Who Is Responsible For Medical Bills After A Rideshare Passenger Injury In Arkansas?

How Does The At Fault System In Arkansas Impact Who Pays Medical Bills After A Rideshare Accident?

The driver, Uber, or both are responsible for paying an injured person’s medical bill after a Rideshare accident, when the rideshare driver is at fault. We notify all the insurance companies that may be responsible for paying, and then we almost always let them figure it out.

Oftentimes, both companies will try to point the finger at each other, and generally, we can come to an arrangement where either one pays for all of it or they split it. If not, we file a lawsuit. That’s a car accident attorney’s greatest tool: the power to sue people who have done wrong, bring them to court, and make them pay for the damages that they’ve caused.

What Insurance Coverage Do Uber And Lyft Provide For Injured Passengers In Arkansas?

The rideshare company provides additional coverage for their drivers, but it depends on what stage of the drive the driver was in and if they’re on the app and actually actively transporting a passenger.

Generally, Uber requires their drivers to have a commercial policy that protects them while they’re on the app, and then Uber and Lyft provide extra coverage on top of that.

When Will A Rideshare Driver’s Personal Insurance Policy Apply To Passenger Injuries In Arkansas?

Personal Insurance will apply to a passenger’s injuries when the driver is not online. Uber drivers usually have two types of insurance: personal insurance and an additional commercial insurance policy that they pay for.

Their personal insurance will cover them if they’re an Uber driver, but they’re not driving anybody around, they’re not on the app, and they’re not trying to work. Their commercial policy will cover them when they are actually active on the app.

In other words, their personal insurance is going to kick in when they’re doing personal errands on the clock and transporting personal people that they know that aren’t in a professional relationship with them or aren’t people that are paying them for rides.

Attorney Bradley Mullins is a seasoned lawyer based in Rogers, Arkansas, who has helped countless clients just like you navigate the intricacies of covering their medical bills after a rideshare accident. With over a decade of relevant experience, he is prepared to advocate for you and ensure that you receive the settlement you deserve.

Still have questions? Ready to get started? Contact Mullins & Blake Attorneys today to schedule an initial consultation.

Can Uber Or Lyft Deny Responsibility For Rideshare Passengers’ Injuries Under Arkansas Law?

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft can deny responsibility for anything, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to get away with it. Suing Uber and Lyft drivers is something we’ve had to do on occasion.

Usually, we can get Uber and Lyft to take responsibility that they’ve initially denied after we file a lawsuit and show them that our clients are serious about receiving the compensation they deserve.

Why Is It Important To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney For Rideshare Medical Claims?

You need an attorney to help notify all of the insurance companies and preserve evidence from the rideshare accident to make sure that you’re going to the right doctors. You need to be sure you get appropriate treatment and appropriately document both your injuries and your recovery.

This lets the driver, Uber, Lyft, and anybody involved in causing the accident know that you’re not afraid to take them to court if they don’t treat you fairly. They’re less likely to undervalue your settlement knowing that an attorney is involved.

What Advice Do You Give Clients About Handling Medical Expenses While Waiting For A Settlement?

We always tell people to try not to pay off their balances in full, because one of the things that we do for our clients is help negotiate reductions at the end of their claim, if that’s a possibility. So if they pay off their medical bill in full, then we can’t negotiate any reduction.

We advise our clients to do anything that the provider wants to keep them out of collection. We advise them to make minimum monthly payments until their case resolves, and I hope that on the back end of their case, we can ask for reductions to maximize the amount of money we can put in their pocket.

A lot of times, the provider will also agree to hold the bill until the case is settled or we receive a jury verdict on a lien, which means they’ll file something with the courthouse and send it to the insurance company. That way, when your case settles, they have a right to get paid their bill back out of the settlement at the end.

Something that we can help negotiate as your car accident attorney is producing that lien for you. This way, you walk away with more money in your pocket from your settlement.

Still Have Questions? Ready To Get Started?

For more information on Uber Passenger Injury in Arkansas, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (479) 750-2334 today.