Eau Claire, like many other cities, has enthusiastically embraced ridesharing as an alternative form of transportation. An Uber ride makes it possible for people to get a safe ride home after a night out at The Joynt or Northern Tap House. It makes getting to and from Chippewa Valley Regional Airport easy and inexpensive. And, it has offered Eau Claire residents a way to earn a little extra money on the side, or as a full-time job.
More Uber cars and Uber drivers in Eau Claire, however, also means more traffic accidents involving Uber rides. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident involving an Uber car, you may have the right to significant financial compensation. Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers can help.
Contact our Eau Claire Uber accident lawyers at (715) 226-6149 for a free consultation with a member of our team.
Injured in Eau Claire? Get Nicolet.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers: The Help You Need for Your Eau Claire Uber Accident Claim
Ours is a law firm with a strong commitment to serving the community and offering a client-focused approach to legal support.
Since our founding by Russell Nicolet in 2007, we have maintained our community and client-centered focus while growing into a regional law firm, amassing an impressive track record of results, including:
- $1,200,000 awarded when a young child suffered serious burns in an auto accident
- $1,100,000 for the victim of a car accident
- $572,000 for a family injured in an auto accident
- $300,000 for the victim of a car accident
Our past successes cannot guarantee the results of future matters we handle, of course. They can, however, give our clients the confidence that comes with knowing their lawyers know how to secure favorable financial outcomes in legally and factually complicated matters like Uber accident claims.
Injured in Eau Claire? Get Nicolet.
Uber Accident Risks in Eau Claire
Here’s the good news: Eau Claire streets see relatively few severe auto accidents, compared to larger metro areas. Still, that does not mean Eau Claire is immune from harmful crashes that cause serious injuries and fatalities, including accidents involving Uber cars. Accidents happen here, and they take a heavy toll.
Some aspects of driving for Uber may also heighten the risks of traffic accidents. For instance, Uber drivers often spend long hours on the road, and many of them drive as a side hustle, after getting off working a full day at another job. Uber demand also rises in late evenings and early mornings, at hours when most people are sleeping. As a result, Uber drivers risk suffering from fatigue that can lead to a drowsy driving accident.
Uber drivers are also prone to engaging in distracted driving. They must use an app to connect with rides, they frequently rely on GPS directions when driving in unfamiliar areas, and they spend part of every shift scanning the roadside, instead of the road ahead, for the passenger they’ve been summoned to meet. All of these distractions heighten the risk of a traffic accident involving an Uber car.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we conduct a close examination of any Uber accident that injures our clients, to determine whether unsafe Uber driver behaviors contributed to the cause of the crash.
Common Uber Accident Injuries
The injuries someone might suffer in an Eau Claire Uber accident mirror the injuries typical of any other car accident, such as:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Internal injuries
Any Uber accident injury holds the potential of preventing a victim from working, attending school, living independently, or engaging in activities that they usually enjoy. The Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers team in Eau Claire works hard to make sure that victims of Uber accidents receive compensation for the full range of harm they have suffered.
Seeking Compensation After an Eau Claire Uber Accident
Eau Claire Uber accident victims may have the right to receive significant financial compensation for their injuries and losses. Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers help them get that money by pursuing insurance claims and lawsuits on their behalf.
In particular, our team understands the importance of exploring our clients’ options for seeking compensation from the liability insurance Uber provides for its drivers.
Under Wisconsin law, in addition to carrying the standard minimum auto insurance, Uber drivers must also carry this primary accident liability coverage:
- For periods when the driver is logged in to the Uber app and awaiting a ride, $50,000 coverage for death and bodily injury per person, $100,000 for death and bodily injury per incident, and $25,000 for property damage.
- For periods when the driver provides a ride, at least $1 million coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage.
After an Uber accident in Eau Claire, that coverage can offer significant financial protection for injured victims, provided their attorney takes the necessary steps to secure it. Most importantly, experienced Uber accident lawyers like that team Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers know how to secure all-important evidence of the Uber driver’s status on the Uber app, which their clients will need to claim coverage under Uber’s liability insurance.
Insurance, of course, is not the only way we secure compensation for our clients after an Eau Claire Uber accident. Our team also has years of experience pursuing lawsuits against parties at fault for any kind of traffic accident.
No matter what legal strategy makes the most sense for our client injured in an Uber accident, through our efforts our team can often secure compensation to pay for our client’s:
- Medical expenses related to treating Uber accident injuries
- Other out-of-pocket expenses arising from the Uber accident
- Lost wages due to missing work after the accident
- Lost future income when Uber accident injuries result in disability
- Pain, suffering, and other life difficulties caused by the Uber crash.
