Newark Uber Accident Attorney
On the streets of Newark, New Jersey, many Uber vehicles help people get safely to their destinations. Some need to head to Newark Liberty International Airport and do not want to leave their vehicles there.
Others may have gone out for a fun night with friends in many of the bars, restaurants, and clubs that fill downtown Newark and need a safe, sober ride back home.
While Uber offers advantages for many drivers, it does not come without its potential dangers. Uber accidents can leave victims with the same severe injuries that result from any other type of car accident, although the injured individuals may not have done anything to contribute to the accident.
If you suffered serious injuries in a Newark Uber accident, you need a Newark personal injury attorney who can help you understand your right to compensation.
Contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, today at (973) 643-2707 to learn more.
Jacoby & Meyers, LLP: Newark Uber Accident Lawyers
At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we have extensive experience managing personal injury claims throughout New Jersey, including the Newark area.
Take a look at some of our past auto accident claim results:
- $2,500,000 settlement for a motor vehicle accident.
- $1,272,000 settlement for an auto accident claim.
- $740,000 motor vehicle collision settlement.
- $400,000 for a motor vehicle crash.
At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we cannot guarantee the compensation that any auto accident victim, including an Uber accident victim, will receive for the serious injuries sustained in an accident. However, we can provide comprehensive support to all of our clients. In many cases, our clients find that working with us can significantly increase the compensation offered by the insurance company, including the insurance company that covers Uber drivers.
Our experienced team of attorneys wants to help you maximize the compensation you can recover. To aid in that process, we:
Help our clients collect the evidence needed to establish liability after an Uber accident.
Sometimes, you may have no idea what happened to cause your Uber accident. With the driver in charge, you may have kicked back in the back seat with your friends or family members, catching up on conversation, or even just taking a look at all the information on your phone. In a liability dispute, your inability to provide witness testimony may feel incredibly frustrating.
At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, however, we will take a look at all the evidence surrounding the accident, from any video footage that may help show what took place during the accident to witness statements. We can even bring in an expert witness to take a look at the damage to the vehicles and any footage from the accident scene, which can offer more insight into liability regarding the accident.
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Provide comprehensive legal advice to help our clients maximize the compensation they can recover.
Dealing with the aftermath of a substantial Uber accident can leave you with a lot of questions about how much compensation you really qualify to pursue. How much does Uber’s insurance policy cover for each accident victim? How much compensation can you really recover for your injuries? At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we work to ensure that our clients know the answers to these questions, which can make it easier for injured individuals to navigate interactions with the insurance company with confidence.
Represent our clients at each stage of the process.
Uber has an experienced team of attorneys who can help decrease the financial liability Uber might face following an accident caused by one of its drivers. You need a determined team of lawyers on your side who will help you avoid many of the pitfalls associated with an Uber accident claim. We help represent our clients at every stage of the process, from taking over negotiations on our clients’ behalf to representing them in court if they need that representation to increase the odds that they will recover maximum compensation.
Hazards That Increase the Risk of Dangerous Newark Uber Accidents
While Newark Uber drivers exercise reasonable caution on the roads to ensure that their passengers get to their destinations safely, several hazards in the Newark area can increase the risk of an Uber accident.
Hazardous Intersections
Newark and the surrounding area have many potentially hazardous intersections where the risk of an accident increases. Since many Uber drivers may rely on a GPS device to help them get around the city as they deliver their passengers, particularly since drivers may face losses if they do not take the fastest route, they may not have options to avoid some of those intersections, including the Broad and Market Street intersection and the Broad and Raymond Street intersection.
Long Hours Worked
While Uber does restrict the number of hours its drivers can spend on the road, requiring them to shut the app off for at least six hours after driving for 12 hours within 24 hours, those restrictions may not prevent high overall levels of driver fatigue in Uber drivers.
Driver fatigue can also increase during many of the peak Uber hours, when drivers often need to take to the road to maximize their profits. Driver fatigue can increase the odds that drivers will nod off, drift out of their lane, or struggle to respond to road hazards on time.
Distraction
Many Uber drivers rely on built-in GPS to help them get around Newark. Unfortunately, those devices and platforms can pose a substantial distraction for drivers at a time when they need to keep their eyes on the road. Uber drivers may also have greater odds of distraction than the average Newark driver since they spend longer hours behind the wheel and may have a harder time keeping their attention on the road as a result. Exuberant passengers can also pose a substantial distraction for some drivers.
