The California Public Utilities Commission has determined that auto accidents with rideshare drivers are increasing. In California, home of Ride App Law Group, 600 million miles were driven by rideshare drivers in recent years. Each month, the Golden State trains 30,000 new rideshare drivers.
Across the country, there are 900,000 Uber drivers, and 60% of them are men. This is significant for a variety of reasons:
- The Insurance Information Institute found that male drivers were responsible for more than double the amount of fatal car crashes than female drivers.
- The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) found that crashes with male drivers were more “severe.”
- Research from the University of Michigan reveals that females drive less but still have a smaller fatality rate per mile driven than males.
- Male drivers are more likely to speed, drive without seat belts, and drive while intoxicated. Speeding has been a contributing factor in driver deaths for male drivers more often than female drivers when analyzing data going all the way back to 1982.
So, as you can see, with the wild popularity of rideshare apps and the fact that it puts more dangerous drivers behind the wheel for more miles, Uber accidents are a fact of life today. Here is a complete list of the most common injuries suffered in these Uber accidents. If you suffer injuries, reach out to a lawyer in LA who handles Uber accident cases.
Common Uber Passenger Injuries
Did you know that rideshare drivers rolled over their exiting passengers’ feet 50 times per year in the state of California alone? In addition to injured feet, common injuries that Uber passengers face are known as “backseat injuries.” The backseat is safer for young children in car seats, but it is more dangerous for adults. Many passengers in Ubers and taxis are accustomed to not putting their seat belts on. In fact, some taxi and Uber drivers even shove their seatbelts into the seat crack as if their mere presence is a nuisance to passengers.
If you don’t have your seatbelt on in the backseat and there is an accident, there won’t be an airbag inflating in your face. Here are some injuries you might expect in that case:
- Spinal damage (paralysis, broken back)
- Brain bleeds
- Traumatic brain injury (Rear-seat passengers are at a greater risk for TBIs than drivers and/or front-seat passengers.)
- Chest injuries (these can lead to punctured lungs/heart and internal bleeding)
Chest injuries are present in half of the people who do not survive backseat crashes. Buckle up! Sadly, research has shown that 4 out of 5 rideshare users traveling in the back seat do not wear their seat belts. If you have your seatbelt on, the backseat is safer than the front seat.
Common Uber Driver Injuries
Drivers are less likely to suffer from serious abdominal injuries than front or back-seat passengers. However, the driver is still the most likely to be injured in the event of an Uber crash. A study of 28,653 car accident patients found that over 60% of those patients were drivers. Drivers are likely to experience:
Amputations
An amputation is when an arm or leg is so severely injured in an accident that it must be cut off in order to save the person’s life. Losing a limb is very painful both physically and mentally (phantom pain, depression).
Traumatic Brain Injury
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) occur when the brain collides with the skull or gets swollen without anywhere to expand to because it is encased in the skull. TBIs can impact your ability to see, move, hear, reason, process, and remember.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can result in permanent paralysis. Other complications that are tied in with spinal cord injuries include:
- Sexual dysfunction
- Difficulty breathing
- Reduced bowel or bladder control
- Muscles Spasms
- On-going tingling
- Loss of sensitivity to hot and cold
In addition to these injuries, Uber drivers in car accidents may experience:
- Internal injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis (quadriplegia and paraplegia)
- Amputations
- Disfigurement
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Fractures and broken bones
- Whiplash (serious upper neck injury)
- Facial scars
- Depression and anxiety
- Burns
- Road rash, bruises, cuts
Common Child Uber Passenger Injuries
Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for children under 14, according to Stanford. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for children to actually get trapped in their car seats. When they are involved in Uber accidents are likely to suffer from:
- Facial scarring
- Whiplash
- Traumatic spine injuries
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Sucking chest wounds
- Sleep disturbances
- Bedwetting
Common Uber Pedestrian Injuries
A pedestrian who is hit by an Uber driver is likely to suffer from:
- Road rash, scarring
- Amputation
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Broken bones
- Whiplash
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Bruises, cuts
Common Injuries to Cyclists
Dooring is when a car passenger opens the door to exit the vehicle near the curb right in front of a zooming bicycle, and the bike hits the open door. It’s like a sudden, full-speed crash into a wall. Because Uber drivers are more likely to be dropping people off at the curb than pulling into a parking garage, bicyclists are actually at high risk of being involved in Uber accidents. During a two-year period, there were over 300 rideshare dooring accidents in California alone. In San Francisco, dooring is the #2 most common way that bicycle riders die in accidents. Dooring is unlawful, even if it is done unintentionally.
The injuries most commonly seen in dooring accidents are:
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Internal bleeding
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
- Road rash, bruises, cuts
- Spinal cord injury
- Organ damage
Looking for a Los Angeles Uber Accident Attorney? Ride App Law Group is a law firm based in LA. Our Uber accident lawyers focus on accidents causing injury and property damage. We have the experience and knowledge in this new legal field to handle your case with the utmost care and professionalism. Contact us today and book a free legal consultation with a rideshare attorney in Los Angeles.
