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Charleston Uber Accident Attorney

Mark Bringardner represents people who have been injured as passengers while riding in an Uber, or injured in an accident involving an Uber driver.

Uber does provide insurance coverage which kicks in during active rides, but it may be difficult to recover maximum compensation in a personal injury or without an aggressive Uber accident lawyer. To learn more about your legal rights following an Uber car accident, contact Mark Bringardner today for a free consultation.

We represent victims of all types of Uber accident lawsuits:

Lawsuits where our client was injured as a passenger in an Uber where the Uber driver was at fault
Lawsuits where our client was injured as a passenger in an Uber where another driver was at fault
Lawsuits where our client was injured in their own vehicle, or another vehicle, that was struck by a negligent Uber driver
Lawsuits where our client was a bicyclist or pedestrian and suffered a serious injury when struck by an Uber driver

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No upfront costs to you or your family. We recover maximum compensation for our clients.

What is Uber?

Uber is an app-based ride-share company that is considered to be a form of disruptive innovation. As both a tech company and a transportation company, when Uber was founded it offered lower prices, faster transportation and a higher quality of service than the taxi industry. Beyond taxis, rideshare companies changed transportation. People who would have rented a car, taken a train, or rode a bus chose to take an Uber instead. For many people with full-time jobs, Uber quickly became a side-hustle of choice. It allowed drivers to work part-time whenever they wanted, before work, after work, on weekends, with no boss, no uniform, and no schedule.

What is UberX?

UberX is Uber’s standard ride in a car that seats up to four passengers. Although it’s possible an UberX will be an SUV or van, most likely an UberX will be a Toyota Prius, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Ford Escort, etc. Since UberX became available in 2012, rates of drunk driving accidents have plummeted. A report released by Mothers Against Drunk Driving showed demand for Uber rides peaked at around the same times of day that DUI accidents peaked. In California, drunk driving crashes decreased everywhere Uber was available. Uber also offers a “UberPool” carpool option, and several more luxury vehicle choices.

Are Ubers Safe?

In the last 10 years, Uber has changed the transportation industry, offering a practical and convenient solution to getting home after drinking, preventing drunk driving. The low cost and ease of taking an Uber home (and back to get their vehicle the next day) is an easy decision for people who are drinking. However, Ubers are not perfect. While DUI accidents have decreased, pedestrian and bicycle accidents have increased in many cities where Uber use is high.

Uber released a report in 2019 covering deaths involving Uber rides. In 2017 and 2018, 107 people were killed in crashes involving Uber cars, and 19 people were killed in physical assaults during or soon after an Uber ride. While those numbers are concerning, they are coming from 2.3 billion rides. 99.9% of Uber rides were completed without issue or complaint. The report also did not disclose how many people were injured in Uber crashes, likely a far higher number than the fatality count.

The second troubling part of the report was the complaints of serious sexual assault – 5,981 allegations of serious sexual assault including nonconsensual touching, nonconsensual kissing, attempted nonconsensual penetration (attempted rape) and nonconsenual penetration (rape). In 2017, 229 people reported rape incidents in Uber vehicles. In 2018, 235 people reported rape incidents in Uber vehicles. Although Uber does not allow convicted felons to drive, some have still slipped past background checks.

Uber has introduced safety features as their company has grown, and in response to various incidents over the years. Some of the features they offer now include a panic button in the app to connect passengers or drivers to emergency help, a sensor in the driver’s phone to detect a possible crash, and technology to regularly background check drivers.

Getting into an Uber ride with a drunk Uber driver is an extremely rare occurrence, as Uber has a zero tolerance policy for drunk drivers (if this happens you are urged to end the trip immediately, exit the car and dial 911). Fatigue is a definite concern in rideshare accidents, as many Uber drivers work other full-time jobs, and are tired when they are driving after work or early in the morning before work. Uber has said they have considered various forms of audio or video recordings to monitor drivers’ alertness, as they weigh the importance of passenger safety vs. drivers’ desires for privacy. In any scenario, you should speak with an Uber accident lawyer if you are injured in an accident while in a rideshare vehicle.

