Drive for Uber? Expect to Pay Your Own Medical Bills
Posted October 19th, 2016 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Auto Accidents.
Did you know that New Jersey is a no-fault state? This means if you get into a car accident and are injured, your insurance company will pay your medical bills, even if you’re not to blame for the accident. No fault means that neither party is held responsible for someone’s injuries after an accident.
However, if you are injured in a car accident while you’re a passenger in a commercial vehicle, such as a bus or a taxi, your insurance company can refuse to pay for your medical bills. Not many know this, but there is in an exclusion built into your policy that exempts your insurance provider from paying any medical bills if the vehicle you were in at the time of the accident was operated for commercial purposes.
This can be a sticky situation if you’re a driver for a ride sharing program, such as Lyft and Uber. As mentioned before, there are many questions surrounding insurance and ride sharing programs. Since the companies see these drivers as independent contractors instead of an employee, the driver is required to have their own insurance policies cover them while on the job. But if the Uber driver gets into a car accident and is injured, who will pay the costs? Not the insurance company, since the driver was using the car for commercial purposes at the time of the accident.
Both Lyft and Uber claim that they provide insurance coverage to all drivers; yet this insurance does not cover medical expenses for injuries sustained while in the course of employment. So this means the driver is the one who will be paying the medical expenses out of his/her own pocket if there’s an accident.
This is something you need to consider before taking a job at a ride sharing program. Before you sign up to become a driver, make sure you examine your insurance policy carefully. Otherwise, expect a large medical expense coming your way if you get into a car accident while on the job.
If you are injured in a car accident in New Jersey and are having problems with the insurance adjuster, we can help. Contact the Law Offices of Anthony Carbone today for a free consultation.