Weather Hazards
Newark sees an estimated 26.1 inches of snow each year, and an average of 115 days with precipitation. On those days, Uber traffic may increase as more people do not want to walk to their destination or do not feel they can adequately control their vehicles. Uber drivers, however, receive no greater training in how to deal with those hazards than the average personal driver, which means they may have a hard time navigating in poor weather. Slick roads can make it much more difficult for Uber vehicles to remain on the road and raise the risk of an accident, with little the driver can do to prevent the accident.
The Aftermath of Newark Uber Accidents: Severe, Life-Altering Injuries
After Newark Uber accidents, many accident victims find themselves dealing with severe injuries. You may have the right to compensation following an Uber accident that results in any type of severe injury, including those not necessarily named below.
Traumatic Brain Injury
Did you suffer a blow to the head during your Uber accident, often because your head made contact with the seat in front of you with immense force? If so, you may find yourself dealing with a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, can make it difficult for you to focus or interfere with your memory. Many people with traumatic brain injury often find themselves struggling to regulate emotions. While symptoms of traumatic brain injury can resolve with time, symptoms of even minor traumatic brain injury may linger for more than a year after the accident.
Back and Neck Injuries
Back and neck injuries occur in many car accidents, including Uber accidents. Back and neck injuries may include:
- Herniated discs
- Muscle damage
- Spinal cord injuries, which may result in partial or full paralysis
Many victims with back and neck injuries find that these injuries interfere with victims’ ability to work normally after the accident, especially if they sustained injuries that led to paralysis.
Amputation
Sometimes, Uber accidents can result in amputations or the complete loss of a limb. Limb loss can leave many victims struggling to figure out how to handle the activities they once took for granted, including things like self-care tasks. A prosthetic device can help replicate some of the appearance and function of a biological limb, but may not restore it completely.
Many amputees also find that the cost of replacing prosthetics can grow prohibitive over time, especially since prosthetics often require replacement within 3 to 5 years of normal use. More complex prosthetics may require more regular replacement.
Broken Bones
Many Uber accidents in Newark result in broken bones, especially for victims on the side of the vehicle where the accident occurs. You may suffer numerous broken bones in your Uber accident, which can interfere with self-care and work capability after the accident. Broken bones may require surgery to promote full healing. Some victims with broken bones will also require significant physical therapy to get as close as possible to normal. Furthermore, broken bones may cause ongoing pain for the victim long after the initial injury.
Facial Injuries
Items flying around the car can strike passengers anywhere during an accident, as can flying glass and debris in the car. Furthermore, if you hit your face on the back of the seat in front of you, it can lead to severe injuries. Facial injuries often prove particularly traumatic for many accident victims, who frequently struggle with changed appearance and scarring.
Who Bears Liability for an Uber Accident?
To file an Uber accident claim, you will need to identify the party that bears liability for an Uber accident. As a victim who sustained significant injuries, you have the right to request a copy of the police report after the accident. While the police report can help establish liability, it does not necessarily contain a full breakdown of all parties that may share liability for a Newark Uber accident.
The Uber Driver
If you know that the Uber driver caused your accident, often due to an act of negligence behind the wheel, you may have grounds to seek compensation through Uber’s insurance company. Your Uber driver may bear liability for driving while distracted, driving while intoxicated, or ignoring the rules of the road. Sometimes, your testimony can help serve as evidence that the Uber driver bears liability for the accident, especially if you clearly observed dangerous behaviors. Luckily, Uber provides significant insurance for its drivers.
Keep in mind, however, that Uber’s insurance policy will not kick in during all potential accident scenarios. Uber’s insurance applies when the driver has a passenger in the vehicle or has headed out to pick up a passenger. If the driver has the app on but does not have a passenger yet, the driver may have less coverage under Uber’s insurance policy.
Furthermore, if the driver does not have the app on at all, the driver’s personal insurance will apply. As an Uber passenger, however, you know that the Uber driver likely had the app on during the accident and that you should receive compensation accordingly.
The Other Driver
Sometimes, the Uber driver may not cause the accident that leads to your injuries. You may note that another Newark driver engaged in dangerous behavior on the road, from texting and driving to speeding or failure to yield. The police report may clearly indicate that the other driver bears liability for the accident. If so, you may have grounds to file a claim against that driver’s insurance company for any injuries you sustained during the accident.
Other Parties
In some cases, an investigation may find that another party bears or shares liability for your Uber accident.
Liable parties may include:
- A bar or restaurant that over-served a drunk driver.
- A mechanic that recently worked on the vehicle, but failed to note a problem with it.