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What to Do Following an Uber Accident in Charleston: Contact an Uber Accident Lawyer

If you are injured in an accident involving an Uber, or experienced an assault, you should record all details of the event as you would any other accident:

Take photos of the accident scene and record details
Get contact information for witnesses
Make sure a police report is being prepared
Report the incident to Uber either by calling them or filling out the form on their app
Get medical attention as soon as possible to document your injuries
Contact a Charleston Uber accident lawyer

Mark Bringardner is an experienced and award-winning South Carolina trial lawyer. He handles all types of serious injury claims arising from Uber rideshare accidents. Call us today to discuss your case. If we represent you in your Uber accident claim, or Uber sexual assault claim, there are never any fees unless we recover money for you.

The Auto Accident Claims Process

You are Injured in An Accident

What should I do after an accident?

Immediately after an accident, if you are injured, you should call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. This may seem obvious if you have pain at the scene of the collision, but often times injury victims may not feel pain until the adrenaline wears off, hours or even days after an accident. Any delay in seeking medical attention and the appropriate diagnostic testing could lead to problems down the road. Next, before contacting any insurance company, it can be smart to consult an experienced South Carolina accident attorney to protect your rights.

You will likely want to make sure that your medical records, bills, lost income, and other issues are being handled and documented properly.

Does health insurance pay for your medical bills? Does the other person’s insurance company pay? What is Medpay? How do you submit a claim for lost income? Should you go to your primary care doctor or a specialist? What if you don’t have a doctor? Who fixes your vehicle? Where do you take your vehicle? These are questions an experienced South Carolina personal injury attorney can assist you with. It may also be a good idea to have your attorney conduct an investigation on your behalf as soon as possible so important evidence does not get lost.

How do I hire Bringardner Injury Lawyers?

First, you should call our office and speak with us directly about your case. Or, you can fill out our online form and we will call you as soon as possible to go over your claim and answer all of your questions. We are happy to meet with you in-person, through a virtual conference, or over the phone.

If you decide to hire us, we will send you the necessary paperwork so we can immediately begin working on your case.

So I've Hired A Lawyer. Now What?

When you hire us, we immediately go to work on your case. We will deal with the insurance company, the investigation, gathering of your medical bills, and building your case.

After getting your vehicle repaired or replaced, you only have 1 job to do after hiring us. Get better. We want you to focus on your recovery and follow all your doctors' orders. Doing this will hopefully put you on the path toward a full recovery.

Building Your Case

Immediately after you hire us, we will begin building your case. First, we will send a letter to the insurance company stating that you have retained representation, and that they are not allowed to contact you directly. They must go through us.

The Investigation

We quickly start investigating your accident by obtaining witness statements, obtaining evidence, gathering your medical records, calculating your wage losses and future medical bills, and any other damages you may have suffered as a result of your accident. Your only job is to go to the medical appointments and try to get better.

Settlement Negotiations

What's a Settlement?

A settlement is typically a sum of money paid by an insurance company. The vast majority of cases settle before going to court. However, we prepare all of our cases for a trial if that becomes necessary. We will fight to the fullest extent of the law to try and get you full and fair compensation.

How Long Will It Take?

Typically clients want to know two things: How much is my case worth and how long will it take? No lawyer knows the answers to those questions when you first hire them. The fact of the matter is that there are hundreds of factors that will determine the answers. Early in the case, you may not know the extent of any permanent injuries for which you may need compensation, and you may not know the total amount of your medical bills until a later date. Once your condition stabilizes and our investigation into the case is completed, your South Carolina accident attorney will be able to give you a more informed legal opinion. At that time a “demand” is typically sent to the insurance company to begin the potential settlement process.

