NEW YORK CITY TAXI DRIVER ATTORNEY
WITTENSTEIN & WITTENSTEIN – WE LOVE RIDESHARE DRIVERS!
For over 60 years Wittenstein & Wittenstein has dedicated itself to representing New York’s Rideshare Drivers. We have always taken a special interest in our City’s hard working drivers, making sure that they have the best representation possible when they have an accident. We know that drivers are industrious New Yorkers, tirelessly work long hours helping people get where they need to go. They have more accidents than other drivers, not because they don’t drive well, but because they spend so many more hours on the road. When a driver has an accident, they need the services of an attorney that understands their needs and is committed to serving the rise driver community. So, if you are a rideshare Uber, Lyft or livery driver that’s been injured in an accident, you’ve come to the right place. We have great pride in the work we do to help the rideshare driver community.
WITTENSTEIN & WITTENSTEIN – RIDESHARE DRIVER ATTORNEY
PROFESSIONAL DRIVER’S COVERAGE FOR MEDICAL BILLS, LOST EARNINGS AND OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES
It is important for a professional driver to know that the “no-fault” car insurance will often NOT cover them for medical bills, lost earnings and out of pocket expenses if they are working for a fleet, but the fleet’s Worker’s Compensation policy will cover them. Here are some guidelines:
- If you are a medallion owner or livery owner, no-fault will generally cover you.
- A driver, operator or lessee is considered an employee unless they are leasing a car from the owner of the taxi and the owner of the taxi personally, regularly drives the taxi an average of 40 or more hours a week.
- To avoid having a Worker’s Compensation policy for a lessee, the lessee must meet the criteria as an independent contractor. This means that the owner-operator may not in any way “control, direct, supervise, or have the power to hire or fire such lessee.”
- There is also the issue of whether or not a driver was “in the course of their employment.” There are “gray areas” such a driver’s on their way back to the base or on a lunch break.
In this case, an experienced Professional Driver Attorney will file for both no-fault and Worker’s Compensation and let the insurance companies battle it out, ensuring that you have coverage either way. This is complicated stuff, and the facts of your particular situation will ultimately dictate where coverage is obtained. This is not something you want to risk doing on your own. You need Professional Driver Attorney – Wittenstein & Wittenstein to help you navigate this territory!
Medical benefits under no-fault and worker’s compensation differ. No-fault allows you to treat immediately, getting the testing and procedures you need from doctors that accept no-fault insurance. You are required to attend examinations with doctors hired by the insurance company and sometimes the benefits will be cut off quickly. Some doctors, knowing that no-fault cuts off benefits quickly, are willing to treat patients after their cut-off and hire lawyers to arbitrate their bills with the insurance company. If a person truly was in need of care, they are usually successful in collecting payments for their bills, and will not charge the patients if they don’t collect money. For more information on “no-fault” benefits, see our blog post “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About No-Fault.”
Worker’s Compensation has a different structure. Most medical testing and procedures will require approval from Worker’s Compensation, so there can be delays in care, but it is much more generous with the length of treatment. There are other benefits available from Worker’s Compensation.
SPECIAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS FOR UBER AND LYFT
New York City has taken action to hold Uber drivers to high standards and passed some of the toughest rideshare regulations in the country. Uber drivers in NYC must hold a special license issued by the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission, and carry insurance designed for cabbies and other commercial drivers. Just like taxi drivers, the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission requires rideshare drivers transporting up to eight passengers to have a minimum of $200,000 in no-fault insurance, and liability policies that cover at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. These minimum rates were mandated to protect drivers after several high profile accidents where Uber drivers were seriously injured while driving their own car while on their way to pick up a passenger, and Uber refused to provide coverage. That said, accidents while driving an Uber are complicated, and you need the an attorney that is a specialist in the field, dedicated to helping drivers. You need Rideshare Driver Attorney – WITTENSTEIN & WITTENSTEIN!
We dedicate ourselves to helping drivers, always up on the latest changes in laws and regulations, and the best part is, you don’t have to pay us a dime until we collect money for you. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to win. Call us for a FREE CONSULTATION at 718-261-8114.
Premises Liability – When Can You Sue?
If you’ve been seriously injured on somebody else’s property, you might be wondering if you should sue. You are considering making a premises liability claim, but you don’t want to be a greedy nasty person. On the other hand, you've lost time from work and can’t enjoy the same physical activities as before the accident, so it’s natural to consider whether you’re entitled to [...]
Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
It’s opening night at your best friend’s new restaurant and excitement fills the air. The place looks gorgeous and the food is amazing. Everything’s just wonderful until you slip on the stairs down to the restroom, breaking your leg in two places. You don’t want to be a jerk and sue your friend, but now you’re in rehab after two surgeries, and haven’t been [...]
How To Spot The Red Flags When Seeking A High Quality Personal Injury Attorney
There’s no place to hide from attorney advertising. You can’t miss them when you’re driving down a billboard lined highway, and again when you get home on your computer. You might even see attorney representatives at the scene of your accident or at the hospital, encouraging you to go to their “therapy place.” Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Manhattan and Brooklyn car accident attorneys make [...]
Religious Freedom
The founders of the United States and the drafters of our Constitutional considered freedom of religion to be of great importance. That’s why the First Amendment to the Constitution prohibits infringement on the right to worship as you choose. We’re all aware that freedom of speech does not include the right to panic people by falsely screaming “Fire” in a crowded theater, and similar [...]
Four New Laws in New York
Here are four new laws that were passed in New York that will be taking effect next year. Some of them are the result of years of effort to reform the draconian laws that preceded them, and some of them are just baby steps towards a larger goal. You can judge for yourself. DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT: The New York State legislature has made it simpler [...]
NYC CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT LAWYER
If you’re injured on a construction site, there are can be many overlapping claims that can be brought on your behalf. If you’re working on the site, your employer should have a worker’s compensation policy in effect to cover you, and there are avenues to pursue if they don’t. There are potentially claims under Labor Law and other laws that specifically address injured construction [...]