What should I do after a Nashville Uber accident?

Nashville is among the most-visited cities in the American South, attracting millions of tourists every year. For visitors and locals alike, ride-sharing services provide an attractive alternative to the high costs of private car rentals. However, ride-share services present certain risks. Many ride-share drivers lack any qualifications beyond a basic driver’s license. Even when they make a good-faith effort to transport passengers safely, accidents still happen—and with surprising regularity.

Most Common Causes of Tennessee Uber Accidents

Uber drivers are only human. Even when they try their best to ensure their customers’ safety, any mistake—no matter how minor—could have life-altering consequences. Here are some of the most common causes of Tennessee Uber accidents.

Driver Inexperience

Uber has few requirements for its drivers. While applicants must have a valid operator’s license, insurance, and a reasonably safe car, they’re not expected to obtain a chauffeur’s license or undergo additional training. An inexperienced Uber driver—who may still be learning the rules of the road, or doesn’t know how to transport multiple passengers safely—could cause an accident if they panic in heavy traffic or make a mistake when assisting a customer with disabilities.

Distracted Driving

Today’s modern world is full of distractions. Unfortunately, Uber drivers may be at higher risk for distracted driving. ride-share contractors may be required to use the Uber app to review passenger profiles, accept rides, and track their earnings. If they’re unfamiliar with Nashville’s layout or a particular neighborhood, they may have to constantly check their phone for directions, potentially taking their eyes—and their concentration—away from the road.

Fatigue

Ride-share services often try to attract drivers by saying they can set their own schedules and work as many—or as few—hours as they would like. However, many Uber drivers treat transportation as a full-time job. If they push themselves to their limits in an effort to make more money, they could become dangerously fatigued.

Negotiating the Aftermath of a Nashville Uber Accident

While Uber and other ride-share services often maintain expensive, high-limit liability insurance policies, securing a fair settlement could prove challenging. Even if you have a seemingly open-and-shut claim, your rights to recovery are contingent on the actions you take after an accident.

If you or a loved one was injured in a Nashville-area Uber accident that wasn’t your fault, limit your liability by taking the following steps:

Call 911. Tennessee law requires that motorists report any accident resulting in personal injury, death, or substantial property damage. However, even if you don’t believe you’re responsible for notifying law enforcement of a collision, you should call 911 immediately. Emergency personnel and law enforcement need to assess any injuries, no matter how minor, review the accident scene, and file a police report. Even if the investigating officer can’t determine who caused the crash, their report could be used as evidence in later negotiations.
Always accept medical attention. Symptoms of more serious injuries might be masked by shock and adrenaline. A physician identifies, diagnoses, and treats any emergent injuries, and has established a timeline of events if something more severe happens related to the accident.
Collect evidence. If you don’t require emergency medical care, try to collect evidence from the crash site. This includes screenshots of your Uber account history, pictures of your physical injuries, and photographs of the damage to the Uber vehicle or another car.
Speak to eyewitnesses. Eyewitness testimony can make or break a ride-share claim. If another motorist or bystander saw your accident, ask them for their full name, phone number, and other contact information.

Contact an experienced Nashville Uber accident attorney. You likely stand your best chance of recovery when you have an experienced Nashville Uber accident attorney on your side. Skilled legal counsel helps establish liability, assess your damages, and negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault driver, Uber, or another wrongdoer.

Caring and Capable Legal Counsel for Injured Middle Tennessee Rideshare Crash Victims

Whether you were a ride-share passenger or a driver or occupant of another vehicle injured by a negligent Uber or Lyft driver, you need a knowledgeable personal injury attorney. The skilled team at Weir & Kestner Injury Lawyers is ready to help.

Contact us online or call our office directly at 615.220.4180 to schedule your free consultation. We’ll arrange a time to meet with you at one of our offices in Smyrna, Nashville, Murfreesboro or Chattanooga—whichever location is most convenient for you.

by Tony Kestner

Helping personal injury victims win their case and lose their stress.

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