The Real Impact of a Los Angeles Uber Accident
January 13, 2020 | Filed under: Uber Accident
Uber accidents are more common than you might think. In this post, you’ll learn:
- What causes Uber accidents.
- How driver fatigue plays an especially big role.
- How Uber accidents can cause injury.
- How Uber has shielded itself from legal liability.
- Why it’s best to call an Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles.
Read the full below:
The Real Impact of a Los Angeles Uber Accident
It’s no secret that rideshare services like Uber have upended the transportation business. Indeed, rideshares have had a seismic impact on the tourism industry, on taxicab services, on rental car providers, and beyond. They have given us an easy way to make it to the airport, and a safe way to get back home following a night involving alcohol.
For as positive an impact as Uber and similar companies have had, however, there is also a downside. It’s something experts call the Uber Effect, and what it amounts to is this: As more rideshare vehicles hit the road, the likelihood of an Uber accident just continues to rise.
But how common are Uber accidents? What tends to cause them? How can you respond in the aftermath of an Uber accident? And at what point should you consider hiring an Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles?
We’ll address each of these questions in the post that follows.
Uber Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles Statistics
Let’s start with some fast facts about Uber rides, Uber customers, and Uber accidents. Here are some quick stats from our Uber accident attorneys in Los Angeles.
- Ridesharing is largely a young person’s game. According to the latest figures, about 65 percent of all Uber riders are in the 16-34-year-old age range. About 25 percent is in the 35-63-year-old bracket.
- It’s generally assumed that Uber is an Urban phenomenon, but actually, the statistics are almost evenly split: 46 percent of riders live in urban areas, and about 48 percent live in more suburban or rural places.
Some additional facts about Uber:
- Only about 14 percent of Uber drivers are women.
- In 2018, Uber’s corporate revenues exceeded $11.3 billion.
- On average, Uber drivers make $364 monthly. That’s an average hourly rate of around $8.55.
- More than half of all Uber drivers are aged 51 and older.
- The company is estimated to be worth approximately $72 billion in total.
- There are more than 93 million active Uber users.
- There are 15 million active users for UberEats, the company’s meal delivery service.
- Uber claims more than 15 million trips each day.
- Around 65,000 companies use Uber for business purposes.
Those are just a few salient facts about how Uber works, but now we can turn our attention to another salient topic… the topic of Uber accidents.
Uber Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles Explains the Uber Effect
This gets us into a concept that many experts call “the Uber Effect”… but what is the Uber Effect, exactly? And has it been a net positive or a net negative in terms of highway accidents?
The answer is a little bit complicated, as there are both some pros and some cons to the advent of ridesharing services.
Uber has repeatedly claimed that it’s made the roads safer, and there is some merit to this claim. Specifically, Uber has provided a way for inebriated people to get home without getting behind the wheel of a car. As such, DUI accidents have decreased by anywhere from 15 to 62 percent across the country (the percentage varies by geographic locale). And, in more metropolitan areas, the number of traffic fatalities has actually gone down, decreasing by around 16 percent.
That’s the positive side of the Uber Effect, but there are also some negatives. For example, while Uber has decreased the number of DUI accidents and fatalities, it’s actually increased the overall number of vehicles on the road. This has led to congestion, traffic, and situations of heightened danger. Because most Uber drivers spend much of their time cruising around in search of their next passenger, traffic jams have been steadily rising.
The bottom line? While Uber has yielded some positive results, it hasn’t changed the fact that there are millions of drivers on the road, and congestion is more perilous than ever. Indeed, in 2014, more than 33,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents, while 2.3 million suffered from personal injuries.
What Causes Uber Accidents in Los Angeles?
That’s the Uber Effect in a nutshell. Now, let’s drill down into some specifics: What are the primary causes of Uber accidents? We’ve already noted the increase in congestion and traffic jams, but there are some additional factors that often cause Uber drivers to get into wrecks… often with unsuspecting passengers in tow.
According to the leading Uber accident attorneys in Los Angeles, some of the main causes of rideshare collisions include:
- Failure to stop. Uber drivers want to find their next passenger and are unwilling to stop until they do so. Failure to come to a complete stop at lights and stop signs is a major cause of rideshare accidents, resulting in accident and injury for drivers, passengers, and even pedestrians.
- Fatigue. Uber drivers are out to make a buck, and don’t mind driving long hours to pad their paychecks. The hustle is admirable, but it also means that many rideshare drivers are on the road well past the point of exhaustion or drowsiness. This slows reaction time and can be another major contributor to accidents.
- Speed.The number one cause of Uber accidents? Drivers going way past the speed limit, eager to complete one fare and move on to the next. This puts everyone in harm’s way, including not just the occupants of the Uber vehicle but all other drivers on the road.
These are just a few of the factors that contribute to Uber accidents. In the next section, we’ll dig even deeper into some of these concerns.
How Fatigue Leads to Uber Accidents in LA
Maybe you’ve heard rideshare drivers boast about their long shifts or their frequent hours on the road. Again, we admire the hustle. The reality, though, is that many Uber drivers are overworked, and their exhaustion makes it very dangerous for them to get behind the wheel.
