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Contact Us Today Approximately 75 million riders use Uber, and 23 million riders use Lyft. These ridesharing services are convenient, but can cause complications regarding accidents. If your Uber driver gets into a car crash, who’s to blame? If you’re injured by a Lyft driver, can you file a claim? Here’s what you need to know about ridesharing and personal injury. Insurance Both Uber and Lyft have coverage to ensure the protection of passengers. If you’re injured in a ridesharing service, you may not be able to file a claim against your driver’s personal policy. Personal auto insurance companies can deny injury claims if they become aware the driver was graining profit from a driving service and did not carry applicable coverages. Therefore, Uber and Lyft cover injury damages for their passengers up to $1 million, even if the driver is uninsured. If an Uber or Lyft driver gets into an accident while on duty but while awaiting a pick up request, and does not have passengers, the insurance typically covers at least: $50,000 per person for bodily injury $100,000 per accident total for bodily injury $25,000 per accident for property damage Scenarios: Passenger Injury In this scenario, the ridesharing service should cover up to $1 million if your rideshare driver is at fault for causing the collision, or if your driver is not at fault but the at-fault driver is either uninsured or did not carry enough insurance to compensate you for your damages. If your injuries exceed $1 million, that’s when it gets complicated and an in-depth investigation of all possible insurance policies needs to take place. Bystander Injury An investigation needs to take place to determine if the rideshare driver was on duty and awaiting a pick up request, in route to a pick up request, or had already accepted a pick up request. These facts determine to what amount of coverage Uber/Lyft may be responsible for versus the rideshare driver’s own personal policy. If the driver is off duty, the accident should be treated as any other car wreck and your claim would be made against the rideshare driver’s personal policy. What to Do Claims involving rideshare drivers can be very complex. If you were injured while using Uber or Lyft or by a rideshare service driver, it’s important to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer is not afraid to take on big insurance companies and fight for your right to seek compensation. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Contact Us Today Windows open, music blasting, Mr. J was headed south on the 101 to work when his whole world exploded into chaos. Eyes alertly watching the road, Mr. J could see a large 18-wheel truck turn on its blinker and start moving into his lane. The problem for Mr. J was that the big rig truck was moving into the space he was already occupying. Scared, Mr. J slammed on his horn to alert the truck driver but he was ignored. Knowing that if he didn’t take action he was going to be killed by the truck, he jerked the wheel quickly to the left. At the speed Mr. J was travelling, the move was a dangerous one. A sense of panic rose within him as he felt the car dramatically shifting to the left. He pulled the wheel quickly to the right to keep himself from going off the road but it was too little too late. The swerving caused the vehicle to lose it’s connection to the road and he could feel himself lifted upwards against the seat belt as the car flipped over. The sound of shattering glass, tearing steel, and screeching tires filled his ears before he lost consciousness. When he awoke, emergency crews were on the scene, cutting him free from the seat belt. His whole body was in pain. The Facts Fortunately the truck driver did the right thing and pulled over quickly. A quick review of the scene by the police resulted in a citation being issued against the driver. It was clear that the truck driver had caused the accident. Mr. J was rushed to the hospital where the emergency room doctors identified he’d sustained multiple injuries that were all very severe. During the process of patching him up, doctors warned Mr. J that some of the injuries were going to take a long time to heal and that he may even lose some of his range of motion. As a man who worked for a living, Mr. J wasn’t just hearing about the pain of his upcoming recovery. He was hearing from the doctors that he wasn’t going to be returning to work for a long time. Something he just couldn’t afford. The Case A week or so after leaving the hospital, Mr. J called the truck driver’s insurance company. While making the phone call and speaking with their adjuster, Mr. J thought “their guy was at fault for the accident so his insurance company will start taking care of me, right?” Wrong. Shortly after the phone call, Mr. J received a call back from the truck driver’s insurance company. Their “investigation” revealed that it was Mr. J’s speed that was the primary cause of the accident, not their driver and his negligent lane change. Mr. J’s claim was denied. Realizing right away that he needed expert assistance to help him deal with this case, Mr. J contacted Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer to review the situation. The Outcome Not one to take no for an answer, Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer filed a lawsuit. A few months later, the case was successfully negotiated and settled in private mediation for a confidential sum. The outcome was that Mr. J received a significant five-figure settlement—this after attorney fees and medical bills were paid—allowing him to get back to his normal life. If you have been seriously injured in an auto accident, don’t go up against the insurance company alone. Contact us or call the Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer for a free case evaluation at 602.535.5899.

