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Westchester County Uber Accident Lawyer
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Did you get hurt or lose a loved one in an Uber accident in Westchester County, NY? If so, you’ll need an aggressive lawyer who is familiar with the law surrounding rideshare accidents. The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel Personal Injury Lawyers has a proven track record of helping injured victims get the compensation they deserve for medical treatment, lost wages, and pain and suffering after an accident.
Our Westchester County Uber accident lawyers have over 25 years of experience in personal injury law. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars in life-changing financial awards for those who have been injured due to someone else’s negligence. In fact, we’ve won some of the largest verdicts and settlements in the state of New York.
Contact our Westchester County law office today to learn how we may be able to help you. Consultations are always free, call us at (212) 564 2800.
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When you’ve been injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, you may not even be thinking about whether you should hire a lawyer. You’ll understandably be focusing on your recovery and how to handle time away from work. That’s what you should be doing, not having to sort out what the insurance companies are sending you.
When you hire our Westchester personal injury lawyers, we can:
We’ll handle every aspect of your case from beginning to end. There are many ways that hiring a lawyer can be to your advantage. Most important, you get the time you need to rest. But, you’re more likely to get the full compensation you deserve when you have a reputable attorney handling your case. In fact, some studies indicate that you could receive as much 3.5 times more money than if you tried to go it alone.
Tracking Uber and rideshare crashes separately from other motor vehicle accidents is complicated. That’s likely why statistics specific to Uber and other rideshare crashes aren’t widely available.
Uber and Lyft drivers are independent contractors, so accidents involving rideshares are generally reported to the drivers’ individual insurance companies. They’ll show up in the overall numbers collected for passenger vehicles (as opposed to commercial vehicles).
A common thread around the nation is that while the total number of accidents decreased in 2020, the number of fatalities increased.
That’s true for Westchester County as well. Take a look at the numbers below.
In 2020 in Westchester County, there were about 44 crashes per day:
This disturbing trend seems to be continuing for 2021.
Preliminary data for 2021 show:
With fewer crashes than in 2020, there has already been at least one more death and only a slight decrease in injuries for 2021.
It varies. No two cases are alike. The value of your case will depend on a number of factors. Insurance companies will likely try to contact you shortly after your accident and get you to accept a settlement and be on your way. Your case is often worth more than an insurance company’s initial offer.
Attorney Jay Knispel is a former insurance defense attorney. This provided him with valuable knowledge and insight into the tactics of insurance companies. That helps injured victims like you get a fair chance at getting the full amount of actual compensation you deserve.
That being said, once the playing field is leveled, there are some other factors that affect the value of a claim. To get a better idea, contact us for a full free case evaluation.
Some of the things we’ll discuss are:
Every case is different. More severe injuries or fatal accidents tend to result in higher awards. You can count on us to look for every possible avenue of recovery. We’ll get your story, and then we’ll get to work conducting a comprehensive review of all of your records.
You can recover compensatory damages after you’re injured in an accident in New York. These include both economic and non-economic damages. In rare cases, punitive damages may be available.
Economic damages include financial losses associated with your accident.
Economic damages can compensate you for:
These are typically easy to calculate because you’ll have a bill or invoice for these expenses.
Non-economic damages compensate you for intangible losses such as:
These are more difficult to calculate, but they are the indicators of your quality of life. These are highly subjective. You’ll benefit from having an experienced and aggressive Westchester County Uber accident attorney on your side.
If you were injured due to a defendant’s intentional or grossly negligent conduct, it might be appropriate to seek punitive damages. These aren’t to compensate you for your losses, but instead to punish the defendant for their conduct. These aren’t available in most cases. But you can count on us to do a complete evaluation to determine if they may apply in your case.
Most likely, yes. Under New York’s contributory negligence statute, you can still recover money even if you are partially to blame. But, if you are found to be partially at fault, your award will be reduced by the portion of the accident caused by your own negligence.
