Rear-End Accident Kills 39-Year-Old Houston Woman
Jan 28, 2022
Brooks Schuelke, Esq.
Schuelke Law PLLC
Austin, TX (Law Firm Newswire) January 27, 2022 – This two-vehicle Uber accident happened recently in Houston on the Southwest Freeway near Newcastle Drive.
The 39-year-old woman was riding in the backseat of an Uber vehicle when it began to experience mechanical problems and stopped on the freeway. The vehicle was rear-ended by a pickup truck. The passenger died at the scene. The driver was taken to the nearest hospital to treat broken ribs. The pickup truck driver was not injured and remained at the scene.
In most instances, a rear-end accident is the fault of the driver who runs into the vehicle in front of them. That may be due to aggressive driving, tailgating, driving while impaired, speeding, driving while distracted, or DWI/DUI. It may even be the result of faulty brakes. However, there are rare circumstances, such as when a vehicle is improperly stopped in the roadway or otherwise violating safety rules, that all vehicles involved might have fault.
“In this particular case, an Uber vehicle with a passenger was involved in a collision,” outlined Brooks Schuelke, an Austin car accident attorney. “It is important to know that being in a collision that involves an Uber vehicle is not the same thing as being involved in an accident with two regular vehicles.”
Uber accidents are different because the company is considered to be a commercial carrier, the drivers are considered to be independent contractors and the Uber application has three periods a driver may be logged into while working. The three periods involve waiting for a ride, going to pick up and transport the ride, and not being logged on the application.
Different insurance policies and amounts apply in each period. If the driver was logged into the Uber application at the time of the accident, waiting for a rider, the commercial insurance policy is $50,000 in injury liability per person, $100,000 in injury liability per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
If the driver accepted a ride or has a passenger, there is $1.5 million in coverage (plus uninsured/underinsured motorist), and when the driver has the application turned off, the driver’s insurance applies, and the case is just ordinary passenger vehicle collisions.
“If you have been in an Uber crash involving serious injuries or death, it is best to discuss your situation with an experienced car accident attorney. These cases are complex and, as mentioned, involve various periods with different insurance amounts,” said Schuelke. Typically, insurance companies can be difficult to deal with as well. That is why having legal counsel can be a benefit.
Schuelke Law PLLC
3011 N. Lamar Blvd
Ste. 200
Austin, TX 78705
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