Insurance After a DC Uber Accident
In the District of Columbia, motor vehicles are regulated by both insurance laws and rules of the road. These laws apply to motor vehicles operated by Uber drivers in the same way that they do to regular motor vehicles. Drivers of Uber motor vehicles are required to have automobile liability insurance that will compensate injured persons in the event of a motor vehicle collision. Anyone involved in an Uber accident should consult with a DC Uber accident attorney when working with their insurance company, to ensure that the insurance company treats them fairly and provides appropriate compensation.
What Insurance Companies Will Ask
Anyone involved in a motor vehicle collision will be contacted by the insurance companies of all those involved. These insurance companies are responsible for investigating the collision and determining who may be liable for any resulting injuries.
Typically, the insurance companies want to know how the collision occurred, the position of the vehicle, what was occurring leading up to the collision, what was said by each individual person after the collision, and if anyone reported any injuries at the scene of the collision.
Dealing With Insurance Companies
Any time an individual is involved in a motor vehicle collision, he or she should contact his or her insurance company to notify the insurance company of the claim. Individuals pay for insurance and should not be afraid to use it when necessary.
However, insurance companies are not always aligned with the individuals to whom they provide coverage. Because of this, any person who communicates with his or her insurance company should be aware of potential biases their insurance company may hold and be mindful that any communications could be used later against them for any purpose. That is why it is recommended to hire an attorney who can do the communicating with the insurance company.
Mistakes to Avoid
Generally, when an individual is contacted by an insurance company, he or she should understand the point of view of the investigating insurance company. The insurance company is investigating the collision in order to determine if it will be financially responsible as a result of the collision. Such financial responsibility may include payments for property damage or liability payments for personal injuries.
Because of this, an insurance company may be biased in its investigation in order not to pay more than it needs to in any individual case. That is why it is beneficial to have an attorney do the communicating for the individual.
Anyone speaking with an insurance company should understand with whom he or she is speaking and the biases that are likely implicit in that conversation. With this in mind, anyone communicating with an insurance company should be clear in his or her description of events. He or she should not speculate on what they believe may have happened but instead simply relay facts as they are known to the person at that time.
When to Contact an Attorney
Anyone who has been injured in a motor vehicle collision involving an Uber driver should speak with an attorney right away, so that the attorney can assist the injured person in conducting a proper investigation and to seek proper compensation for his or her injuries.
An attorney who has experience handling claims involving Uber drivers in the District of Columbia can rely upon his or her experience in handling these claims and ensure the proper compensation is obtained on behalf of injured person.