Legal and insurance implications when using Uber
Legal and Insurance Factors
My name is Oklahoma personal injury lawyer Mike Ashworth. I’m disabled and I use Uber quite a bit lately because I’m going through some testing to try to see if I can get back to where I can drive myself. And in using Uber I’ve gotten to know a lot of wonderful people but I’ve also gotten to know quite a bit about the Uber system and how it works.
Today we’re going to talk about what happens if you’re using Uber or an Uber driver, we’ll talk about the difference between the two, and there’s an accident and I get hurt. Well, here’s the answer.
The answer is if the Uber driver is on the Uber clock, let’s say they’re coming to get you, they pick you up, they’re taking you, you’re on the Uber application, you went to the Uber site, you went ahead and booked a ride from pickup point to destination, select the level of comfort you want. I always select comfort because I have a walker and I need a little bit of room for my legs. And then you go.
Private Arrangements with Uber Drivers
Now, what happens if you meet an Uber driver and you become a regular of that driver? They know your routine, they always want to drive you, you enjoy talking to them, hearing about their kids, what’s going on, things like that. Well, what happens is they may sit there and say how about if you need me, here’s my card, and then gives you a private card, not an Uber card, a private card. If you need me, just give me a call and let me know what your schedule is and I’ll pick you up.
And then by doing that, we don’t go through the Uber application. We don’t go through the Uber booking system. What we’re doing is we’re therefore eliminating tax and we’re eliminating the booking charge, the administrative fee. So you’re saving money as the fare, the passenger, and you’re probably going to reward your driver with a little bit more tip. So it’s a win-win, except they’re not on the Uber app when they do that. They’re on their own time.
Insurance Coverage in Different Scenarios
That means if there’s an accident and it’s on Uber time, they have an automobile coverage policy, commercial general liability, that will cover you as the passenger. But once they’re off that app and they’re doing it as a private hire, then if there’s an accident, it’s going to be their insurance and possibly your insurance. So be very mindful of that.
For example, wonderful driver I deal with picked me up one time and somehow right before she arrived, my app is canceled. I don’t know how. I put my phone in my pocket and somehow I must have done something. So she drove up and she offered to take me anyway. And if I had tried to refile or reapply the app, they wouldn’t have assigned her to me because she was too close, because it wouldn’t be enough of a distance for her to make money. So they would assess me a cancellation fee.
So what happens is she offered to drive me anyway on her own. Now, if something happened then, it would have been her insurance and my insurance, not Uber’s because she was not on the official app anymore because Uber had canceled that ride. So be mindful of these types of things. Every decision has a consequence.
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If you have a question, my name is Mike Ashworth, a car accident attorney in Tulsa. Visit us online at TulsaPersonalInjuryLawyer.Pro or call us at 918-924-5528. And by the way, in today’s world, there’s no place for a DUI when you have great companies like Uber. Be responsible.
