Morris Township Uber Accident Attorneys

Morris Township is a hub of activity in Morris County. Whether you’re commuting to work, headed to the airport for travel, or traveling into Morristown to enjoy the historical and cultural sights, chances are good that you’ll need to travel to Morris Township regularly. Visitors to the area also find themselves traveling through Morris Township to see its sights, visit Morristown, and reach other venues in Morris County and surrounding areas. 

Uber is a popular means of transportation in the Morris Township area. Since its launch over a decade ago, Uber has expanded to claim more than two-thirds of the rideshare market in the United States. Today, many New Jersey residents and visitors rely on Uber for convenient travel. 

While Uber can be convenient, Uber drivers are not immune to car crashes. If you experience an accident while in an Uber vehicle, speak to a Morris Township attorney with experience handling rideshare injury claims. 

Uber Accidents By The Numbers

Uber first expanded its operations to New Jersey in the early 2010s on the Jersey Shore. Although the popularity of ridesharing has grown, it also comes with risks. For example:

• High rideshare use is linked to additional traffic deaths. In 2017, approximately 1,107 additional deaths occurred on US roads due to higher rideshare traffic. 
• Traffic rates are higher in cities with high rideshare usage. In areas where Uber and other ridesharing companies are popular, traffic rates are three percent higher on average. More cars on the road create more opportunities for vehicles to collide with one another, with fixed objects like guardrails, or with pedestrians and bicyclists. 
• Rideshare vehicles tend to drive more than private ones. In a private vehicle, occupants travel directly to their destinations. Uber drivers, however, must travel to the pickup point for a rider, complete the trip, and travel to the next pickup point. This added travel results in an extra 2.6 miles of driving, on average, over trips in personal vehicles.

Requirements For Uber Drivers in New Jersey

Uber holds its drivers to certain minimum standards. These include:

• Uber drivers must be at least twenty-one years old,
• Uber drivers must have at least three years of driving experience, 
• An Uber driver’s vehicle must be insured under their name in the state they’ll drive in. 

Uber also performs background checks on prospective drivers. The background checks look at driving history and at any past criminal convictions, including convictions for drunk driving or intentional misuse of a vehicle. 

Uber requires all New Jersey drivers to carry auto insurance that meets the minimum standards required by New Jersey law. In addition, Uber provides insurance coverage for its rideshare rides. 

This insurance coverage, however, varies depending on what the Uber driver is doing at the time. Coverage for a driver who has a rider in the vehicle, for instance, may be more robust than coverage for a driver who is merely logged into Uber and waiting for a customer. 

Navigating multiple insurance policies can be challenging. Insurers will often attempt to pass responsibility for payment to one another. While insurance companies argue over who pays, you are left with no support. An experienced Morris Township Uber accident attorney can help you cut through this noise and receive the compensation you need. 

Rideshare companies that operate in New Jersey must also comply with Sami’s Law, a 2019 New Jersey law intended to boost protections for rideshare passengers. Sami’s Law requires Uber to provide its drivers with identification information, allowing riders to identify the driver and their vehicle more easily. 

Common Injuries in Morris Township Uber Accidents

An Uber accident can cause a wide range of injuries, just as any car accident can. Common injuries in Morris Township Uber accidents include:

• Head, neck, and back injuries, including skull fractures, whiplash, herniated discs, or fractured vertebrae,
• Brain and spinal cord injuries, including concussions and spinal cord damage that can lead to paralysis, 
• Broken bones in nearly any part of the body, may require surgery to treat and may cause permanent pain and mobility problems,
• Internal bleeding, soft tissue, and organ damage, which can lead to lifelong impairments, 
• Scarring, disfigurement, or amputation which can cause ongoing pain and may force an injured person to re-learn basic skills.