Talk to a member of the team at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers today to learn about the types of compensation you may have the right to receive after an Eau Claire Uber accident injures you or a loved one.
How We Help Our Clients in Uber Accident Cases
Every Uber accident matter we handle at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers has unique circumstances that may put our knowledge, skills, and resources to the test. Our firm is up to the challenge.
In any given case, we may:
- Investigate the causes of an Eau Claire Uber accident to identify the parties whose dangerous decisions and actions led to our client’s injury.
- Act quickly to secure evidence of the Uber driver’s status on the Uber app at the time of the accident, to establish our client’s right to Uber insurance benefits.
- Work closely with our client to assess the full scope of harm an accident caused, to ensure that we seek maximum compensation on our client’s behalf.
- Answer our client’s questions and develop a plan tailored to our client’s needs.
- Negotiate with insurance companies and defense attorneys to secure a favorable financial settlement of our client’s Uber accident claim, if possible.
- Advocate for our client in court, including at trial, to see justice done and to obtain the compensation our client deserves.
We cannot take any of these steps on behalf of an Eau Claire Uber accident victim, however, until that victim or victim’s family gives us a call. Do not wait. If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an Eau Claire traffic accident involving an Uber car, contact us today for a free consultation.
Eau Claire Uber Accident FAQs
Have questions about your rights after getting hurt in an Eau Claire Uber accident? Take a look at the FAQ below, and then call us to find out how we can help.
1. How much compensation should I expect for my Eau Claire Uber accident claim?
The compensation you may receive following an Eau Claire accident typically depends first on the type and impact of your injuries. A significant portion of many Uber accident injury claims consists of medical costs and lost wages. In general, the more severe a person’s injuries, the higher their medical bills and the more income they lose because of their injuries.
The potential value of an Eau Claire Uber accident claim also depends on the strength of the case your lawyer has to present on your behalf. Cases supported by plenty of evidence and a convincing presentation by a skilled attorney tend to have a higher value than claims with minimal evidence and inexperienced lawyering.
Finally, the value of a claim can depend on the financial resources available to pay the claim. After all, you can’t get blood from a stone. If the party at fault for a crash doesn’t have money or insurance with which to pay you, then your claim may not have much value. That is why it is often important in Eau Claire Uber accident cases to secure clear evidence establishing a victim’s right to seek benefits from Uber liability insurance, which has relatively high limits and usually covers the damages in most Uber accident injury claims.
2. What should I do if the insurance company offers me a settlement after my Eau Claire Uber accident?
Contact an experienced Eau Claire Uber accident lawyer right away.
Liability insurance companies sometimes make settlement offers directly to accident victims. Unfortunately, those offers rarely (if ever) pay victims what they deserve. The insurance companies make these low-end offers in hopes victims will not realize the value of their Uber accident claims, and will give up their valuable rights by taking the money.
Never accept an initial settlement offer from someone else’s insurance company without first talking to an experienced Uber accident attorney. An attorney can advise you on the compensation you deserve, and can negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf to secure compensation that reflects the true harm of your injuries and losses.
3. Will I have to go to court to win my Eau Claire Uber accident claim?
Probably not, but it’s always a possibility.
Most Eau Claire Uber accident injury claims settle out of court. But not all do. Sometimes the parties fail to reach an agreement on how much money an injured victim should receive. In those cases, the victim’s lawyer may need to take the case to trial to secure a fair financial outcome.
The team of Uber accident attorneys at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers has amassed an impressive track record of results in and out of the courtroom. No matter what direction a case takes, we know how to win for our clients.
5. How much does an Eau Claire Uber accident lawyer cost?
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we offer a free consultation to anyone interested in learning about their rights after getting hurt in an Eau Claire Uber accident. In cases we agree to take, we almost always represent our clients on a contingent fee basis, which means that our clients do not have to worry about paying us upfront or as the case goes along. Instead, we collect a fee out of any money we secure for our client, so that we only get paid if our client gets paid.
6. Do I really need an attorney to handle an Uber accident claim?
Yes, you do. Any time you suffer serious injuries in an accident, you need an experienced Uber accident attorney on your side to help you establish your claim, investigate its true value, and secure payment from the at-fault parties and their insurance companies. Hiring a skilled lawyer shows insurance companies and defense lawyers that you mean business, and that you plan to enforce your rights to compensation for your Uber accident injuries.
Contact a Skilled Eau Claire Uber Accident Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one suffered serious injuries in an Eau Claire Uber accident, an experienced Eau Claire Uber accident injury lawyer can work to secure you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers online or call our Eau Claire office at (715) 226-6149 for your free case consultation.