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Rideshare services like Uber have become a convenient way to travel, but accidents involving Uber vehicles can result in serious injuries, leaving victims unsure of their legal options. Injuries in a Maryland Uber accident case make up your damages. When we pursue a negligent driver for injuries arising out of an Uber accident, we consider three main categories to evaluate what your case is worth. This is true whether you are an Uber driver or passenger. All three of these categories of damages relate to your injuries. The first category of damages is your medical expenses. Unsurprisingly, the worse your injuries are from your Uber accident, the more you tend to have to pay in medical expenses. For example, if you suffer a spinal cord injury, you may face several months or years of rehabilitation. Compare this to a soft tissue injury, which may only require a few months.
However, the good part about medical expenses from a legal perspective is they are easy to calculate. The amount that you owe for treatment is what the defendant owes you. Of course, your doctor must write it into your medical records to be included in your claim. The more nuanced part of your damages is the pain and suffering portion of your claim. This is where the severity of the injury comes into play. Below, we discuss the impact injuries in a Maryland Uber accident can have on victims. Some injuries, such as fractures, can significantly affect your quality of life. You are entitled to compensation for this as long as we prove the driver behaved negligently.
Contact Gelb & Gelb immediately to discuss your options if you are injured in a rideshare accident.
Soft tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains, and contusions, are among the most common injuries in car accidents. However, they tend to be less compelling to a jury. Compare a soft tissue injury to a brain, spine, or bone injury. In these events, we can show X-rays or scans that show physical damage. However, for a soft tissue injury, we must rely on testimony. While this is sufficient to prove our case by a preponderance of the evidence, it is nonetheless less convincing. Ultimately, soft tissue Uber accident cases we handle tend to be successful. However, the pain and suffering damages from a sore back are usually less than if you have a life-altering brain injury. Our Maryland Uber accident attorneys are adept at making a compelling case to a jury.
The reality is that soft tissue injuries are legitimate injuries. Nearly anyone who has been in a car accident understands that whiplash can cause substantial soreness in your neck and back. However, with proper treatment, you can alleviate this pain completely in most cases.
Head and brain injuries can occur when passengers hit their heads against a hard surface during a collision. Symptoms like headaches, dizziness, memory loss, and nausea may not appear immediately but are telltale signs of a potential brain injury.
A head or brain injury in a Maryland Uber accident lies on the opposite end of the spectrum when compared to soft tissue injuries. Brain injuries are not always totally understood by doctors. If you suffer a serious brain injury, your life may never be the same. Never mind that you can suffer concussion symptoms such as migraines, dizziness, nausea, etc. Your mental acuity may never be the same. In past cases, we have had clients who could not perform their jobs to the same ability because of their brain injury. Proving the causal link between your Uber accident and your inability to perform at your job can be tricky. We hire an expert witness to evaluate you and testify at trial to prove this causal link. This can be costly, so the recovery should outweigh any expense.
Spinal cord injuries in a Maryland Uber accident are up there with brain injuries being the most consequential injury you can suffer in a Maryland Uber accident. These injuries may lead to partial or complete paralysis, depending on the location and severity of the damage. In Uber accidents, spinal cord injuries often occur due to sudden impacts or rollovers. When you suffer a spinal cord injury, you may be facing years of rehabilitation to get back to full movement. Not only is this exorbitantly expensive, as you may have to pay for around-the-clock care, but your pain and suffering damages are just as severe. Pain and suffering damages refer to physical discomfort and emotional distress from an injury. It refers to the pain, discomfort, anguish, inconvenience, and emotional trauma accompanying an injury.
After a bad spinal cord injury, you may be bedridden for months or even the rest of your life. To say this impacts your comfort, anguish, and convenience would be putting it mildly. Contrast this with a very bad brain injury. If the brain injury is severe enough, the plaintiff may not be totally uncomfortable if they are not conscious enough to understand what is happening. Meanwhile, a spinal cord injury typically leaves the plaintiff fully cognizant of what is happening and unable to do anything about it. This can be the most excruciating experience possible.
Broken bones and fractures are among the more common injuries in a Maryland Uber accident case. The force of a car collision often results in broken bones and fractures, particularly in the arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis. These injuries can be excruciating and may require immobilization, surgery, and physical therapy. Accordingly, the medical expenses for a fracture can be expensive. Further, being immobilized for months can stress your quality of life. You cannot participate in many jobs, causing you to lose your job and miss out on a salary.
Fortunately, broken bones do not usually have the same devastating life impact that spinal cord and brain injuries have. Moreover, they are as compelling to a jury because many jurors can relate to a broken bone. Most people have never suffered a brain injury or a spinal cord injury. However, plenty of people on a jury have broken a bone. We can show your X-ray to a jury who can see how bad the break was. Contrast this with a soft tissue injury that may not appear on scans.
Uber passengers are especially likely to suffer a broken bone or fracture in a Maryland Uber accident due to being more vulnerable in their seated position. It can also be scary as a passenger when you lack control. You do not know your Uber driver, which can be frightening. No matter the driver’s rating on the app, that all goes away when it is late, dark, and you are in poor weather conditions.
Our legal team has been handling injuries in Maryland Uber accident cases since Uber first arrived in Maryland over 15 years ago. Moreover, our car accident attorneys have been handling car accident injury claims since our founding in 1954. This experience positions us to handle nearly any car accident claim.
Call our office today for a free case consultation at (202) 331-7227.
Copyright © 2025 Gelb & Gelb, P.C. All rights reserved.