On December 31, 2013, the Liu family was walking the streets of Burlingame together. Sophia, her brother Anthony, and their mother, Huan Hua Kuang, had no idea what would happen to them when their day began.
Uber driver Syed Muzaffar had been driving with the company for a month and did not have any passengers with him when he drove his Honda Pilot through a crosswalk, killing 6-year-old Sophia and seriously injuring her mother and brother.
In January of 2014, the Liu family sued Muzaffar and Uber accident for wrongful death and other complaints. They were met with strong opposition from the company.
At the time of the accident, Uber said that because Muzaffar “was not providing services on the Uber system during the time of the accident,” that they bore no responsibility for the death of Sophia and the injuries to her mother and brother.
However, two months after the accident, Uber changed their insurance policy, expanding coverage to include drivers who are waiting to pick up passengers. Before, Uber only offered coverage when they had Uber passengers in the vehicle.
A settlement was eventually reached between the Liu family and Uber, though the amount of he settlement was not made public. The Liu family finally has some closure, though nothing can replace Sophia.
Residents of California, Burlingame in particular, are no stranger to ridesharing services. Uber was born in this city and there are plenty of drivers ferrying passengers around on a daily basis. While most rides are safe, getting their fairs to and from their destinations safely, sometimes accidents happen. Some of them lead to injuries of the passengers, while others, like the case above, injure or kill people outside of the vehicle.
If you’ve been involved in an accident with an Uber vehicle, you may need a wrongful death attorney Burlingame. As with the case above, the company was not quick to settle and likely only did so because the plaintiffs were represented by an attorney, someone who was able to walk them through the process.
Getting injured in an Uber accident can lead to high medical bills. If you have to miss work because of your injuries, then your lost income can affect your entire life, leaving you unable to provide for yourself and your family. If you end up with a short or long-term disability, your insurance may not cover all of your expenses.
Your whole life shouldn’t be turned upside down because of a negligent Uber driver. If a driver is distracted behind the wheel, or worse, impaired by drugs or alcohol, they can cause serious harm to their passengers, other vehicles, as well as pedestrians. At Allegiance Law, we will fight for you and your family when you are going through something like this. Our wrongful death attorneys are knowledgeable and experienced. You can contact us by clicking here or calling 415-404-6395 for a free consultation.
Posted in Pedestrian Accident