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Personal Injury 101 for Uber Drivers in Calgary, Alberta

If you are an Uber driver that has gotten into an accident then you might have a lot of concerns about what happens next. After all, you already know you’re not considered an employee, which means you won’t be getting workers compensation.

You may even worry that you’re more likely to be found at-fault for an accident just because you are the “professional” driver.

 

Here’s what you need to know.

Uber drivers need a special insurance policy.

If you’re reading this and you’ve never been in an accident then you’re more fortunate than many Uber drivers, who may not realize they need to shift their insurance coverage in order to be protected while on the job.

Your standard auto policy does not cover you while you’re driving for Uber. This might not matter so much if you’re not at-fault for an accident, but remember that many people end up having to turn to their insurance policies to make up the differences between what the at-fault driver’s policy can pay and what their actual expenses are.

Fortunately, most insurance companies now have add-on Uber coverage that tends to cost just $40 to $60 more per month than your normal premium prices do.

 

Uber may compensate passengers and other drivers, but they won’t protect their drivers.

There are times when Uber will pay compensation for accidents. Yet they generally don’t do that for their drivers. They do that when their drivers are at-fault and they need to pay victims. They do it for their passengers.
If you’re a driver you need to protect yourself with the right insurance policy.

 

Personal injury cases work the same way for Uber drivers.

If the other driver is at-fault you’ll file a personal injury claim the same way any other driver would. You need to do all the same things at the scene of the accident as you would have if you’d been driving your personal vehicle for personal reasons. Get insurance information, take pictures, and get medical attention. Gather the names and numbers of witnesses.

You can go to a personal injury attorney and launch a case just like any other driver, too. You’re entitled to compensation if a negligent driver has harmed you. You’re not automatically more responsible because you were on the job at the time.

 

Get help today.

If you’ve been injured in an accident it’s vital for you to consult an attorney as quickly as possible. The earlier you involve an attorney, the stronger your case is going to be.

Call us today to get matched with one of our lawyers. Our attorneys have decades of experience in personal injury. We’ll answer your questions, address your concerns, review the facts of your case, and go over your next steps.

About Donald I.M. Outerbridge

Donald became the Executive Director of Merchant Law Group LLP starting in 1993, nearly 30 years ago. His experience managing law firms at various levels and in multiple provinces across Canada goes back even further to 1981.

Please note: The information provided on this website is Not Legal Advice. The information may or may not be accurate. The information is for discussion purposes only. Reliance upon any information provided would not be grounds to advance a claim against Merchant Law for providing any advice. In order to get a formal legal opinion upon which you may rely about any specific fact scenario, you would have to first retain the services of a lawyer and request a formal legal opinion.