Georgetown Uber Accident Lawyer
Uber, like most other companies, is in business to make a profit. Advanced passenger safety measures cut into that profit. Federal regulators, many of which are very pro-business, often do not help. When it seems like victims have no one to count on, they can count on the tough-minded Georgetown Uber accident lawyer at the Stanley Law Group.
Vehicle collisions are the primary focus of our practice. We also hold Uber accountable in other areas. Sexual assaults are a good example. According to the company’s own data, thousands of sexual assaults occur in Ubers every year. Some evildoers are Uber drivers while others are Uber passengers. The company has a legal duty to prevent both kinds of assaults if at all possible. Sitting back and doing nothing is not an option.
Georgetown Uber Accident Lawyers and First-Party Liability
Uber drivers and other commercial operators usually have a duty of utmost care in South Carolina. They must proactively avoid accidents. Noncommercial drivers, on the other hand, have a duty of reasonable care. They must reactively avoid accidents.
Driving through an intersection on green is a good example. Usually, noncommercial drivers may proceed normally in these situations. Arguably, commercial drivers, like Uber drivers, have a duty to slow down and look both ways before they go through the intersection.
The duty of care is the first piece of the puzzle in a car crash claim. Breach of duty is the second piece. This breach of duty usually comes in one of three forms:
- Behavioral Negligence: Many Uber drivers have full-time commitments elsewhere. So, when they get behind the wheel and drive for the company, they’re dangerously fatigued. Scientifically, driving after eighteen consecutive awake hours is like driving with a .05 BAC level, which is above the legal limit for commercial operators in South Carolina.
- Operational Negligence: Most Uber drivers get paid by the trip, not by the hour. So, the more trips they complete, the more money they make. Speeding increases the risk of a collision and the force in a wreck. Speeding drivers cannot react quickly enough to stopped-short cars and other everyday hazards. Furthermore, speed multiplies the force in a collision, according to Newton’s Second Law.
- Environmental Negligence: This form of negligence, which is especially common in commercial driver claims, is a failure to adjust to adverse environmental conditions. Because of the higher duty of care, Uber drivers arguably have a responsibility to stop, or at least slow down significantly, if the sky is dark or the roads are wet.
Distracted driving, which was mentioned above and combines elements of behavioral and operational negligence, is probably the most serious hazard. Many Uber drivers over-rely on GPS navigation devices. No one can safely operate a vehicle with one eye on a screen and one eye on the road.
Hands-free devices don’t improve the situation and may, in fact, make it worse. According to researchers, driving while using a hands-free device is as bad as driving drunk.
The duty of care begins at passenger pickup and ends at passenger drop-off. Drivers have a duty to pick up and drop off passengers at safe locations, not convenient locations. Dark alleys and wet sidewalks aren’t safe locations.
Third Party Liability
The respondeat superior rule typically applies in Uber vehicle collision matters. Employers are liable for damages if their employees are negligent within the course and scope of their employment.
Usually, if Uber drivers are behind the wheel, they are acting within the course and scope of employment, even if they don’t have passengers. Deadheading drivers waiting for fares benefit the company because they increase the number of available drivers and they have signs in their windows that designate them as Uber vehicles (free advertising).
Rely on a Dedicated Georgetown County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Uber accident lawyer in Georgetown, contact the Stanley Law Group. We routinely handle matters throughout the Palmetto State.