- The vehicle manufacturer.
At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we carefully investigate every element of our clients’ claims to ensure that we can identify all liable parties, which may help maximize the compensation you can recover.
Do You Need a Newark Uber Accident Lawyer?
If you suffered serious injuries in a Newark, New Jersey, Uber accident, contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, online or by calling (973) 643-2707 today for your free consultation.
Newark Uber Accident Lawyer FAQ
After suffering serious injuries in a Newark, New Jersey, Uber accident, you may have questions about your right to compensation. Take a look at the FAQ below, or contact us to review the specifics of your claim.
1. How Much Is My Newark Uber Accident Claim Worth?
When determining how much you may receive in compensation following your Uber accident, we usually take a look at several key elements of your claim. We cannot guarantee the compensation you will recover for your injuries; however, a look at these questions will give us a better idea of the full value of your claim.
What Limits Does the Insurance Policy That Covers the Liable Party Have?
If you had an accident with an Uber driver on an active ride or got into an accident in an Uber vehicle as a passenger due to the Uber driver’s liability, you may seek compensation through Uber’s extensive insurance coverage. On the other hand, if the other driver bears liability for the accident, you may find that the policy has far more limitations. Furthermore, Uber’s insurance policy may not provide the same level of coverage for a driver who has his app on, but who does not have a passenger or who has not left to pick up a passenger.
The policy limits of the liable driver’s policy can determine how much compensation you may receive, which means you need an attorney to review the policy and give you a good idea of how much compensation you can claim for your injuries.
What Injuries Did You Sustain in Your Uber Accident?
If you suffered injuries like traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injuries, which can cause severe challenges in your life and ongoing limitations, you may have significantly more challenges ahead of you than a victim who has suffered relatively minor injuries.
In general, compensation for an Uber accident will break down into compensation for:
- Your medical costs;
- Wages lost because you could not work due to your injuries; and
- Pain and suffering, usually determined as a percentage of the injury damages that you sustained.
The greater your injuries, the greater your financial losses related to your Uber accident will likely amount to, and the more compensation you may have the right to claim. At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we can take a look at the losses you had to contend with after your accident, including the overall financial cost to you, and help break down the compensation you may qualify to seek for your injuries.
2. If a Dunk Uber Driver Caused My Accident, Can I Claim Compensation From the Bar or Restaurant That Over-Served the Driver?
New Jersey’s dram shop law does allow the victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver to file for compensation from the bar or restaurant that over-served that driver, if the individual who caused the accident showed visible signs of intoxication at the time of the interaction, or if the vendor should have known that the driver had not reached the age of 21. If you suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident while in an Uber vehicle, an attorney can help investigate the situation surrounding that alcohol consumption and determine whether you may have the right to compensation from the bar or restaurant that chose to over-serve that driver.
3. What Should I Do if I Suffered Injuries in a Newark Uber Accident, but I Cannot Afford an Attorney?
Hiring an attorney to help deal with the aftermath of your Newark Uber accident may sound expensive. You may have heard a lot about the cost associated with hiring a lawyer and how it can leave you struggling financially during already difficult times. However, hiring an Uber accident attorney may prove more affordable than you initially thought.
At Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, we start with a free consultation to go over the extent of your injuries and the basics of your accident. Often, during that consultation, we can provide our clients with basic legal advice that can help them decide how they want to move forward with their Uber accident claims.
In many cases, after the free consultation, we will decide to take Uber accident victims as clients on a contingent fee basis. What does that mean for you? In short, you will not have to worry about paying upfront for our services. Instead, you can pay for your legal fees out of a percentage of your claim. This simple strategy can make legal services much more affordable for many Newark Uber accident victims.
4. Do I Really Need an Attorney to Help Me Handle My Newark Uber Accident Claim?
As the passenger in an Uber vehicle at the time of a serious accident, you may feel confident that you had nothing to do with the accident itself, which means that you may assume you will easily recover compensation for your damages. As an innocent victim, you do not bear any liability for the accident, and you may have serious medical bills that you know you will need to address quickly. Worse, you may have ongoing costs related to your normal living expenses and no way to pay them as a result of your injuries. The insurance company knows that. Surely that means you can receive the compensation you need quickly and effectively, right? Unfortunately, it may not prove that simple.
