Long Island Common Carrier Lawyer
The most popular hired vehicle in Long Island is an Uber, but the taxi is still a very common form of transportation for Long Island residents. In Long Island, common carriers include the railroad, buses, and shuttles. There are bus shuttles to the airport because there are major airports around the Metropolitan area, and of course, there are taxis, Lyft and Uber. Common carriers are economical and convenient, which explains their popularity amongst people. However, with the increased use of common carriers, especially ridesharing ones like Uber and Lyft, the risk of an accident is quite present. If you have been involved in a common carrier accident, get in contact with a skilled car accident lawyer. A Long Island common carrier lawyer can advocate for you.
Negligence in Common Carrier Accidents
Negligence is negligence whether it is a personal driver or a taxi or Uber driver. In New York which encompasses Long Island, there is a minimum amount of insurance coverage that is different for taxi and Uber drivers as opposed to personal drivers. For personal drivers, there is a minimum insurance coverage of $25,000 whereas, for taxi drivers that are licensed by the TLC Taxi and Limousine Commission and Uber drivers, there is a minimum coverage of $100,000. The driver’s insurance company is responsible for paying the damages in Long Island Uber accidents.
Steps to Take Following an Accident
Always take pictures at the scene of the accident, get the name and identification of the Uber driver and of course if the person is using an Uber driver and the person has the Uber app, they should have not only the name of the driver but a picture of the driver, and the person can even print that out.
The person should also get information regarding the other vehicle if there is one in the accident, such as license and plate numbers of both vehicles which is always important. Just because the person is a passenger does not mean they should not get the same information that a driver would get. In fact, the person should probably take down just as much information, especially if there are injuries involved. The person wants to make sure that there is a police report filed as well.
There are no punitive damages in New York and Long Island for Uber accidents and drivers can recover no different from an Uber accident vehicle than any other vehicle; the person files claim forms and if the case cannot be resolved, the matter has to be filed in court.
Value of an Attorney
A person should hire a Long Island common carrier lawyer in any accident they have involved Lyfts, Uber, or otherwise. An attorney will work to ensure that your rights are protected, that the drivers involved have insurance, and if they do not have insurance, the person wants to know what their rights are because that person has rights even when there is no insurance. Only experienced attorneys can understand and navigate this process and if there is insurance, you want to make sure that you have a lawyer that is experienced in the area so that you can recover the maximum amount of benefits that you are entitled to.
