare the claim with those issues in mind from the beginning.
Our investigation may include the police report, medical records, witness statements, photographs, app records, trip identification information, GPS data, vehicle damage, and available video footage.
When needed, our Shelby rideshare accident attorneys may also consult accident reconstruction professionals or other specialists.
What We Work to Establish
To support your claim, we may need to prove:
- The rideshare driver’s app status at the time of the crash.
- Which insurance policies apply and in what order.
- How the at-fault driver violated traffic laws or failed to use reasonable care.
- How the crash caused your injuries.
- The full amount of your medical costs, lost income, property damage, and future losses.
We also address defense arguments early. If an insurer claims you were distracted, delayed treatment, or contributed to the crash in any way, we respond with medical documentation, witness statements, and other evidence tied to the facts.
Compensation Available After a Crash
A rideshare accident claim may include compensation for medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, reduced earning ability, pain and suffering, and property damage. You may also be able to recover out-of-pocket costs for transportation, medical equipment, prescriptions, and household help.
Serious rideshare crashes can involve spinal injuries, fractures, traumatic brain injuries, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, and lasting soft-tissue damage. We review your medical records and provider opinions to understand the full effect of the injury, not only the bills available at the beginning of the claim.
If the crash resulted in a death, the estate may have a wrongful death claim under North Carolina law. Those cases may include funeral expenses, final medical bills, lost income, and losses suffered by surviving family members.
Important Deadlines in North Carolina
North Carolina law imposes strict deadlines for filing personal injury and wrongful death claims. In most cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed within three years from the date of the crash, while a wrongful death claim must generally be filed within two years from the date of death.
These deadlines are enforced by the courts. If a claim is not filed within the applicable time period, the right to recover compensation may be lost, regardless of the strength of the underlying case.
Additional Timing Considerations
Several factors can affect how these deadlines apply in a rideshare accident case:
- Claims involving government entities may require earlier notice or additional procedural steps.
- Wrongful death claims require the appointment of a personal representative before filing.
- Evidence such as app data, vehicle data, and surveillance footage may be lost if not requested promptly.
- Insurance claims should be opened early to avoid delays in coverage review and investigation.
Because rideshare cases often involve multiple insurers and overlapping policies, early review helps ensure that all deadlines are tracked and that no required step is missed.
Our rideshare accident attorneys in Shelby monitor filing dates and move the claim forward in a way that protects your ability to recover under North Carolina law.
Contact Our Firm to Determine Your Next Steps With a Shelby Rideshare Accident Attorney
Rideshare claims are often defined early by the available records and how the insurance coverage is presented. Once statements are given and positions are taken, it becomes harder to correct the direction of the claim.
We review the crash, identify the applicable policies, and determine what evidence should be secured before those issues are set by the insurer. That includes app records, trip data, and any documentation tied to the driver’s status at the time of the collision.
If you have questions about a rideshare accident, we can walk through the facts and explain what should be addressed next under North Carolina law. Contact Auger & Auger to schedule a free consultation.
