It is no great surprise that, in many respects, ride-sharing has transformed how millions of Americans travel. The fact that millions of Americans depend on ride-sharing for transportation is reinforced by Uber’s $72 billion valuation in early 2018. And, in the city of San Francisco and surrounding Bay Area alone, Uber drivers made more than $1.07 billion in 2017. To put it simply, that is a staggering number of Uber rides.
Gallup helpfully underscores the important of ride-sharing for everyday life by way of a recent poll in July of 2018. The poll found that 3 in 10 Americans (nearly 1 out of every three people) use ride-sharing services. This overall figure increases markedly for younger demographics, with an estimated 45% of the 18 to 29 demographic relying on ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.
Generally, Uber and Lyft are often thought of as big city or suburb transportation options. As such, it may also come as a surprise that Gallup found nearly 1 in 6 Americans who live in a town or "rural" area also report using ride-sharing services.
In light of these findings, it is overwhelmingly clear that ride-sharing services are here to stay. Indeed, the reliance on ride-sharing may even increase in the coming years should self-driving cars transform the way we travel in a similarly impactful way.
As Ride-Sharing Increases in Prevalence, So Do Ride-Sharing Accidents
Ride-sharing companies are notably tight-lipped regarding the amount of ride-sharing accidents that involve their companies. Still, this does not take away from what is a generally recognized and obvious principle. Namely, ride-sharing accidents will increase the more that Americans increasingly rely on ride-sharing to arrive at their travel destinations.
After all, there were more than 40,000 U.S. vehicle deaths in 2017, and in recent years, there have also been more than 6 million crashes every year, according to NHTSA data. If Americans continue to increasingly rely on Uber and Lyft for transportation, it is likely that a significant portion of U.S. accidents annually will affect ride-sharing passengers.
Given these trends, it is imperative that car accident lawyers remain aware of the latest legal trends in ride-sharing to best represent injured victims in car accidents.
Talk to Ledger Law If You Were Injured in a Ride-Sharing Accident
At The Ledger Law Firm, we fully investigate ride-sharing accident claims and help passengers and any other accident victims receive owed legal compensation. We will fight for your right to maximum compensation by negotiating with insurance companies on your behalf and doing all that is necessary to protect your legal rights when you are dependent on compensation for medical care and similarly essential costs.
If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, now is the time to act, and a Ledger Law attorney is ready to discuss your legal claim. Contact us online to discuss the facts of your ride-sharing accident and take the first step toward receiving the compensation you need and deserve.
