In most personal injury cases in Denver, Colorado, a plaintiff is a person who’s sustained injuries due to the defendant’s negligence. These claims are meant to secure a settlement for the plaintiff to cover damages to property and person. However, every case is different. In the case of rideshares, policy is relatively new and extremely complex.
Bourassa Law Group is a law firm that’s built a reputation by working hard to secure settlements and verdicts for deserving clients. Their team of accident and injury attorneys understands the legal complications of rideshares, but they’re fully willing and capable of helping clients file lawsuits.
An injured party always has the right to press charges against a negligent or reckless party. Even if the law isn’t always in their favor, one of the benefits of an expert personal injury attorney is that they make sure their cases are fully evidenced and airtight.
Determining Fault
The first thing that has to be determined is which party was at fault. Motor vehicle cases can involve multiple drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Lawyers and attorneys will work backward based on the evidence available to reconstruct events so they can pinpoint the root cause, but so will the authorities.
If it’s determined that the rideshare car isn’t the party at fault, then both the passenger and the driver are cleared of liability. To show this, it has to be shown that the driver wasn’t negligent, meaning they were following traffic laws and being mindful of their surroundings.
However, if it’s determined that the rideshare car was the negligent party, then everybody in the car, responsible or not, could find themselves at the center of a lawsuit. If the claim misrepresents facts, it’s important to let an accident attorney handle all communication, even with liability insurance companies. With the right representation, one should be able to present the truth.
As The Driver
The driver could be claimed negligent if they were driving recklessly, endangering themselves and everyone around them. Examples of this are
- Impaired driving (driving under the influence)
- Distracted driving (not paying attention)
- Breaking the speed limit
- Ignoring traffic signals and crosswalks
- A failure to maintain the vehicle (if a damaged car is what caused the accident)
All of the above shows that the driver and presumably owner of the vehicle was choosing to flout reasonable safety practices, with knowledge of their actions. In cases where the rideshare car was at fault, the passenger’s legal services would build a case to show exactly how the driver was negligent.
As The Passenger
The Bourassa Law Group has seen situations where a negligent driver has attempted to pass responsibility onto the passenger by claiming that c the passenger interfered with their ability to follow traffic laws. For example, a passenger could distract a driver or try to coerce them into driving faster. This is why, as a passenger, it’s important to be respectful of the driver. Car accident injuries can range from minor to wrongful death.
![](https://www.blgwins.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/image-4.png)
At Bourassa Law Group, personal injury lawyers in Colorado work on a wide range of cases. Clients are offered free consultations with attorneys so that they’re able to make informed decisions about whether or not to file a lawsuit. Their staff includes slip and fall lawyers, pedestrian accident lawyers, and burn injury lawyers. To get in touch with them, click here to fill in the contact form.