Other types of injuries can also occur. With any injury, psychological issues like post-traumatic stress symptoms can also occur. These psychological challenges also require professional medical care in many cases. They are also a form of injury, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

Time Limits For Filing a Claim and Types of Compensation in a Morris Township Uber Accident

New Jersey law sets a time limit on filing a personal injury claim. Typically, an injured person has two years from the date of the injury to file a case in court. If cases are not filed by this deadline, they cannot be heard in court. 

This two-year time limit is known as the “statute of limitations.” Some exceptions exist, but the exceptions are narrow. Speak to an experienced Morris Township rideshare injury attorney for help calculating exactly when the deadline falls in your case. 

When pursuing a personal injury case, typically the goal is to seek compensation for losses connected to the sustained injuries. Common losses in Uber injury claims include:

• Medical bills,
• Lost wages, 
• Pain and suffering.

Other losses can occur as well. An attorney can help you determine which losses can be compensated as part of your Uber accident claim. 

A personal injury case looks not only at the bills you’ve had to pay but also at how much you’ll need to spend on future bills. A full, fair compensation award thus compensates you for future medical bills, lost wages if you cannot work at all, and ongoing pain or suffering. Work with an attorney at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm to make sure any settlement offer you receive will cover both your current and future expenses. 

What You Should Do After A Morris Township Uber Accident

It is essential to protect life and health immediately after an Uber accident. You can also take steps to help protect your legal rights, gather evidence, and preserve your claim. Take the following steps to the best of your ability after an accident.

• Focus on safety before all else. Call 911 or have someone nearby make the call. If possible, move vehicles out of the way of traffic. Avoid moving a severely injured person, however, as doing so could make their injuries worse. Items like vehicle hazard lights, flashlights, flares, and brightly colored or reflective objects can make the scene easier for oncoming drivers to see and avoid. 
• Collect information. If you can, talk to witnesses at the scene. Also, talk to the driver of any vehicle that was also involved in the accident. Get contact information from these individuals and ask them to share a short description of what they saw, heard, or felt as the accident occurred. If one happens to take photos or videos, ask them to send you a copy. 
• Note your own experiences. Take notes about what happened as soon as you can. You might take photos or make a video at the scene, draw a diagram, or write down what you saw, heard, or felt. Making these notes close in time to the accident can help you preserve details you may not remember in the weeks and months to come. 
• Get medical attention. If you were seriously injured, emergency medical personnel may have rushed you to a local hospital or emergency department for care. If you didn’t go to the emergency room following the accident, see a doctor as soon as possible. A doctor can document your injuries and provide medical care to help your recovery. 
• Document what’s happening. Keep all your paperwork related to the crash in one location. Include medical bills, paperwork from doctor’s visits, bills and receipts from any damaged property, and similar information. Also, start a log of conversations you have related to the crash. Write down the date, time, who you spoke to, and a sentence or two summarizing what was said. This information can help you and your attorney build a full and fair claim for compensation. 

Finally, reach out to those who can help. Speak to a knowledgeable Morris Township rideshare accident lawyer for assistance navigating insurance claims or seeking compensation. Your attorney can handle communications with insurers while you focus on healing. 

Speak To An Experienced Morris Township Uber Accident Attorney Today

After an Uber crash, you may struggle to recover from serious injuries. You may worry about whether you’ll be able to return to work. You may wonder how you’re going to pay the bills or support your family. You may fear that your future will look dramatically different from your past.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The experienced Morris Township Uber accident attorneys at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm can help. For more than 30 years, we have been helping clients who have been seriously injured in all types of accidents. We are a five-star rated law firm, recovering a total of more than $100 million on behalf of our clients. We will do our best to hold the negligent driver fully accountable for their actions and get you the justice you deserve.

We recognize the challenges you face as a result of a serious motor vehicle crash and are uniquely positioned to protect your rights and help you through the recovery process. To learn more and to schedule a FREE consultation, give us a call today at 973-920-7900. You can also connect with us through our online form. There is never a fee unless we win your case. We have two conveniently located offices in Denville and Morristown, New Jersey.