Contact Us Today There’s one question we hear a lot from people – “Do I really need to call the police if someone hits me? I mean, what if I’m not that injured or there’s not much damage to my car?” We know what’s motivating the question. The vision of calling the police –sitting in the middle of traffic (or on the side of the road) waiting for them to show up; people are staring at you from their cars and you’re probably late for something. Nobody wants to put up with that. And really, what’s the big deal? If you feel like you do not need to be transported to the emergency room and your car is drivable, does it matter? Yes, yes it does matter. A lot. When you get into an accident, your blood is pumping and adrenaline is rushing through your body. Your natural defense mechanisms are actually protecting you from feeling any injuries. But over time, as this wears off, the real impact of your injury can be felt. Your shoulder aches. Your neck hurts. Your hand is stiff. It’s more than just a little injury. You start cutting back work hours because it hurts. You’re seeing a doctor because it hurts. You’re spending money on pain relief because it hurts. Also, what appeared at the time to be a relatively minor dent may be much more serious after a body shop figures out what has to be repaired on your vehicle. Without a police report, usually the only account of the crash and how it happened is your version of the story and the other guy’s. The Purpose of the Police Report The police report exists to provide an independent assessment and record of the accident. Who is at fault for the accident is often determined in the police report as well (especially when someone is given a traffic ticket). Having a police report can become vital in a case where it may not be so clear-cut who is at fault for the accident. Without it, it becomes your word against theirs. What to Do If You Have An Accident As soon as you’ve made sure you’re OK, contact the police right away. While you’re waiting for the police to arrive, it’s important for you to gather information yourself. Take pictures of their car, your car, and the accident scene. Taking a video on your phone of the whole accident scene is even better. Collect the contact information of anyone around who may have been a witness to the scene. Definitely get the insurance information of the person with whom you’ve been in the accident with. After the police arrive on the scene and have completed their report, be absolutely sure to get a copy of the accident exchange information form. A copy of the record itself is important too, but that generally takes a couple of weeks before it is available. Also, make note of any tickets the police issue. How Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer Can Help Your Personal Injury Case After you’ve done all the right things at the scene of your accident, you may still need to involve a car accident personal injury attorney like the Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer. We offer free case reviews for your accident so that you can have a professional look at your case and let you know whether it’s worth pursuing – never make that decision on your own – you might miss out on important compensation to pay for current or future medical expenses. Contact us today for your free case free or call us at 602.535.5899.

Contact Us Today We can all accept that accidents will happen, and we do our very best to avoid them. Unfortunately, though, we don’t always have control of what happens, and that’s when accidents can be the most tragic. What do you do when you’re out for a drive and you get into a motor-vehicle accident that is clearly not your fault? You may assume that insurance will kick in and cover your medical expenses and property damage; however, it often happens that the at-fault driver is either underinsured or uninsured. What then? The Accident Mr. C, a high-school senior, was driving on a rural highway in Arizona when he was hit. The other driver fell asleep at the wheel, careened across traffic, and collided with Mr. C’s vehicle head on, directly in front of the passenger area of the car, at a speed of approximately 55 mph. Fortunately, there was no doubt that other driver was 100% at fault for falling asleep. What the Law Says The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates an annual 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue, when a driver feels sleepy or actually falls asleep. That number translates to nearly 1,550 deaths and 71,000 injuries, not to mention more than $12 billion in property damage. Keep in mind that these numbers are statistics, since it’s challenging to identify sleepy drivers. While Arizona does not currently have any laws regarding drowsy driving, as driving while fatigued is termed, it is clear that falling asleep at the wheel and being the cause of a motor-vehicle accident is pretty cut and dried when it comes to fault. How Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer Helped Mr. C was severely injured in this accident, accruing hospital bills in excess of $450,000. Automotive insurance only provided $65,000 of coverage—both at-fault liability and underinsured. In addition, the at-fault driver had no personal assets over which to sue. Mr. C and his family carried AHCCS, Arizona’s Medicaid agency, which paid all of his medical bills but also had a lien in the case to reimbursed more than $80,000. All of this meant that there wasn’t enough insurance to go around. The automotive insurance would need to go to AHCCS to cover medical bills, leaving Mr. C owing an additional $15,000. Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer negotiated with AHCCS for nearly eight months on this case, finally settling on an $8,000 payment instead of the initial $80,000. That meant that of the $65,000 in automotive insurance, Mr. C was able to keep a majority of it for himself. Trust Your Professional Phoenix Personal Injury Attorney Even when a situation seems to be simple, there are always nuances and complexities. Instead of risking losing your settlement and even incurring additional expenses, contact Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer or call us at 602.535.5899 today for your free case evaluation. We have the knowledge and experience to ensure that you’ll receive a fair settlement.

