Suit alleges the company and the driver are liable for motorcyclist’s injuries.
A motorcycle injury lawsuit recently filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court alleges that the ridesharing company Uber Technologies, its subsidiary Raiser LLC, and its driver Syed Fakhar Shah are all liable for the injuries suffered by Cuyler Mayer.
Mayer was riding his motorcycle in the right hand lane of Sunset Boulevard last November when he was struck by Shah. Mayer flew off his motorcycle and rolled up onto the hood of Shah’s Toyota Corolla, striking the windshield before falling to the ground. Despite being clad in protective gear, Mayer was knocked out and seriously injured in the motorcycle accident. His injuries included a broken fibula, a neck injury, and severe bruising.
The suit alleges that Shah caused the motorcycle accident by making an unsafe U-turn across traffic without looking out for other drivers.
However, Shah was not entirely at fault for his own bad behavior, according to attorneys for Mayer. The suit further alleges that the reason Shah made such a grievous driving error was that he was distracted by his Uber app. Shah was allegedly in the midst of taking an Uber passenger request on his cell phone at the time of the accident.
According to Mayer’s attorneys, the very business model of Uber is inherently dangerous. Not only does the company employ untrained and often unskilled drivers; Uber also utilizes a mobile text and web based messaging application that it should have known would pose a significant risk of distraction for drivers as well as encourage them to violate the California Vehicle Code. Furthermore, Uber gives drivers better ratings for speedier pickup times, thus potentially rewarding speeding and other dangerous driving practices. The unsafe U-turn made by Shah would seem to be a perfect example of this.
Uber drivers have been involved in many other accidents in the LA area and across the country, some of them deadly. We will be following this case with interest to see what the court decides, not only with regards to this case but with respect to the Uber business model in general.
What to Do If You Are Injured in a Traffic Accident
This case does highlight one very important point for traffic accident victims, namely the importance of targeting all liable parties in order to maximize the potential for recovering full and fair compensation.
If you have been involved in an accident with an Uber car, delivery van, or some other company vehicle, be sure you consult with an attorney such as Fernando D. Vargas that can handle the extra complications and resistance presented by corporate defendants.
