Perhaps the last thing you’re thinking about when you take an Uber is being injured in a car accident. After all, you likely decided to hire an Uber because you were planning on a night out with your friends. Being that driving drunk is not only illegal, but you run the risk of injuring yourself or another party in an accident, you feel much safer by hiring an Uber.
But what happens when your Uber driver gets into an accident resulting in your being seriously injured? According to a recent article, being a victim of any type of car accident can be a “horrific experience.” It’s also way too common an occurrence. It’s for this reason, lots of people prefer to be driven instead of doing the driving themselves. But then, even as a passenger, you can’t possibly guarantee your personal safety, especially when you’re not in control.
Here are some procedures to follow if you’re ever in a car accident piloted by an Uber driver.
Call the Police
This might seem like a no-brainer, but if an accident occurs, and you suspect you might be injured (the pain from an injury is not always immediately evident), you need to call the police. No matter if the accident occurred in the U.S. or another country, you need to have both the police and emergency medical responders on hand to make sure the injured receive immediate medical treatment.
The police will make certain all parties involved in the accident will provide all pertinent information which will be the first step in getting you legally compensated for any damages.
Do an Injury Check
Once you’ve called the authorities, make a check of your own body to see if you’ve been injured. Once this is done, you need to see who else might be injured. If someone has been critically injured, the authorities need to know about it right away so they can handle it properly from the moment they arrive on the scene.
If you don’t feel any pain, it’s due to the fact that you were just a victim in an extremely violent situation. The adrenaline in your system will shield you from experiencing the pain from your injuries until the moment your brain realizes you are safe. This is why soldiers in the heat of battle sometimes don’t realize they’ve been “hit” by a bullet.
As soon as possible, have a medical professional do an examination on your body for possible trauma-related injury.
Take Notes
Do your best to document the details involving the Uber accident. Use your phone to jot down notes and take pictures. You’ll also want to take photos of any injuries on your body, plus the cars involved in the collision. Document as much as you can since this will give you a much stronger legal case which will be of grave importance when seeking compensation for physical and emotional damages.
Contact a Personal Injury Attorney
It doesn’t matter if you sustained physical injuries and had to miss considerable work because of it, or you are suffering from the emotional consequences of an Uber-related accident, you are due legal financial compensation.
Look for a lawyer with years of experience under their belts and who also won’t charge for an initial consultation. This is the digital age so you can easily find out online just how successful the prospective law firm is. The Barnes Firm reviews, for instance, are available on Facebook, and other places like Google. This is the kind of transparency you will be looking for in a personal injury attorney you can come to trust with your case. It will also alleviate any stress you might be experiencing.
Report the Accident to the Uber App
Once you’ve collected all the details about the accident and checked for injuries, you need to report the accident directly to the Uber app. This action will let the company know about the accident and they, in turn, can make contact with their insurance company.
Take note, reporting the accident immediately to Uber along with your own insurance company and lawyer, is an important step in making sure both the driver and Uber do not contest your compensation claim. You must be careful when dealing with Uber’s insurance reps. Like most insurance outfits that work for large companies, they are hired to sustain minimal losses. If you state or do anything that prohibits your compensation, they will take full advantage of it. That said, leave all direct communication up to your personal injury lawyer.
Author’s Bio
Yunas Chaudhry is a super-connector with Blogger Outreach Agency who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, Photography, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses his efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry stainless steel tongue scraper and competition.
