Uber Accident Lawyer in St. Louis

What You Need to Know If You’ve Been Injured in an Uber Car Accident

In just a couple short years, the word Uber has become a household term. Uber has entered our day-to-day language: “I Ubered to work today,” or “Why don’t we Uber to the show tonight?” While there’s no doubt that using Uber to travel around St. Louis or Chicago is convenient and fairly inexpensive, there are a few issues Uber users need to be concerned about.

If you’ve been in an accident while riding in an Uber vehicle, with an Uber driver, or just have general legal questions about Uber, you need to call an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney. Our top-rated legal team at Page Law has been representing Missouri and Illinois accident victims for more than a decade.

Call our offices today (314) 322-8515 for a free consultation.

Who’s Driving You?

While Uber does do background checks on potential drivers, questions have arisen about how thorough they are. These concerns come with good reason. There have been cases in which Uber drivers were later found to have significant criminal histories involving crimes like driving under the influence, sexual assault, assault with a deadly weapon, and even murder. Accusations of kidnapping, sexual assault, rape, and threats of violence involving Uber drivers have been reported.

Uber conducts driver license background checks. This type of background check is far more cursory than background checks using fingerprints. While the incidents mentioned above relate to only a small minority of Uber’s drivers, it’s an issue that Uber users need to be aware of.

Missouri Rideshare Liability

This is a big issue for Uber and other ride share companies.

Uber drivers are not required to carry commercial insurance. While Uber does carry a $1 million liability policy on its drivers, in many states this policy is only in effect when the driver is carrying an Uber passenger. The policy does not always cover the driver when they’re waiting for a ride request, or driving to pick up a rider.

Also, if a driver’s personal insurance provider finds out they’ve been using their vehicle for commercial purposes, the insurance company may try to deny coverage if a claim arises. This happened in San Francisco on New Year’s Eve in 2014. That night, a six year old girl crossing the street with her family was killed by an Uber driver waiting for a ride request. Uber’s insurance policy denied liability because the driver wasn’t carrying a passenger at the time.

California and some other states have instituted laws to eliminate this coverage gray area, but many still haven’t.

Legal Representation in a Missouri Ridesharing Accident

As with any new business that uses emerging technologies, it can take time for laws and regulations to catch up. This is why it’s important to protect yourself. If you’re injured while riding in an Uber car, or in an accident involving an Uber car, you need to consult an experienced St. Louis Uber car accident attorney.

Page Law represents accident victims throughout Missouri and Illinois. Our attorneys will give your case our individual attention from the moment you first call through the final resolution.

Contact us for a free consultation at (314) 322-8515.