The insurance company may utilize several tactics to decrease the settlement it has to offer you, including the following:
The insurance company may try to offer you a low settlement offer. Soon after your Newark Uber accident, the liable party’s insurance company may get in touch with you to offer you a settlement. On the surface, that settlement offer might seem to offer everything you need—and accepting quickly may seem in your best interests. After all, if you accept that settlement offer, it will start the clock ticking on the time the insurance company has to issue payment, which means you may get the funds you need in your hands faster. You will get the money you need to cover the full cost of your injuries, and you can put your accident behind you.
Unfortunately, that may prove easier said than done. Often, that initial settlement offer may not reflect the compensation you really deserve for your injuries. While it may seem adequate at the moment, as your bills continue to pile up, you may realize that you do not have enough money to take care of the expenses associated with your injuries. You may end up struggling to pay your bills, especially if you have medical expenses and cannot go back to work.
An attorney, on the other hand, can look over that settlement offer and tell you from the beginning whether it reflects the compensation that you will need to cover your injury expenses. An attorney can help break down your current costs and anticipated future medical expenses, which may give you a better idea of when you should accept a settlement offer and when you should continue negotiating.
The insurance company may argue that you exaggerated the extent of your injuries. You will begin your claim with a demand package: a list of your expenses, the limitations caused by the accident, and the compensation you seek to cover the full cost of your injuries. That package will lay out your medical difficulties and any losses you faced due to your Newark Uber accident. Some insurance companies, however, may attempt to deny your claims. They may try to prove that your injuries did not cause the limitations you claim, or that you do not need the medical services you claim to need.
An attorney can help you collect the proof you need to establish the extent of your injuries, including evidence from your doctors, and help you make a more effective statement regarding the treatment you’ve already endured and may need in the future to make a full recovery and the associated cost of all treatment.
You may have to take your claim to court to fully establish your right to compensation. Most Uber accident claims settle out of court because the legal teams know that going to court may significantly increase the cost associated with settling that claim, particularly for at-fault insurance companies. However, sometimes, you may need to go to court to get adequate compensation, especially if you need to ask for significant compensation related to your Uber accident. If you do have to go to court, you may need an attorney to represent you as you establish your full right to compensation.
5. What Should I Do if I Experience an Uber Accident in Newark?
Dealing with the aftermath of an Uber accident can cause a great deal of stress. The way you handle yourself in the immediate aftermath of the accident, however, can help make it easier to establish your right to compensation.
First, make sure you report the accident. Whether you had an accident as a passenger in an Uber vehicle or suffered injuries in an accident as the driver or passenger of another vehicle, you should always make sure to report the accident to the police. Do not allow the liable driver to simply pull away without reporting the accident to the police. While a police report may leave out some of the information you need to establish liability, since the initial police report can only contain evidence that you can establish at the scene, this report can serve as vital evidence of who caused the accident—and even that the accident took place. If the liable driver does not want to report the accident, it could indicate that the driver does not want to have you fairly compensated for your injuries.
Seek medical attention, even if you do not think you sustained severe injuries. You may not want to head straight to the hospital or an urgent care center, but if you suffered injuries in an Uber accident, or the Uber accident resulted in serious property damage, medical attention could prove critical. Some injuries, including traumatic brain injury, chest contusions, or even broken bones, may not make themselves known immediately after your accident. You may realize the full extent of your injuries days or, in some cases, even weeks later.
Unfortunately, in the meantime, you may suffer from increasing pain. You may worsen the extent of your injuries. You may even cause yourself additional complications that could make it very difficult for you to heal in the future. A doctor, on the other hand, can evaluate your injuries and treat them so you can increase your odds of making a full recovery.
When you seek medical attention, it will also serve as evidence of when your accident took place. If you later need to move forward with an Uber accident claim, that evidence can make it easier to establish that your injuries did occur due to the Uber accident, and not as a result of some other circumstances.
Keep track of your medical records and, in particular, your medical bills. By showing your medical bills, you may make it easier to show the financial costs you have faced as a result of your injuries. Keep in mind that you may receive multiple medical bills for a single procedure, especially one that takes place in a hospital, and keep them all in one place to make them easier to sort later.
Get in touch with an attorney at Jacoby & Meyers, LLP.
After an Uber accident, do not wait. The sooner you get in touch with an attorney, the sooner that attorney can start advocating for you, from providing you with information about the steps you should take next to offering vital advice regarding what you can post on social media or even what you can share with others about your accident. Trying to handle your claim on your own could leave you with increased difficulty when the time comes to seek compensation for your injuries.
Contact Jacoby & Meyers, LLP, at (973) 643-2707 for your free case evaluation, during which you can explain the details of your accident and determine your eligibility to pursue compensation for the full cost of your injuries.
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