Uber has become an everyday part of life in large cities, including St. Louis. The company continues to grow because ridesharing is affordable and convenient, putting access to personal transportation at a rider’s fingertips.
However, Uber’s convenience sometimes comes with risks to riders and others on the road. Long driving shifts, continued distractions, and poor decisions behind the wheel lead to potentially dangerous Uber accidents, causing injury and sometimes death.
If you have sustained injuries in a St. Louis Uber accident, Missouri law permits you to seek compensation for your losses if the accident occurred due to negligence. Traffic crashes can be traumatic life-altering events when victims suffer severe and debilitating injuries. The aftermath of a severe Uber accident seeps into every part of someone’s life, from physical function to emotional stress to economic hardship.
The skilled St. Louis Uber accident lawyers at The Bruning Law Firm can help you through the legal process of recovering compensation for your Uber accident injuries.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss the details of your St. Louis Uber accident, your injuries, and the way your injuries have affected your life.
Table of Contents
- The Bruning Law Firm Advocates for Uber Accident Victims
- Negligent St. Louis Uber Drivers Cause Dangerous Accidents
- Taking Swift Action After a St. Louis Uber Accident
- Recovering Damages After a St. Louis Uber Accident
- Affording a St. Louis Uber Accident Lawyer
- Consult an Experienced St. Louis Uber Accident Attorney
The Bruning Law Firm Advocates for Uber Accident Victims
The skilled legal team at The Bruning Law Firm has been advocating for victims of negligence for decades and began helping Uber accident victims once Uber came on the personal transportation scene more than a decade ago.
Our firm’s dedication to client service and case preparation has led to tens of millions in damages from settlement agreements and jury awards for their injured clients.
We cannot guarantee a specific financial outcome for your St. Louis Uber accident claim because each case has unique facts that increase or decrease its value. However, The Bruning Law Firm has the knowledge, dedication, and resources to pursue the maximum compensation for your injuries and work to hold the Uber driver who harmed you accountable.
Negligent St. Louis Uber Drivers Cause Dangerous Accidents
Preventable St. Louis Uber accidents occur for many reasons, but most occur because of negligence on a broad level. Some Uber drivers engage in poor driving and maintenance behaviors that put riders and other motorists at risk for accident and injury. Examples of negligent behaviors that sometimes lead to St. Louis Uber accidents include:
1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving plagues motorists in St. Louis, Missouri, and the United States. However, Uber drivers face more distractions than most other motorists.
As of 2022, Missouri is one of only two states that have not outlawed texting and driving.
States that implemented laws against cell phone use while driving have decreased distracted driving accident numbers. Unfortunately, Missouri motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians, still face an increased risk for distracted driving accidents.
Uber drivers need to log onto the app on their cell phones to connect with their customers, but cell phones are not the only distraction that Uber drivers face.
Examples of other dangerous distractions include:
- Drunk, unruly, and/or talkative riders
- Programming and focusing on a GPS or the app for directions to and from rides
- Adjusting vehicle features such as heat, A/C
- Eating or drinking while behind the wheel
- Reaching for something on the floor or in the backseat
- Concentrating on an event outside the vehicle
- Daydreaming
2. Fatigued Driving
Uber knows their drivers struggle with getting enough rest to operate their vehicles and provide rides safely. To combat drowsy or fatigued driving, Uber implemented a mandatory six-hour break after drivers spend 12 hours giving rides. However, this does not entirely resolve the issue of fatigued Uber drivers on St. Louis roads.
An Uber driver's 12 hours on duty only includes when the driver logs onto the app. Some Uber drivers also provide rides for other rideshare companies, regularly switching between apps. An Uber driver may offer rides for much longer than 12 hours per day if they drive for another company.
Additionally, offering Uber rides is a side gig for many drivers. They might have worked all day at a different job before giving Uber rides. Regardless of the reason for lack of sleep or Uber driver fatigue, it is dangerous and can lead to accidents and injury.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency that regulates the trucking industry, has spent ample resources studying the relationship between sleep and driving. Their research found that someone who goes 18 hours without sleep suffers the same level of impairment as someone legally drunk with a 0.08 breath or blood alcohol level.
3. Driving Under the Influence
Missouri, like other states, has implemented laws that govern transportation network companies (TNCs), the legal name for rideshare companies like Uber. Many states have laws about Uber drivers who use alcohol or drugs and get behind the wheel. In Missouri, Uber must enforce a zero-tolerance policy regarding alcohol and drug use. This helps curb instances of Uber drivers who get behind the wheel while under the influence, but it does not eliminate all risks.
Uber drivers are regular people that can struggle with drug and/or alcohol abuse. The law does not hold them to the same standards as other professional drivers. For example, truck drivers who have a commercial driver's license can receive a ticket for DUI with half the amount of alcohol as other drivers. Drunk and/or drugged Uber drivers do not have the same capacity to judge space and distance, putting riders and others who share the road at risk for accident and injury.
4. Speeding
Uber drivers have an incentive to go as fast as the traffic will let them when they are picking up rides or transporting them to other places throughout St. Louis. Their riders want to go to and from their destinations as quickly as possible. Additionally, drivers get paid by the ride. The more rides they give, the more money they make. The faster they go, the more rides they can give.
Whether going faster than the posted speed limit or traveling too fast for road or weather conditions, speeding can lead to dangerous crashes. Even when speeding is not the primary cause of an Uber accident, it can worsen an accident.
Speed increases impact force, causing more severe injuries and a greater chance of fatalities. Uber drivers who speed can quickly lose control of their vehicles during critical times and may not be able to react to road hazards, stoplights, and stop signs.
