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Unable to Work After Being Injured in a St. Louis Uber Accident

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Any injury that prevents you from working is serious. Here’s what you should know about compensation if you are injured in an Uber or Lyft Accident.

If you’ve been involved in a car accident with an Uber or Lyft driver and you have been injured, are facing high medical bills, and can’t work, you may not know what to do. Here’s what you should know.

st. louis man negotiating car accident claim over the phone

Contact a Lawyer To Help You With Your Uber or Lyft Accident ASAP

Uber and Lyft accidents can be really complex. Why? Because up to 3 different insurance companies may be involved. That’s because Uber and Lyft cover their drivers with insurance policies of up to $1 million when they’re transporting passengers and use the app. However, off-duty Lyft or Uber drivers who are not working may still be covered by a personal insurance policy. It all depends on the situation.

Complicating this is the fact that many personal car insurance policies do not offer coverage for drivers who work for rideshare services unless they purchase a special type of policy. A claim involving a Lyft or Uber driver may be denied if the insurer was not informed that they were working for a rideshare company.

It’s important to understand that all of these insurance companies are looking to pay out as little as possible for your injuries. 

We highly recommend you speak with an experienced car accident attorney in St. Louis, particularly if your injuries are severe enough to stop you from working. Your lawyer can be the primary point of contact for all involved insurance companies and help you coordinate the claims process. 

Understanding How You Can Be Compensated For Injuries That Stop You From Working

Damages for missed work usually fall into three categories, as follows:

  • Lost wages – This is how much you would have earned at your job but couldn’t because of your injury. If you break your leg and can’t work for 3 months, for example, you may get 3 months of wages along with other damages.
  • Lost earnings potential – This is more for long-term injuries that lead to a disability. For example, if you are a carpenter and your hand is severely broken, and the nerves are damaged in an accident, you may not be able to resume doing delicate woodwork, and you may be entitled to compensation.
  • Lost opportunities – If an injury causes you to miss out on employment, a large job contract as a commission-based employee or independent contractor, or on some other opportunity, you may receive reimbursement for those earnings.

    If your injury cost you an opportunity for employment or payment, you may be entitled to compensation for that too. This happens to independent contractors or people who work on commission after suffering an injury.

Work With An Experienced Rideshare Car Accident Lawyer in St. Louis, Missouri

Any injury that prevents you from working is serious, and you deserve to work with experienced personal injury attorneys in St. Louis who can help you get the compensation you need to preserve your lifestyle, keep your family comfortable, and recover from your injury. Contact The Hoffman Law Firm, L.L.C. right away to get a free case review.

FREE Consulation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Broken Neck After a St. Louis Car Accident

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A broken neck is one of the most severe injuries one can suffer from in a car accident.

The neck bones are part of your spine and connect your head to it. A broken neck is a fracture of one of those vertebrae in the neck. A broken neck can have huge consequences on your life and change it forever. 

st. louis woman with a broken neck

How Can You Break Your Neck in a Car Accident?

Car accidents involve tremendous forces, even if the speed of the vehicles is moderate. Unfortunately, wearing your seat belt isn’t a guarantee that you won’t get hurt. In fact, you can suffer from injuries even with all the car’s safety devices in place. 

While neck fractures are not amongst the most common injuries suffered by car accident victims, they can happen in more serious scenarios. This is the reason why bystanders should never move a car accident victim until the paramedics arrive, except when their life is in immediate danger. 

Is There Spinal Cord Damage?

One of the most important factors in determining how serious a broken neck might be is whether the spinal cord was damaged or not. The spinal cord, together with the brain, represents the central nervous system. 

If you only suffered from broken bones in your neck, but your spinal cord is intact, your recovery will generally require less intervention, and total recovery chances are higher. 

If the spinal cord was damaged when the bones of the neck broke, it may become a life-threatening injury or lead to permanent disability. If the spinal cord is affected in the neck area, the victim’s treatment may be lifelong management of their limitations.

Possible Consequences of a Broken Neck

Here are some of the possible impairments brought by a broken neck with spinal cord damage:

  • Fecal or urinary incontinence
  • Inability to move 
  • Inability to feed or breathe on their own
  • Skin lacerations and ulcers caused by immobility
  • Mental injuries like anxiety, depression, etc.

If the spinal cord is intact, recovery might mean wearing a neck brace for several weeks and even having surgery to realign the bones. Either way, you can be left with chronic pain and limited mobility for a long time. Neck fractures are often categorized as catastrophic injuries and should be treated very seriously.

Speak With an Experienced Lawyer

If you or a loved one have suffered from a broken neck injury, contact a St. Louis car accident attorney as soon as possible. You will benefit greatly from professional legal assistance to protect your rights and cover all the treatment plans, medical investigations, lost wages, and pain and suffering that come throughout the long recovery from such an injury. 

FREE Consulation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Someone Hit My Parked Car – Who Is Going to Pay for Damages?

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You’d think that having your car parked would lower the risk of an accident. However, it’s estimated that around 20% of all vehicle accidents actually occur in parking lots!

In most cases, when such accidents occur, people generally can get away unscathed or with some minor injuries. The same cannot always be said for the vehicle, unfortunately, which may need thousands of dollars worth of repairs. If you have been a victim of an accident in a parking lot, you may be wondering who is responsible for paying?

accident involving parked car

Proving Liability in a Car Accident

Auto insurance is mandatory in Missouri, which means that in most cases involving vehicle collisions, the parties seek compensation through insurance claims, rather than court. When you file a car accident claim because you are the victim and want to recover damages, you have to prove the other driver is at-fault and liable for your damages. If you were in the car when the accident occurred and the driver fled the scene, then your uninsured motorist insurance should generally cover the cost of your bodily injuries. 

In cases where one of the cars is parked, liability seems pretty obvious: the car that was moving is usually liable. In most instances that is true, however, there are some cases where the moving car is not to blame, or at least not entirely.

For example, if the investigation discovers that the parking lot was improperly maintained and that lead to the accident, then the at-fault party could end up be the owner of the parking lot.

In other cases, the parked vehicle may be held accountable as well. If you do not park your car properly, for instance, within the marked lines, and instead park on the curb, then it’s likely that you will not recover all damages. The insurance company could argue that you contributed at least in part to the extent of the damages by improper parking of your vehicle.

Remember that Missouri has a comparative fault system, where multiple parties can be held accountable and liable for the same event, even the party that bears the most damages.

Getting Compensation

If your parked car was hit, it’s best to speak with an experienced St. Louis car accident lawyer as soon as possible. First, you need to figure out who is liable for your damages and what compensation you may be entitled to.

The process of getting compensated isn’t exactly a walk in the park either, as the insurance company will likely try to pay out as little as possible. However, if you work with an experienced lawyer, you can prevent this from happening. Experienced attorneys understand the tricks insurance companies try to use to lower the amount they have to pay and can protect your rights from the start of your claim.

St. Louis Car Accident Lawyers

Have you been involved in a car accident in a parking lot? Reach out to a St. Louis car accident attorney at our law firm today for a case consultation and legal advice on how to proceed. With their help, you can get compensated for all your vehicle’s damages, and get the repairs you need.

FREE Consulation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242