Rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft have become household names in and around the Denver area. However, there are times when accidents involving rideshare vehicles occur, and this can leave the victims wondering how to secure compensation for their losses. At Cannon Law, our Denver Uber and Lyft accident attorneys have experience handling these cases and will work diligently to secure compensation if you have been harmed.

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Why Choose Cannon Law?

In the aftermath of a crash with any commercial vehicle, including Lyft and Uber accidents, you need a Denver car accident attorney with vast personal injury experience. Cannon Law is ready to help.

We maintain a small caseload so that we can give every client individualized attention as we work to investigate their case and secure compensation.
Our clients can count on having access to their car accident attorneys every step of the way so that they always understand the status of their case and the steps we are taking.
We take all Denver Uber and Lyft accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that our clients will not pay any legal fees until we secure a favorable settlement or verdict on their behalf.

How Will an Attorney Help Your Case?

Uber and Lyft accidents in Denver often result in injured victims going up against aggressive insurance carriers. A skilled Denver auto accident attorney will have the resources necessary to:

Obtain all evidence necessary to prove liability
Work with trusted medical professionals to evaluate their injured client
Negotiate with every party involved to obtain maximum compensation

Liability in a Denver Uber or Lyft Accident

While there are no solid statistics from the Colorado Department of Transportation related to rideshare accidents, we know that these incidents occur in and around Denver County on a regular basis. The problem with these incidents often revolves around which insurance carrier will be responsible for injury and property damage expenses. Rideshare companies’ insurance coverage for Uber and Lyft drivers, that are frequently classified as independent contractors, works on a sort of tiered system:

If a rideshare driver is not signed into the “app” to work and they are on their personal time when they cause an accident, then their own insurance carrier will be responsible for any damages.
If a rideshare driver is signed into the “app” to work, but they do not yet have a passenger when they cause an accident, then their personal insurance carrier is still primarily responsible for the incident. Uber and Lyft will provide limited coverage in these situations, but only if the personal carrier denies a claim or if coverage limits are exhausted.
If a rideshare driver has a passenger or is on the way to pick one up when an accident occurs, both Uber and Lyft have a $1 million liability insurance policy that is supposed to cover everybody involved in the incident.

The exact amounts of liability insurance available from a rideshare company will depend on the phase of the ride at the time of your crash. You may also qualify for insurance coverage from a third party, such as the individual rideshare driver or another driver outside of the Uber or Lyft vehicle. In some cases, you may be able to hold multiple parties accountable for the wreck.

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Can Multiple Parties Be Responsible for an Uber Accident in Colorado?

Some rideshare accidents are the sole fault of one party, such as the Uber or Lyft driver for violating a traffic law. In other cases, however, multiple parties share legal responsibility for the crash. While it is unlikely that a rideshare passenger contributed to the crash, someone else could share fault, such as the other driver involved in the collision, Uber or Lyft for company negligence, or the manufacturer of a defective vehicle part.

If more than one party shares fault for an Uber or Lyft accident in Colorado, it is known as joint and several liability. In these cases, fault is allocated across all culpable parties based on who or what caused the crash. Then, each party will pay a percentage of the settlement or judgment award based on his or her allocation of fault.

For example, if an Uber driver is 70 percent responsible for driving distracted but another driver is 30 percent to blame for failing to yield the right-of-way, both parties can be held responsible for your accident and related injuries. You will obtain 70 percent of your financial recovery from the rideshare driver and the other 30 percent from the insurance carrier of the other party.

If you get blamed for your Uber accident in Colorado, this will reduce your financial recovery by an equivalent amount. Colorado uses a comparative negligence law (Colorado Revised Statutes 13-21-111) to reduce a plaintiff’s financial compensation by his or her percentage of fault. As long as your degree of fault is less than that of the person or party against whom you are seeking recovery, you can still qualify for partial compensation.

What Damages Can Uber Accident Victims Recover in Colorado?

Successfully holding one or multiple parties liable for a rideshare accident in Denver can result in financial compensation being given to you for a variety of related losses. This compensation is known as damages. Although every case is unique and the value of a claim varies according to the degree of the victim’s injuries and other factors, the types of damages available in Colorado remain the same. They are organized into three categories:

Economic damages. Economic damages are the financial losses associated with your Uber or Lyft accident, such as property damage, medical bills, lost wages, transportation costs and out-of-pocket expenses.

Noneconomic damages. Noneconomic damages are the intangible losses you suffered because of the crash, such as physical pain, suffering, disability, lost quality of life, emotional distress, mental anguish and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Punitive damages. Punitive damages are rarer than economic and noneconomic damages. They are awarded in select cases to punish the defendant for especially wrongful or egregious acts, such as gross negligence.

One or all of these types of damages may be recoverable for you as an Uber or Lyft accident victim in Denver. Before accepting a settlement from a rideshare company or insurance provider, learn the value of your case with help from an attorney. You can trust an attorney to give you an accurate case valuation, as your lawyer will work for you – not an insurer or third party.

What Types of Compensation Are Available?

Within the three types of damages are a variety of specific and general losses. If you or somebody you love has been injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, there may be various types of compensation available for your claim. At Cannon Law, we will thoroughly investigate your case in order to secure the following:

Coverage of your medical bills related to the crash
Any lost wages or benefits if you cannot work
Recovery of property damage if necessary
Pain and suffering damages
Loss of personal enjoyment damages

We will use whatever means necessary to obtain fair and full financial compensation for your rideshare accident in Denver, even if this means going up against Uber or Lyft at trial. We don’t get paid unless you do, meaning we are motivated to secure top results on your behalf.

Sam Cannon

Sam Cannon is a dedicated personal injury attorney representing individuals against large corporations and insurance companies. As the founder of Cannon Law, he has built his practice around advocating for injured individuals in complex cases, including traumatic brain injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning claims, and insurance bad faith disputes.

Years of Experience: 10+ years
Colorado Registration Status: Active and authorized to practice law
Get in touch: Justia ; Yelp

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Contact an Uber or Lyft Attorney

When you need an Uber and Lyft accident attorney in Denver, make sure you contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling (970) 471-7170. Our Denver personal injury lawyers fight for financial compensation to help offset the costs of medical bills and future medical expenses caused by the ridesharing accident.