Contact Us Today Accidents seem to come from nowhere. You get in your car after a party for what you think is a safe and quiet ride home. Stopped at an intersection, the light turns green and your friend pulls into the intersection. Suddenly two bright headlights come speeding towards your door, the other car ignoring the red light. There’s no time to react. Everything happens in slow motion. The car smashes into your door, spins the car around before everything comes to a screeching stop. Both cars are totaled. The other driver gets out of the car to see what happened. They stumble, not because of the accident, but because they’ve been drinking too much. Great. Your car is wrecked. Your body hurts and the guy that hit you has been drinking. You’re worried about your car and medical bills – they’re worried about a stay in Tent City. You’ve Been Hit by a Drunk Driver, Now What? There are three things to focus on when involved in an injury accident with a drunk driver. You want to make sure that you keep yourself safe, that you get information for your injury claim, and to protect your rights. Keep yourself safe Make sure that as soon as you’re safe that you (or someone else) calls 911. Be sure to stay calm until police and paramedics arrive. If the other driver was drinking, they may be in some serious legal trouble. Be mindful of that and don’t engage with the other driver more than is necessary – they may be more likely to react angrily and even violently under those circumstances. And even though you might feel fine, get checked at the scene and then seek additional medical attention as needed. Some injuries can take days or even weeks before you notice them so it’s a good idea to get checked out by a doctor as soon as you notice something is going wrong – it could be a sign that something serious is going on. Get information If you’re able, get contact information from witnesses and insurance information from the other drivers involved in the accident. If you are not able due to injury (or because they won’t cooperate) Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer will get the information needed for your case. Also, it never hurts to get pictures of the scene of the accident. While we’ll seek other evidence as needed, there are times we find it useful to review cell phone images of the scene that can provide more information about what happened and why. Gather evidence quickly In cases of drunk driving, it is important to move quickly to collect the evidence that other driver was in fact drunk. If we can prove that the driver’s intoxication was a proximate cause of the accident, you may be entitled to punitive damages (damages intended as punishment) in addition to compensatory damages (damages for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages). Punitive damages, if awarded, can be substantial making it important to not only gather evidence but to seek the assistance of Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer, an experienced car accident attorney with a track record of successfully pursuing punitive damages in drunk driving accident injury cases. Protect your rights Don’t talk to or sign documents from insurance companies until we review your case. By signing, you may be agreeing to settlement terms that are not in your own best interest. Remember that it’s in the best interests of their insurance company to get you to agree to terms as quickly as possible. You’ll want to make sure that you talk to us before you talk to them. Stay off social media. You may want to let people you know what happened but sharing your experience online can hurt you. What you say on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media platforms can be used against you in the settlement process. Get results If you or a loved one has been injured in an injury accident involving a drunk driver, contact Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer right away. The sooner we’re involved, the sooner you can get the outcome you deserve. At Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer, we work on behalf of our clients to get them punitive damages, compensated for medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Contact us or call us today at 602-535-5899 for a free case review.