Here are a few important points regarding driver fatigue and its connection to Uber accidents.
- Time limits have been attempted, but they really don’t work. In some jurisdictions, including many major metro areas, Uber drivers have actually been prohibited from being on the road for more than 10 hours a day. While this is a valiant attempt at addressing the fatigue problem, it frankly hasn’t yielded much in the way of results. Drivers are still exhausted behind the wheel, and that’s still a major safety risk.
- Uber drivers are often in unfamiliar territory. The fatigue is compounded by the fact that many drivers travel from the suburbs into more urban or metropolitan areas, which is where they can pick up more fares and make more money. The lack of familiarity with local highways only increased the danger and the risk of accident and injury.
- Uber actively encourages fatigued driving. While Uber pays lip service to the notion of driver safety, they also turn on “surge pricing” and other financial incentives to keep drivers behind the wheel, well past the hour they should have gone home for some rest. Many Uber drivers simply have a very hard time saying no to these bonuses and cash motivators.
- Drivers aren’t just drowsy. They’re also distracted. Drowsy driving is a problem because it impedes reaction time and sometimes causes drivers to take their eyes off the road. Distracted driving is dangerous for the same reasons. Indeed, many drivers are seduced by one very obvious distraction… their Uber app, which they tinker with when they should have their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
- Vehicle maintenance is also a problem. Finally, Uber accident attorneys in Los Angeles note that a lot of drivers don’t attend to vehicle maintenance quite like they should, no doubt because they know it will eat into their profit margins. This means that, in addition to fatigue, many Uber drivers are also impeded by poorly maintained vehicles.
The bottom line? Uber accidents have a number of contributing factors. And, they can result in some truly disastrous consequences. That’s what we’ll tackle in the next section.
Common Injuries from Uber Accidents Occurred in LA
When you’re a passenger in an Uber vehicle, you obviously don’t have to worry too much about the potential property damage that can result from Uber accidents. Damage to the car isn’t really your concern. However, damage to your body really is a concern, and there are a number of common Uber accident injuries to be aware of.
According to leading Uber accident attorneys in Los Angeles, some of the most frequent injuries include:
- Head and neck injuries. The overwhelming majority of rideshare passengers sit in the back seat. What this means is that, in a collision, the passenger’s head is likely to shift toward one side or another, potentially striking the window or the rear of the front seat. Head and neck injuries are sadly common following Uber accidents, and they can have a lasting, sometimes debilitating effect.
- Hand and wrist accidents. Sometimes, Uber passengers see that an accident is about to happen, and their natural instinct is to put their hands out to try to protect themselves. This can often result in the hands, wrists, or fingers being badly broken. Surgical specialists may be needed to repair the damage and restore full functionality.
- Knee and lower limb injuries. Additionally, many Uber passengers sit in such a way that their knees or shins bang against the side of the car, the center console, of the front seat. This, too, can be a significant and lasting source of injury.
The big picture is simply that Uber accidents happen a lot more often than you might think; that getting into an Uber vehicle brings with it some risk; and that, if you’re involved in an Uber accident, it’s possible you could end up with significant injuries. If that happens, you’ll naturally want to seek the maximum monetary compensation. The question is, will you need an Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles to get that compensation?
Why Hire an Uber Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles?
Following an Uber accident, you’re naturally going to want to focus your time and energy on making a complete physical recovery. Unfortunately, as you seek the compensation that is your due, you’ll need to be ready to engage in the rather cumbersome Uber claims process.
Uber has carefully branded itself as a business that puts the passenger’s needs above all else, but when it comes to accidents and insurance claims, Uber has been designed from the ground up to shunt all legal liability. Consider some of these realities:
- The people who drive for Uber are not technically employees of the company.
- Only recently has Uber’s insurance coverage started covering the damage done by Uber drivers when they don’t have passengers in the vehicle.
- Uber has steadfastly resisted calls for its drivers to go through any sort of certification process (something the taxicab industry has been doing for years).
- Uber is pushing forward with self-driving vehicles, despite internal documents that show their autonomous vehicles aren’t nearly as safe as comparable cars and trucks.
In other words, with Uber, safety is a dicey proposition as best, and liability issues can be incredibly complicated. You don’t want to have to immerse yourself in those complexities while you recover from injuries, so be sure you find a legal ally who understands Uber accidents (and all the attending complications) inside and out.
Looking for an Uber Accident Lawyer in Los Angeles?
As you compare Uber accident attorneys in Los Angeles, here are some of the things you’ll want to look for:
- Look for a legal team with specific expertise dealing with Uber accidents, not just a generic personal injury firm.
- Seek a law firm that will go after the maximum monetary compensation.
- Find a firm with local offices, not a national firm.
- Ensure you find an attorney who will only bill you once the case is won!
Uber accidents happen, and the consequences can be dire. Thankfully, you don’t have to deal with the messy aftermath all by yourself. Make sure you know of a good Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles, should you ever need one.