Once a demand is sent to the insurance company, the insurance company usually responds after completing an evaluation of your case. At that point, your accident attorney will discuss the insurance company's response with you. If you are not satisfied with the insurance company's settlement offer or response, and no settlement is reached, then the next step is for your accident attorney to file a lawsuit. Most settlements are paid within 4 weeks of being accepted. However, if an acceptable settlement is not reached at this phase, the next step is for us to prepare and file a lawsuit.

Filing a Lawsuit

Filing The Complaint

Most of the time, auto accident cases are resolved in a settlement, but in some instances, they require a lawsuit to get resolved. In this instance, the first step is for your auto accident attorney to write a legal document called a complaint. The complaint is filed at the courthouse, and then the defendant (more likely his insurance company) will have an attorney file a formal response with the Court. Filing a lawsuit does not mean that you are going to trial. Again, the vast majority of lawsuits also settle before trial. People often think they are “going to court” if the file a lawsuit. In layman’s terms, the filing of a lawsuit simply takes the case out of the informal setting between your lawyer and the insurance company and formally puts it in into the court system so that a judge can assist with any legal disputes that arise.

Discovery

The discovery phase begins after a lawsuit is filed. This phase of the case allows both sides to ask questions and obtain additional documents that may not have been available without a subpoena. The purpose is to “discover” the other side's evidence, and learn more about the opposing party's case. This is done by many methods, including submitting requests for documents, and submitting interrogatories (questions in writing that the opposing party must answer) or depositions (in-person or videoconference interviews conducted by the attorneys.)

We will be by your side, every step of the way, to fight for a favorable outcome in your case.

Alternative Resolution Methods

At any point during the case, you can decide to settle your case. There are several ways to settle a case.

Negotiation

Sometimes cases settle on “the court house steps”. That means that the case settles right before trial. Often times, the threat of a jury trial is the only thing that encourages the insurance company to increase their settlement offer. That is because during your case, the settlement money is under their control. Once a trial begins, the insurance company loses some of that control and it is placed in the hands of the judge and/or jury – who may order a lot more money to be paid to you than what the insurance company wants to offer. Sometimes the most reasonable and fair settlement offers do not get made until right before a trial is scheduled to begin. Some cases even settle during or even after trial. While this is less common, it occurs from time to time.

Mediation

Mediation is a process where both parties meet in front of an agreed-upon mediator. Mediators are trained professionals who are skilled at moderating fair negotiations. The goal of mediation is a resolution, but if no resolution is reached, the case will continue on.

During The Course Of The Case, Both Parties May Also Engage In Direct Negotiations.

Trial

We prepare every case as if we are going to trial. We believe the best way to avoid trial and obtain the best settlement possible is to show the insurance company that we will accept nothing other than a fair settlement, and take it to a trial if it is necessary.

What Happens At Trial?

At trial, we will present your case in front of a jury or judge to let them decide the fair value of your case.

Resolution

At the end of trial, we typically receive a verdict, which can result in a judgement. Trial can take anywhere from a day to a week (or more) depending on the complexity of the case.

I've known Mark for over 10 years professionally and personally. Throughout the years, one thing has never changed with Mark - his dedication to doing everything to the best of his ability. Mark's colleagues and clients all respect and value his management and commitment to his work. As a byproduct, his commitment and sharp skills have yielded many favorable outcomes. Mark is the consummate advocate to handle matters with strength, care and urgency. He's my first and only recommendation for any prospective client!

Parker Hanks

May 21, 2021

It was a very positive experience being represented by Mark Bringardner. He always kept me apprised of the latest developments on my case and of the various options open for resolution. When asked, Mark offered his recommendations of the most advantageous outcome, though ultimately he let me make the final decision. Through Mark’s negotiating expertise, the best possible (and better than expected) settlement was achieved. For the above reasons, I would highly recommend Mark’s services.

Linda Caplis

May 12, 2021

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Charleston Uber Accident Attorney

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