At the scene of a bicycle/car collision the driver tendered
police his personal auto insurance card.
We opened a claim under the driver’s insurance only to have the claim denied
because the driver was, unbeknownst to us, working as an Uber driver. At the time of the collision the driver was
transporting a fare for the ride share service Uber.
We represent a bicyclist in what we believe to be the first
bicycle/ride-share collision in the area.
This case has presented a number of issues with respect to insurance
coverage. One might think that it would
be easy to make a claim under Uber’s insurance policy, but that is not so. Take a look at Uber’s website and see if you
can find where it lists their insurance underwriter. If you can’t find the insurance information
on the web site, then you’ll just have to contact Uber. Think that’s going to be easy? Where on the website is the contact
information for Uber? Neither the insurance
nor contact information is listed on Uber’s website. In fact, my research suggests that there is
no contact phone number for Uber. The
only way to contact Uber is through e-mail.
This makes for a virtual wall around the company for anyone trying to
make a claim. Despite their best efforts
to insulate themselves from our reach we were able to determine their insurance
carrier and open a claim, but this wouldn’t be easy to accomplish without an
in-house investigator.
We also found Uber less than forthcoming with respect to
other information such as the identity of the fare, who would be an eye-witness
to the occurrence. Uber has flatly
refused to give any information regarding the identity of the fare, forcing us
to file suit and seek a court order requiring them to produce the identity of
the fare.
If you are involved in an accident with a ride share driver
you should expect your insurance claim process to be complicated. Make sure you get the information of any fare
the Uber driver may be transporting at the time. If you’re a bicyclist and you’re doored by
the passenger, this is even more important because Uber’s insurance may try to
deny the case claiming that the collision was the result of the passenger and
not the Uber driver. If you’re involved
in a collision with an Uber driver it is best to get advice from someone who
knows how to negotiate the insurance carriers involved in your loss. Get help.
You’re going to need it.
There's a phone number in their domain registration. Try googling [whois uber.com]. Or, did you try that and it didn't work?
ReplyDeleteSuppose you go to the state regulator and ask them? Is Uber allowed to operate without insurance? Is the driver allowed to give you insurance information that won't work for you, and not mention that the actually applicable insurance is Uber's?
ReplyDeleteHow about making Uber's Insurance Underwriter public knowledge right here?
ReplyDelete