Hundreds of people have been injured by car accidents, robbery, assault, or rape after using rideshare apps such as Uber or Lyft. In recent years, a growing number of settlements have been paid to victims who filed lawsuits.
What You Can Do & How We Can Help
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Uber / Lyft rideshare induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured in a rideshare, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Car Accident Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
Uber/Lyft Rideshare Car Accidents
Uber and Lyft rideshare apps provide a $1,000,000 insurance policy to cover drivers and passengers in car accidents. The policy covers medical expenses, injuries, and deaths in the following situations:
- Rideshare passengers injured while riding in the vehicle
- Rideshare drivers injured in car accidents that were another driver’s fault (coverage amount depends on whether the driver was providing a ride)
- Motorists and bystanders injured in car accidents caused by a rideshare driver
What is the problem?
Car accidents and other injuries are on the rise, with hundreds of incidents reported in the last few years. Lawyers blame these incidents on inadequate criminal background-checks for drivers. Unlike taxi companies, Uber and Lyft use a private 3rd-party company to run background checks. They do not use fingerprints or law enforcement. Uber does not meet with their drivers before hiring them.
For a list of serious rideshare incidents in recent years that made the news, visit www.WhosDrivingYou.com. The most common incidents include:
- Car accidents
- Robbery
- Deaths
- Physical assault and battery
- Sexual assaults and rape
- Kidnappings
- Felon drivers
- And more
Rideshare Sexual Assaults
Over 200 women have reported sexual assault, rape, stalking, kidnapping, or harassment by rideshare drivers. For example, just days after a Lyft driver raped a 14 year-old girl in Florida in May 2017, an Uber driver raped a college student in California.
Uber Rape Lawsuit Settlement
Uber has paid multiple confidential settlements to women who were raped or assaulted by their drivers in recent years. In November 2016, a settlement was paid to a woman who was “viciously raped” in South Carolina in 2015, and another woman who was forcibly kissed and groped by her 38 year-old Uber driver.
Rideshare Lawsuit for Criminal Drivers
In January 2017, a lawsuit was filed by a sexual assault victim who says Uber never should have hired her driver because he had a criminal history. She is not alone in her accusations — Uber has hired dozens of drivers with criminal records for murder, child abuse, and assault.
In August 2015, California’s District Attorney identified 25 Uber drivers with criminal records in Los Angeles and San Francisco. One of the men served 26 years in prison for murder. Another criminal Uber driver who sexually abused a child under 14 years old was allowed to give “5,697 rides to Uber passengers, including unaccompanied children.”
$32 Million Safe Rides Class Action
Uber paid a $32.5 million class action lawsuit settlement in June 2017 for charging passengers a “Safe Rides” fee that was advertised for “industry-leading” background checks. In reality, lawyers say the background-checks were “woefully inadequate.” After the settlement, Uber will change the name of the “Safe Rides” fee to a “Booking Fee.”
Do I have a Rideshare Lawsuit?
The Schmidt Firm, PLLC is currently accepting Uber / Lyft rideshare induced injury cases in all 50 states. If you or somebody you know has been injured in a rideshare, you should contact our lawyers immediately for a free case consultation. Please use the form below to contact our Car Accident Litigation Group or call toll free 24 hours a day at (866) 920-0753.
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The Schmidt Firm, PLLC has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading plaintiffs' law firms and handles cases in all 50 states. We are very proud of our legal achievements, but equally self-respecting of our firm's reputation for providing personal attention to each and every client we represent.
