Distracted Ride-Sharing Drivers: 5 Crashes That Can Result in Personal Injury

While ride-sharing apps and companies are on the rise, and thousands of people use services like Uber and Lyft, reports of crashes, accidents, and injuries are also on the rise. These types of drivers can easily become distracted by a variety of factors, causing an increased risk of collisions, crashes, and accidents that may result in personal injury. Below you’ll find 5 of the ways you could be involved in crashes caused by distracted Uber drivers.

1. Rear-End Collisions

When a vehicle makes an impact with another vehicle in front of it, it is called a rear-end collision. Though there are other reasons why it may occur, rear-end collisions happen mostly when the driver is not paying attention. Rear-end accidents can result in minor to severe injuries. The most common injuries associated with these types of crashes include head injuries, whiplash, injuries to the legs, spinal injuries, and a variety of lacerations.

2. Side-Impact Collisions

Collisions that involve vehicles impacting another vehicle’s side can be especially dangerous. Side-impact airbags are less common on older vehicles and newer vehicles may not contain side airbags that are of the same quality as the front and rear. These types of accidents can happen when a driver is distracted at an intersection, stop sign, whilst turning, or running a red light. Injuries for this type of crash can be very serious and include lacerations, injuries to the spine, neck, and head, as well as many other serious issues.

3. Head-On Collisions

When a vehicle strikes another vehicle or object from the front, it’s called a head-on collision. These can cause extremely serious injuries, as these types of collisions involve a lot of sheer force. Depending on the speed of the vehicle, personal injuries can include severe injury to the head, neck, and spine, as well as broken bones, lacerations, internal bleeding, and more.

4. Crashes in an Intersection

Ride-sharing drivers use their phones to access everything they need to know for their fare. At an intersection, attention is absolutely necessary to stay safe around other cars, street lights and signs, and crosswalks. Most collisions that occur within intersections are caused by a distracted driver, who did not pay enough attention to their surroundings. Depending on the speed, force of impact, and how many vehicles are involved, personal injury can be mild to extremely severe.

5. Crashes Involving Pedestrians

There are a lot of things to focus on as a driver and Uber drivers are typically distracted by multi-tasking. There are hundreds of accidents each year involving pedestrians and most of them happened because the driver was too distracted to see them. Pedestrians are at the most risk for severe personal injury because unlike the other collisions, pedestrians do not have the protection of a vehicle. Less severe injuries include head and spine injuries, as well as mild to severe lacerations. But injuries can be much more severe and life-impacting, depending on the speed and force of the accident.

Reasons Why Ride-Sharing Drivers May Be Distracted

• Drivers may spend a lot of time looking at their phone, as the app is required to pick up fares, drop them off, and more.
• The more people that a driver picks up, the more money he or she can make. This means some drivers may be driving faster than they should be to increase the number of possible fares.
• A driver depends greatly on the GPS features provided by their company for dropping off fares. But some drivers may not take the time to find a safe place to park and instead stop exactly where the GPS tells them to.
• Many drivers spend hours on the road and some even work for multiple ride-sharing companies at the same time. This helps lead to lack of sleep, the failure to maintain their vehicles properly, and a lack of focus.

If you’ve experienced a personal injury at no fault of your own, you may be entitled to significant compensation. To schedule your free consultation, contact our professionals here at Saladino & Schaaf. Contact us online or at (270) 444-0406 before the clock runs out.