5. Inadequate Vehicle Maintenance
Under Missouri law, all vehicle owners must get a vehicle safety inspection every other year. This helps prevent some Uber accidents that might occur from mechanical issues, but not all of them. Most Uber drivers put on a massive amount of miles each year compared to the average motorist.
The wear and tear on their vehicles can lead to dangerous accidents if drivers do not regularly engage in preventative maintenance and immediately correct known issues. For example, the failure to rotate tires or replace worn tires could lead to a dangerous blowout that causes a traffic accident.
The same is true of maintaining brake pads and essential fluids. When a mechanical failure occurs in an Uber vehicle during a critical time, riders and other motorists sometimes face treacherous consequences.
Taking Swift Action After a St. Louis Uber Accident
All states have statutes of limitations that govern when a car accident victim must bring a lawsuit against the at-fault driver to recover damages. Missouri's statute of limitations is five years, one of the longest in the nation.
However, take swift action after a St. Louis Uber accident. The sooner you bring a claim, the better your chances of prevailing in your case. The more time that goes by after the accident, the more difficult it is for your lawyer to investigate the accident thoroughly. Traffic camera footage, photos, videos, and eyewitnesses are harder to find, making it more challenging to support your claim.
Even though you consult with an attorney and file a claim, it does not mean you will immediately settle or go to court. Your claim cannot resolve fairly until you know the full scope of your injuries. However, your attorney can begin to build a case to help ensure you have a stronger chance of getting maximum compensation for your injuries. Contact Bruning Law Firm today to get started.
Notify Uber of the Accident
Uber drivers must report accidents to Uber, but ensure the Uber driver who caused your injuries complies with company policy. Also, as a rider, you need to provide your statement about how the accident occurred.
The best way to report the accident is to file a report on Uber’s website to give information to the company. This begins the claims investigation process with Uber’s insurance carrier. You still might have to directly file a claim against the driver to receive compensation for injuries, depending on the Uber driver’s status when the accident occurred.
Uber covers drivers when they are logged onto the app and carrying passengers, but not when driving around in their Uber vehicle for other reasons. You must report the accident to Uber if you were in a different vehicle. In this case, the driver’s insurance might kick in so that you can recover damages related to the accident and your injuries.
Recovering Damages After a St. Louis Uber Accident
If you choose to sue the Uber driver responsible for your injuries, you could receive compensation for damages related to the accident and your injuries if you win your case. Settlement agreements and court-awarded damages usually include compensation for economic and non-economic losses. Your St. Louis Uber accident attorney will evaluate your case and advise which losses apply to your claim.
Examples of damages Uber accident victims might receive compensation for include:
- Medical treatment costs, including ambulance transport, emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgery, radiology, diagnostic testing, doctor visits, medication, and transportation costs to and from the hospital.
- Estimated future medical expenses if an Uber accident leads to severe injuries requiring long-term care.
- Lost wages from missing work due to an Uber accident, injuries, hospitalization, and recovery.
- Estimated future lost wages when Uber accident injuries prevent someone from returning to their job or seeking future employment.
- Rehabilitation costs, including specialized treatments to help Uber accident victims cope with the physical and mental aspects of their injuries.
- Costs for assistive devices, such as wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and artificial limbs
- Physical pain and suffering.
- Emotional distress.
- Diminished quality of life.
- Loss of consortium with a spouse.
- Punitive damages if the Uber driver or another irresponsible party acted with gross negligence.
Affording a St. Louis Uber Accident Lawyer
Many victims of negligence worry about the cost of hiring an attorney to help them recover compensation for their injuries. Unfortunately, some choose to go it alone and face their losses without recovering damages.
An experienced St. Louis Uber accident lawyer can help, and you do not have to pay an upfront retainer fee to hire one from The Bruning Law Firm.
We take new clients on a contingent fee basis. We deduct attorney fees and other costs of representation from any settlement or court-awarded damages our clients receive, making our legal help affordable for everyone after a St. Louis Uber accident.
Consult an Experienced St. Louis Uber Accident Attorney
Uber accident injury claims can be highly complex because sometimes multiple parties are involved. Additionally, Uber and their insurance carrier have big legal teams who will take every measure to reduce or avoid financial liability.
A St. Louis Uber accident lawyer from The Bruning Law Firm can communicate and negotiate with insurance companies and legal defense teams. Contact us today online or at (314) 735-8100 for a free case evaluation to determine the viability of your Uber accident claim and the best way forward for your circumstances.
Uber has become an everyday part of life in large cities, including St. Louis. The company continues to grow because ridesharing is affordable and convenient, putting access to personal transportation at a rider’s fingertips.
However, Uber’s convenience sometimes comes with risks to riders and others on the road. Long driving shifts, continued distractions, and poor decisions behind the wheel lead to potentially dangerous Uber accidents, causing injury and sometimes death.
If you have sustained injuries in a St. Louis Uber accident, Missouri law permits you to seek compensation for your losses if the accident occurred due to negligence. Traffic crashes can be traumatic life-altering events when victims suffer severe and debilitating injuries. The aftermath of a severe Uber accident seeps into every part of someone’s life, from physical function to emotional stress to economic hardship.
The skilled St. Louis Uber accident lawyers at The Bruning Law Firm can help you through the legal process of recovering compensation for your Uber accident injuries.
Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss the details of your St. Louis Uber accident, your injuries, and the way your injuries have affected your life.
The Bruning Law Firm
The Bruning Law Firm, St. Louis Office
Address: 555 Washington Ave Ste 600A,St Louis, MO 63101
Phone: (314) 735-8100
Client Testimonial
"When other law firms failed me. Bruning Law Firm came through for me. They did a great job and were able to get me more compensation than I expected. Couldn't be more pleased. Truly glad these folks were there for me. Took care of everything. Truly pleased. Thank you Ryan and Alice." - Joseph F.
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 2020
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