Las Vegas, the city known for its 24-hour lifestyle and bustling traffic, sees countless rideshare vehicles like Uber navigating its roads daily. With this increase in rideshare usage comes an associated rise in vehicle accidents involving these services. If you’ve been involved in an accident as a passenger or with an Uber vehicle, understanding your rights can be complicated given the layers of insurance coverage and corporate policies. When facing such circumstances, securing representation from an experienced Las Vegas personal injury lawyer is vital. Contact Valiente Mott to schedule a free consultation today.
Why Choose Valiente Mott After an Uber Accident in Las Vegas?
When you’re dealing with the aftermath of an Uber accident in Las Vegas, choosing Valiente Mott for your legal representation can greatly impact the outcome. We are a law firm committed to fighting for our clients’ rights and will do everything we can to help you. Here’s why partnering with us after an Uber accident can benefit you significantly:
- We offer a free consultation, allowing you to discuss your situation without any immediate financial commitment.
- We offer our services on a contingency fee basis, meaning if you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid.
- Regardless of your health insurance status, we will assist you in securing necessary medical treatment.
At Valiente Mott, our track record speaks for itself – our Las Vegas personal injury attorneys have successfully recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients. If you’ve been in an Uber accident in Las Vegas and require expert legal assistance to navigate your claim, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Why You Need a Lawyer For an Uber Accident in Las Vegas
Navigating the fallout from an Uber accident in Las Vegas requires legal knowledge, negotiation skills, and a grasp of Nevada’s insurance laws. Hiring an attorney can help you do the following:
- Determine all potential sources of compensation
- Address complexities with insurance claims
- Hold all liable parties accountable, including both individual and corporate entities involved
- File all paperwork on time and protect you from any tactics that could devalue your claim
Having a lawyer who knows how to navigate these unique situations can make a significant difference in the compensation you receive.
What Compensation is Available if I’ve Been Injured?
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to various types of compensation, categorized as economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages:
Economic Damages
These are calculable financial losses stemming from the injury or accident, such as medical expenses, lost earnings due to missed work, rehabilitation costs, and other out-of-pocket expenses related to your accident and recovery.
Non-economic Damages
These account for less tangible consequences of your injury, addressing the emotional and psychological impact. Frequently compensated injuries under this category include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment or quality of life, and mental anguish – all factors lacking a definitive monetary value.
Punitive Damages
In cases where an injury results from particularly egregious behavior, the courts may award punitive damages. These are not tied to the actual harm suffered but rather serve as a punishment to the wrongdoer and a deterrent against similar conduct in the future.
…where it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has been guilty of oppression, fraud or malice, express or implied, the plaintiff, in addition to the compensatory damages, may recover damages for the sake of example and by way of punishing the defendant.
The specifics of your case ultimately guide what compensation is allowed and how much can be awarded. To ensure a fair outcome, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
How Do I Report an Uber Accident?
If you’re involved in an Uber accident, reporting it through the app is one of the first official steps to take. Go to the ‘Help’ section within your Uber app, select ‘Riders’, then choose ‘Trip Issues and Refunds’. From there you can report “I had a safety issue” followed by selecting “I was involved in an accident.” This leads to a form where required details about your incident must be provided.
Keep the information objective and never admit fault. After completing the relevant sections, including information pertinent to your ride and incident, submit the form so that Uber can be formally notified of this accident.
Before taking these initial steps in reporting through Uber’s app, it’s a good idea to seek advice from a personal injury lawyer. They can offer guidance on what to say or not say in the report and how to navigate any subsequent communications with Uber or insurance companies.
Liability After a Las Vegas Uber Accident
Understanding liability in the event of a Las Vegas Uber accident can become complex, as several parties may be responsible:
Uber Driver’s Liability
When negligence on the part of your Uber driver results in an accident – possibly due to excessive speed, distraction, or other traffic law violations – they could face legal liability. Depending on the circumstances – like whether the app was active or if a ride was in progress – responsibility might fall to either the driver’s personal insurance or Uber’s commercial policy.
Third-Party Liability
There are instances where another motorist or external party is found at fault for causing the accident, in which case this third-party would bear liability. Their insurance policy would then likely be pursued to cover damages incurred by those affected by their actions.
Product Liability
When a vehicle defect or component failure is at fault, manufacturers of the car or its parts may be subject to product liability claims.
Passenger Liability
While rare, there are situations in which the behavior of a passenger can directly lead or contribute to an accident – for example, intentionally distracting the driver. In these cases, that injured passenger could potentially be considered legally liable.
Comparative Negligence
In Nevada, the concept of comparative negligence impacts cases where an injured party is partially at fault for the incident and the case goes to trial.
For instance, if you were a passenger and it was your behavior that contributed to the accident, Nevada law would allow you to recover compensation despite your partial fault as long as you were not more than 50% at fault.
In any action to recover damages for death or injury to persons or for injury to property in which comparative negligence is asserted as a defense, the comparative negligence of the plaintiff or the plaintiff’s decedent does not bar a recovery if that negligence was not greater than the negligence or gross negligence of the parties to the action against whom recovery is sought.
However, the compensation you would be entitled to receive will be reduced by your percentage of fault.
Example: You as an Uber passenger abruptly and without warning interfere with the driver’s control of the vehicle – for example, screaming loudly in the driver’s face – which then causes an accident. Here, your actions have partially caused or contributed to the crash.
If it’s determined at trial that you, as the passenger, are 30% at fault for contributing to the accident, your total compensation amount would be reduced by 30%.
If you’re involved in this type of accident, securing legal assistance from a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas is essential to determine liability.
Contact our Uber Accident Attorneys in Las Vegas for a Free Consultation Today
If you have been involved in an Uber accident in Las Vegas, it’s crucial to seek professional legal advice at your earliest convenience. Contact Valiente Mott for a thorough evaluation of your case and dedicated guidance to determine the best path forward. Contact us to schedule your free consultation with our Las Vegas Uber accident lawyers.