Louisiana Rideshare Accidents

November 3, 2020 Accident

Louisiana Rideshare Accidents

Ridesharing is common and popular here in Louisiana, particularly in urban areas like New Orleans. Unfortunately, as ridesharing has increased in popularity, the number of ridesharing accidents has increased, as well. Under Louisiana law, drivers for companies like Uber and Lyft have the same duties and obligations to drive safely as all other drivers on Louisiana roads and highways. Thus, anyone injured in a Louisiana rideshare accident is entitled to bring an insurance claim and/or file a personal injury lawsuit to recover for their injuries and for any damage to personal property (like for a broken laptop or tablet). Common types of rideshare accidents include:

  • Crashes involving rear-end collisions — studies have shown the rideshare drivers have a higher incidence of driving while distracted because of constant messaging, texting and pinging to their phones; distracted driving leads to an increase in dangerous driving behavior like following too close to the car ahead which can lead to rear-end collisions
  • Crashes caused by violation of traffic laws/rules — distracted driving can lead drivers to miss traffic control devices and signals
  • Crashes caused by speeding — this can be caused by distracted driving and a customer’s urgency in needing to arrive at their destination on time
  • Injury to pedestrians — again, distracted driving is a common cause here
  • Sideswipe Accidents — accidents involving vehicles parked on the roads
  • And more

If you have been injured in a Louisiana Uber or Lyft accident, you should talk to an experienced Louisiana personal attorney as soon as possible. These cases can be legally complex, and you will need help going up against the Uber/Lyft attorneys.

These cases are complex because to recover, it is necessary to prove how the accident occurred and who was at fault. This is necessary for legal reasons: Under Louisiana law, money damages can only be recovered against a party who was at fault (the party who was negligent). This is also necessary for practical reasons: Determining fault makes it possible to identify which insurance company should be asked to tender payments under the relevant insurance policy.

These cases are complex because there may be multiple parties at fault. For example, if another automobile or vehicle was involved in the accident, the driver of that vehicle might be at fault. Or the Uber or Lyft driver might be at fault. Possibly, Uber or Lyft themselves might be partially at fault under theories of negligence like failure to train, failure to supervise, failure require proper licensure, etc. Finally, mechanical failure and automobile design defects might have a causal relationship with the injuries suffered. If so, then claims can be made against a car repair shop and/or an automobile manufacturer.

If you are involved in a rideshare accident, there are two things to do first. Make sure to get proper medical attention immediately and make sure you filed a police report. The police report is necessary for insurance claims and will provide you with all the needed information with respect to the Uber or Lyft driver.

 Mansfield Melancon Attorneys can Help: Call Today 

If you have been injured in a Louisiana rideshare accident or any other type of automobile crash, contact the Louisiana car accident attorneys at Mansfield, Melancon, Cranmer & Dick LLC. We have a proven track record of success handling many types of Louisiana personal injury cases, including, but not limited to, car accidents, boating accidents, motorcycle accidents, premises liability accidents, and cases involving nursing care facility abuse/neglect. Contact us by calling one of our offices: New Orleans at (504) 500-1108, Baton Rouge at (225) 612-0800, or Lafayette at (337) 409-0003. You can also request a free consultation by using our “Contact Us” page.