Ride-sharing is really convenient for thousands of people the world-over, and it is no different for residents and non-residents in New Hampshire. Uber itself has a strong presence in Portsmouth, Concord, Manchester, and Nashua, New Hampshire.
But ride-sharing is not without its controversies, from Lyft to Uber to other smaller companies. Two of the biggest controversies and indeed serious concerns have been related to:
- assault (both physical and sexual assaults); and
- auto accidents that cause personal injuries or death.
These are serious and can impact your health and wellbeing. If you take advantage of ride-sharing in New Hampshire, here are a few things to keep in mind.
IF YOU ARE HURT WHILE USING A RIDE-SHARE SERVICE, CONTACT THE POLICE
It doesn’t matter how or who caused your injury, the police should be informed. If it’s an injury caused by an auto accident, then the police may already be involved. Regardless of what the situation is and whether or not you are the one to contact the police, the police should be informed as soon as possible.
The reason you want the police involved is simple: the police report. The police report is important for many reasons, some of which include the following:
- the police report may indicate who was at fault;
- the police report may contain insurance information;
- the police report may list witnesses who can later be used to testify;
- the police report links your injuries to the ride-share employee; and, among other things,
- the police report indicates the date and time, which may be important to prove the contracted ride-share personnel was indeed “working” at the time of the accident in case he or she is at fault for the accident.
IF YOU ARE HURT WHILE USING A RIDE-SHARE SERVICE, GET MEDICAL ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY
Getting medical attention may sometimes be the first thing you need to do, and from there the police will be contacted. It all depends on the circumstances. But if you were sexually assaulted, you want to see medical care immediately. The healthcare professionals will contact the police if you have not yet done so.
Of course, calling 911 will alert the first responders and both the police and medical workers will be informed.
RIDE-SHARE COMPANIES MAY TRY TO GET OUT OF LIABILITY FOR YOUR INJURIES
Ride-share companies have pretty large insurance policies, so if you need to be compensated, chances are their insurance will suffice. That said, ride-share companies do not take personal injury claims lightly and will do what they can to protect the interests of their companies before protecting your rights.
Oftentimes, that may mean arguing against compensation – regardless of whether or not the injury was intentional or not. Uber and Lyft have pretty strict but similar coverage that will kick in when their driver was negligent and was working. Here’s a brief overview:
- If the ride-share driver is not logged into the app, there is no coverage.
- If the driver is logged into the app but not yet accepting a ride request, the ride-share company may provide a limited amount of liability coverage if the driver was at fault.
- If the driver has accepted a trip up until the drop-off period, coverage can go up to $1 million and include other coverage as applicable.
CONTACT A RIDE-SHARE AUTO ACCIDENT ATTORNEY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TODAY
The ride-sharing business is a growing one today. People use it because it is useful. But if you are injured, you should not have to bear the costs. Contact a ride-sharing personal injury attorney in New Hampshire today.