A Dallas woman sued Uber after being involved in a ride-sharing accident that resulted in her being paralyzed, according to a report published by the Dallas News. While ride-sharing companies like Lyft and Uber are often a safer alternative than getting behind the wheel after having a few drinks, accidents still do happen. An Uber accident in Dallas, Texas, that ended in catastrophic injuries for the rider has shown that even making a conscious choice to not drink and drive can have serious consequences.
The Crash and Resulting Injuries
A young woman and her friends were riding an Uber in November 2015 that was involved in a serious car accident that resulted in severe injuries—including leaving one passenger, who was set to graduate and start working the following January, paralyzed from the chest down. According to a police report generated after the accident, the Uber driver ran a red light, resulting in the Honda Odyssey being hit by a Ford F-150 pick up and flipping over. The driver of the Ford F-150 was charged with causing an accident that resulted in serious injuries; according to news reports, the Uber driver was not criminally charged despite running a red light.
The car accident broke the passenger’s spinal column, and after surgery and extensive rehabilitative therapy, she still cannot move her legs. She has regained some movement in her arms and is required to take 22 pills each day for her condition.
The Lawsuit
Because of her injuries and the Uber driver’s alleged fault in causing the crash, the victim filed a personal injury lawsuit against Honda, Uber, the driver, and the owner of the vehicle the Uber driver was driving. The lawsuit alleges that the parties failed to provide adequate safety to passengers in the vehicle and that the driver was allowed to operate the vehicle without having car insurance. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, the Uber driver had a prior criminal record—albeit misdemeanor drug and gambling charges—that should have been warnings to the parties, according to the plaintiff.
Uber does supposedly conduct background checks on all of its drivers, according to its website, and screens out those with past convictions that would directly affect passenger safety. Specifically, Uber screens out any drivers who have had convictions in the past seven years of felonies, violent crimes, driving-related offenses, child abuse or child endangerment, sex offenses, reckless driving, street racing, driving over 100 MPH, or alcohol and/or drug-related traffic offenses. It is possible that the Uber driver’s misdemeanor charges did not raise a red flag for the company. Uber has settled lawsuits against it in the past over its screening processes; Uber has also defended lawsuits with cities on the same issue, including Austin, TX. In fact, Uber and Lyft pulled out of Austin, TX when the city passed an ordinance requiring their drivers to background checks and fingerprinting. Dallas has not passed such an ordinance.
Contact Our Attorneys
Unfortunately, a ride-sharing accident can happen anywhere–and Nevada is no exception to this risk. If you or someone you care about has been involved in a Las Vegas, Nevada, ride-sharing car accident, contact the skilled attorneys at H&P Law. Our legal team is ready to help and will fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact us today to schedule your initial case evaluation.