So, if you were 30% at fault, then your award would be reduced by 30%.
Even if you weren’t actually to blame at all, the insurance company may try to say you were. They’ll do whatever they can to minimize or outright deny your claim. As a former insurance defense lawyer, Jay S. Knispel knows how to spot and fight these unfair tactics that could reduce your award. He’ll stand up for you and fight tooth and nail against false blame.
You deserve to be compensated for all injuries caused by your rideshare accident. Injuries could vary widely, depending on the circumstances of your accident.
You could have been injured as:
Some common injuries suffered by Uber and Lyft crash victims include:
Whether you have mild or permanent injuries, we put all our resources behind your case and do everything we can to get you full compensation for all of your injuries.
Common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents include:
Rideshare crashes are often caused by many of the same reasons as other car accidents—usually, they’re caused by someone’s carelessness.
Often, accidents have more than one cause. That could mean that more than one party is liable for your injuries. We’ll conduct a thorough investigation to pinpoint the cause. We’ve had outstanding success at forcing at-fault parties to take responsibility for the harm they’ve caused.
Negligence can be hard to prove. What might seem straightforward can often require experts, data, and extensive testimony to prove.
Generally, you’ll need to prove each of the four elements of negligence:
Accidents involving rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft can be complicated. The drivers are considered independent contractors, so Uber can’t be held liable in most cases. Circumstances will vary in every case, though. And the law is constantly changing.
A comprehensive investigation is needed to determine all potential parties who could be liable.
Then, you may need evidence such as:
Trust your case to the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel. We’ve had over 25 years of experience litigating injury cases.
When Uber or Lyft drivers cause accidents, the situation becomes more complicated because Uber drivers are independent contractors. That means you probably won’t be able to hold Uber liable for their driver’s actions.
However, the law in this area is constantly changing. In a recent ruling in New York, a court determined that Uber drivers were employees eligible for unemployment insurance. This ruling affects only Uber drivers in upstate New York.
For now, it hasn’t affected Uber’s responsibility for its drivers’ crashes. But, the law governing rideshares is always changing. It’s important to have an informed Westchester County lawyer who keeps up with the latest developments.
Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft must meet certain insurance coverage requirements in New York. Coverage varies depending on how drivers are engaged with the Uber app at the time of the accident.
When a driver is logged in to the Uber app and awaiting a ride request, Uber’s insurance covers:
Uber’s insurance will only be available if the driver’s personal insurance doesn’t provide coverage.
When an Uber driver is on the way to pick up passengers or is engaged in a ride, the rideshare’s insurance policy must provide at least $1.25 million in liability insurance.
Uber’s insurance doesn’t apply at all when drivers aren’t using the app. Depending on the circumstances, you might seek compensation from your own insurance or from the driver’s personal insurance, just like you would in any other accident.
Uber and Lyft drivers now also deliver food. Uber does have liability insurance that applies to delivery drivers, but it does not apply in New York state. So, if you’re involved in an accident with an Uber driver who was acting as a courier, you won’t have access to Uber’s insurance. It doesn’t matter if the driver was logged in to the app or not.
You have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit for an Uber accident involving injuries. If you lost a loved one in the accident, you’ll have just two years.
There could be other circumstances that affect when you need to file your lawsuit or claim. It’s in your best interest to seek legal advice from an experienced Westchester County personal injury attorney soon after your accident so that you have the full array of options available to you.
If you’ve been hurt through no fault of your own, you need a law firm that can handle anything that comes its way. That’s why the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel should be your first call after your rideshare accident.
With a proven track record of success in tough cases, our Westchester County Uber accident lawyers are confident taking your case all the way to trial if that’s what it takes.
Call or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation. See for yourself why we’re the right choice to handle your case.
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New York City Office
450 7th Ave Suite 1605
New York, NY 10123
(212) 564 2800
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Brooklyn, NY 11242
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