Auto Accidents Involving UBER in Greenville, SC

UBER is Growing More Popular

As one of the most reliable car services in the United States, UBER continues grow in popularity. This is because the service provides an easily accessible, reliable, high quality, and efficient alternative to taking a taxi. The vehicles are clean and the drivers are great. But, there could be a downside to more UBER drivers on the road as they can lead to auto accidents in Greenville, South Carolina.

UBER On the Road

Because there are more and more people taking advantage of the ride-sharing services like UBER, more and more auto accidents involve UBER drivers. Having said that, you need to know that you are protected by sufficient auto insurance coverage in case an accident occurs with an UBER driver. Many people don’t know how insurance works with UBER, so let’s address that.

Insurance and UBER

Your UBER driver should have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in case you are in an accident, caused by another driver, who has inadequate insurance to cover your damages. UIM covers any occupant of a vehicle which is in an accident caused by someone else with insufficient insurance (T.C.A. 56-7-1201). If another car hits you, and you have $80,000 in damages, but the at-fault driver can only cover $25,000 with his or her insurance (the state mandated minimum), then you have $55,000 in damages that aren’t covered. If your UBER driver has $100,000 in UIM insurance coverage, then this will cover the remainder. This raises the question as to whether or not UBER drivers should be required to have UIM insurance. Typically, this is not required as bodily injury coverage is.

Accidents Caused By UBER drivers

If your UBER driver is the at-fault driver in an auto accident, then his or her insurance should cover your injuries and losses. For this reason, you need to know if UBER drivers have insurance, whom their insurance providers are, and what is covered. There are no regulations for this with UBER because the business is new and still able to make these decisions at their own discretion, unlike taxi drivers.

On that note, UBER does strive to be progressive and to provide insurance for all drivers and passengers of UBER vehicles. UBER covers all inhabitants of the vehicle for up to $1 million in damages, which protects most with minor to moderate injuries.

Yet, when en route to their destinations, UBER is only provided $50,000 in coverage, so that if you are another driver, injured by an UBER driver without a passenger in the car, you will be able to receive no more than this amount for your damages.

The most trying part of this issue is that UBER drivers who are not on the clock are not covered at all. Rather, it is up to the individual driver to maintain personal insurance.

Insurance Company Complications

The majority of insurance companies do not honor their coverage policies if the driver happens to be an UBER driver who was off the clock. This is because UBER drivers are deviating from the permissible use of the vehicle under standard insurance coverage. This means that many UBER drivers don’t even realize that they aren’t insured.

Complexities of UBER Accidents

Over time, UBER’s popularity has surpassed their ability to keep up with the necessary standards and regulations for insuring and covering drivers and passengers. Thus, you may find any accident involving UBER to be much more complex when it comes to filing a claim.

Consult with a Greenville Attorney About UBER Auto Accidents

If you are involved in an UBER accident, your best bet is to contact an aggressive Greenville, SC car accident attorney right away to discuss the complexities of insurance coverage and accident claims, before proceeding any further with your pursuit of an UBER auto accident claim.