For rideshare drivers, your car is your money maker. Getting into an accident – whether you are at fault or not – is traumatic and costly. The moments following the accident are extremely important in protecting yourself, determining fault, and providing speedy return to the road. But what exactly should you do?
The very first thing is to make sure everyone is okay and no one requires immediate medical attention. If someone is injured, call 911. Furthermore, you will need to let Uber or Lyft know about the accident through the app but this does not need to happen right away.
According to the law firm Ury and Moskow, LLC., there are 10 steps to follow:
- Do not drive away, but do drive out of the flow of traffic if possible.
- Protect the scene – flares and hazard lights if you have them.
- Call the police – whether there are serious injuries or not.
- Make an accurate record of what happened, whether it is with the officer or on your own.
- Take a lot of pictures or video of the damage and the accident location from multiple directions
- Exchange information. This should include taking a photo of driver’s license, car insurance details, and contact information for all drivers, passengers as well as any witnesses.
- Promptly report the accident to your insurance company.
- Seek medical attention even if your injuries aren’t apparent.
- Keep excellent records of the event.
- Contact an attorney as needed.
Generally speaking, you do not want to accept fault or place blame while at the scene and when everyone is still reeling from the incident. Fault should be determined after examining the evidence (videos, photographs, maps of location, etc), when you’ve had time to really understand exactly what happened. Generally the police or your insurance company will make the final decision.