New York City
Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer

If you were harmed in a car accident involving an Uber driver, The Silbowitz Firm is here to support you. Speaking with a seasoned New York City Uber accident lawyer can provide the clarity you need during a stressful time. You can reach our office today by calling (646) 419-5344.

Claims involving rideshare accidents in New York City often become complex very quickly because higher insurance policy limits are frequently involved, which leads insurance companies to fight harder to avoid paying out a fair settlement. This makes having a lawyer who understands the local landscape more important than ever. Mitchell Silbowitz has been fighting for injury victims since 1989 and has helped clients win more than 1,000 cases in New York City, Long Island, and other counties across New York State.

If you are experiencing the aftermath of a crash, contact our law offices in New York City to talk about your legal choices. Your first meeting with a New York City Uber accident attorney is always free.

Why Should You Contact The Silbowitz Firm for Help After an Uber Accident in New York City?

Uber drivers are prone to the same mistakes as any other motorist on the road, and when these accidents happen, passengers and people in other vehicles are often left dealing with serious physical harm. Getting the money you deserve in a case involving a rideshare company can be quite a challenge.

Hiring a New York personal injury lawyer who knows how to protect your rights is a smart move. At The Silbowitz Firm, we focus on providing personal attention to every client going through the legal system in New York. We believe you deserve to be treated as a person with a unique story rather than just another case number on a desk.

Our New York City Uber accident lawyers can assist with your claim by:

• Performing a full investigation into the cause of your crash
• Looking for every possible source of insurance money and compensation
• Calculating the true value of your case
• Collecting evidence of your losses to prove what your claim is worth
• Working with experts who can help build a stronger argument for you
• Talking with the insurance company to push for a settlement that covers everything

Our team has the background and knowledge to help you seek the highest value for your claim. Reach out to our New York car accident lawyers today to get the process started.

How Often Do Rideshare Crashes Happen?

New York City sees thousands of motor vehicle accidents every month, with busy streets and heavy traffic creating constant risks for everyone. While New York State does not always separate rideshare statistics from general traffic data, Uber safety reports often discuss fatality rates in comparison to national averages. Despite these corporate reports, many people notice that the high volume of rideshare vehicles in the city contributes to the overall congestion and frequency of collisions on our local roads.

What Is the Value of My New York City Uber Accident Case?

The potential value of any injury claim depends mostly on the specific details of what happened to you.

The most relevant facts usually include:

• The type and severity of the injuries you sustained
• How much your injuries change your daily routine
• Whether your doctors expect you to make a full recovery
• The total cost for your medical care and fixing your vehicle
• The need for future physical therapy or long-term medical help
• How the accident affects your ability to earn money and your quality of life
• If you are found to be partially at fault for the collision

The amount of insurance available is also a major factor when looking at what your case is worth. Every policy has a cap on what it will pay, and if your losses go beyond those limits, we have to look for other ways to recover the money you need.

How Do Issues with Rideshare Insurance Affect My Claim?

It is typically very hard to sue Uber directly because they classify their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, which helps them avoid responsibility for many accidents. However, you can still file a claim against the specific insurance policies that New York law requires Uber to maintain for the protection of people hurt in crashes.

The insurance coverage changes based on what the driver was doing at the moment of the impact:

Driver Is Not Logged In If the driver is not using the Uber app, they are not on the clock for the company. Even if they have an Uber sticker on their car, you will usually have to go through the driver’s own personal insurance if you are hurt.

Driver Is Logged In and Waiting for a Ride When a driver is active on the app but has not picked up a passenger yet, a specific level of Uber’s insurance coverage is active. In New York, these policies provide coverage for bodily injury and property damage. Because New York is a no-fault state, you may have to use your own personal injury protection benefits first before you can access the Uber policy for additional losses.

Driver Is Carrying a Passenger or Heading to a Pickup Once a driver accepts a request or has a passenger in the car, a much larger policy—often up to $1 million—becomes available. This coverage is meant to handle serious accidents that happen while the driver is actively working a trip.

What Kinds of Money Can Uber Accident Victims Seek in New York?

Every situation involves different levels of loss, but New York law generally allows you to seek payment for both economic and non-economic damages.

Your claim might include:

• Medical bills you have already received
• Expenses for medical care you will need later
• Income you lost because you could not work
• Loss of future earnings if you have a permanent disability
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Home nursing care or specialized treatments
• The cost to repair or replace your property
• Physical pain and mental suffering
• Emotional distress and PTSD
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Permanent scarring or changes to your appearance

In very rare cases where a driver was acting with extreme recklessness, a court might also consider punitive damages to punish that behavior.

What Is the Cost of Hiring a New York Personal Injury Lawyer?

Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay us anything upfront. We only get paid if we win money for you, taking a percentage of the final settlement or verdict. This percentage is discussed and agreed upon before we start, so there are no surprises for you later.

Can I Still Get Money if the Accident Was Partly My Fault in New York?

You can still recover compensation even if you are partially to blame for what happened. New York follows a comparative negligence rule, which means your final check will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. For example, if you are found to be 10% at fault, you can still collect 90% of your total damages.

Our Team Fights for Fair Payment for All Uber Accident Injuries

Uber crashes can lead to very serious, life-changing physical problems just like any other high-speed collision.

The Silbowitz Firm represents people dealing with:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Burn injuries
• Whiplash and neck strain
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Damage to internal organs
• Crushing injuries or chest trauma
• Damage to the spinal cord
• Concussions and head injuries
• Back and shoulder problems
• Amputations
• Paralysis or catastrophic harm
• Wrongful death of a family member

Focusing on your health should be your main goal right now. We are ready to start the legal work on your behalf while you spend your time recovering. Just call our office to set up a free review of your case.

What Causes Most Uber Accidents in New York City?

Rideshare drivers deal with the same distractions and pressures as everyone else. When these crashes happen, the causes are usually very similar to standard car accidents.

Common reasons for Uber crashes include:

• Distracted driving, such as checking the app or GPS while moving
• Not giving the right-of-way to others
• Driving too fast for road conditions
• Following other cars too closely
• Aggressive driving or road rage
• Moving out of a lane unsafely
• Ignoring red lights or stop signs
• Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Not being familiar with specific New York City streets
• Fatigue from working long hours
• Bad road conditions or poor weather

Many different things can cause a crash, and sometimes a third party who wasn’t even in the Uber is the one at fault. We can investigate the details for you to find out who is really responsible.

Understanding Negligence and How to Prove It

Most rideshare accidents happen because someone was negligent, which is just a legal way of saying they didn’t use the level of care that a reasonable person would have used. To win your case, we have to show that the driver had a duty to drive safely, broke that duty, and caused your injuries as a result.

We use many types of evidence to prove this, such as police reports, your medical files, footage from dash cams, and data from the Uber app itself. If the case is especially hard to figure out, we might bring in reconstruction experts who can explain exactly how the crash occurred.

How Long Do I Have to Start a Lawsuit After a New York Uber Accident?

In New York, you generally have three years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, if you are filing a claim against a government entity or if certain other factors apply, that timeframe could be much shorter. If you miss the deadline set by the statute of limitations, you will likely lose your right to ask for money forever.

Speak With Our Uber Accident Lawyer Today

People across New York City and Long Island have turned to The Silbowitz Firm for decades because they know we work hard for our clients. If you were injured in a rideshare crash, a New York City Uber accident lawyer can help you go through the legal process. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your case.