Contact Us Today Specific details and identifying information has been changed in order to protect the confidentiality of the settlement agreement. What happens when you’re t-boned and can’t afford the medical bills? You call the experienced team at Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer. That’s just what Mr. L did, a 30-year-old power lifter in peak physical condition, whose injuries could have ended his ability to do what he loved. The Car Accident It was late afternoon. The sky was mostly clear with puffy white clouds and comfortable breezes – in short the perfect early autumn day in Arizona. With his favorite music playing and the windows open, Mr. L was on his way home from a long day of work. Heading south on 19th Ave, Mr. L hit the gas to go through a four-way intersection after the light turned green. Out of the corner of his eye, Mr. L saw a wildly out of control vehicle headed his way. The car came barreling through the intersection, clipping a northbound vehicle first and then slamming into Mr. L’s rear driver side door. With a loud crunch into the side of his car, Mr. L was banged around and had the wind knocked out of him as his vehicle was forced through the intersection and off the road. Heart beating wildly from the adrenaline, Mr. L pulled himself out of his twisted vehicle and looked at the smashed in side of his car. He wondered how he even survived the accident based on how badly his car was damaged. Due to alert witnesses, the police and emergency services were quickly called for help. Unfortunately for Mr. L, the driver who caused the accident was drunk and angry, unwilling to cooperate with providing his insurance information. And when the police arrived, they arrested the other driver, leaving Mr. L to figure out what to do next. All things considered Mr. L was grateful. As bad as the accident looked, he didn’t feel like he’d been injured – just shaken and sore. The next few days Mr. L woke up the next day hurting all over and with deep pain in his shoulder. It also quickly became clear that he was having trouble moving his arm. A couple of days later, he found out the bad news that the driver of the vehicle who hit him was minimally insured. While he wasn’t an insurance expert, he was pretty sure this meant that he would be lucky to get anything from the insurance company to cover his costs and his medical bills. Two weeks later he contacted Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer Frustrated by the constant pain and worried that he was going to have to have big medical bills because of the accident, Mr. L knew he needed help. A close friend of his referred him to Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer because they knew that not only would we help with pursuing the insurance company, but that we would work the medical professionals to get him the help he needed. It started with a referral to a physical therapist with expertise in working with accident injury victims. And despite the excellent care, it turned out that he had sustained a substantial tear of his rotator cuff. It looked like he would need surgery. Understandably, Mr. L was concerned about his health insurance deductible and time off from work to recover. The Car Accident Case Settlement Between mid-October and Thanksgiving, we connected Mr. L with a trusted orthopedic surgeon who would perform the surgery on a medical lien (an agreement to wait for payment until after a settlement) over our client’s paid time off at Thanksgiving. This allowed Mr. L to not have to worry about paying for the surgery and dealing with time off from work – neither of which he could afford to handle at that moment. During the course of our work with Mr. L we not only negotiated his outstanding liens and medical bills so that he didn’t have to pay for any medical care out of pocket, he also received a five-figure settlement check at the closure of the case. Our comprehensive service during his case allowed Mr. L to achieve the peace of mind he needed and get the outcome that he deserved. If you or a loved one has been involved in a car accident, stop worrying about how to pay medical bills and living expenses and call Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer for a free case review.

Contact Us Today You’re driving your car, obeying the rules of the road. You don’t see it happening. All of a sudden a Phoenix city bus hits you. Now what? City bus accidents are not like auto accidents When you have an auto accident, the rules are usually pretty clear. You exchange insurance information with the driver, file a police report, and you contact Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer, your personal injury attorney, if you’ve been hurt. But what happens when the vehicle that hits your car is a city bus? The rules can change, that’s for sure. The process of dealing with the case is more complex because you’re no longer dealing with an individual – you’re dealing with a large corporation or possibly a government agency. If you or a family member have been hit by a Phoenix city bus, we can help you find a solution. Who is at fault in a city bus accident case? When you have been in an accident involving a city bus, you need to understand that the city bus may not belong to the city. Occasionally city buses are not actually owned by the city. What appears to be a city bus is actually a bus owned by a private company contracted to provide services for the city. These issues are also complicated by the typical causes of a city bus accident: Distracted driver Poorly trainer driver Intoxicated driver Driver Fatigue Poor or improper vehicle maintenance Manufacturer defect on the vehicle or vehicle systems Truly, there are many factors that come into play when evaluating the cause and responsibility for your city bus accident injury. This has the expected outcome of making a complicated issue (dealing with a personal injury case), more difficult. Why is it so difficult to pursue a city bus accident case? One element of dealing with an injury case from a bus accident is addressing the ownership of the bus. If it is in fact owned or operated by a city or municipality, there are distinct rules to follow when pursuing a claim a governmental entity in order to avoid losing your claim. Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer has worked with many city bus cases and we know that every case is unique. Too often we hear stories of people involved in bus accidents who thought they followed the rules for pursuing a case only to find out later that important notices were not sent, we sent incorrectly or were not sent in time, and their claims were dismissed. Failure to follow the rules can result in a dismissal without having a chance to present an argument. We at the Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer are keenly aware of these notice requirements and make sure a notice of claim is pursued quickly to get the issues out in front of the relevant government agency and to avoid hitting statutes of limitation issues and other problems. Just because the accident happened doesn’t mean you or your loved ones should be left without proper compensation. We will dig deep to finding out the root cause of the commercial vehicle accident so we can aggressively pursue the right parties and get you the compensation you deserve! It’s time for a free case review from the experienced team at Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer. Contact us or call the experienced team at Silkman Law Firm Injury & Accident Lawyer at 602-535-5899 for a free case review today.