San Jose Opoli Accident Attorney

San Jose Opoli Accident Attorney

We’re a group of experienced and trusted injury lawyers helping victims of Opoli Accidents.

It is an unpleasant fact that rideshare vehicles have clogged streets in the entire Bay Area. In San Jose and San Francisco combined, there are practically as many rideshare drivers as there are in the entire New York City area. Perhaps sensing some opportunity, Opoli has moved into the San Jose area to try to compete with Uber and Lyft. All the rideshare company needs to do is provide the app and an insurance policy. 

There are over 14 million passengers coming through San Jose International Airport each year. Many of them need rides to and from their flights. In addition, others do not want the stress of driving on roads like I-280 or SR 130. This creates demand for rideshare services like Opoli at the cost of far more traffic on the roads. While rideshares give convenience, they add to congestion and risks for everyone. 

Opoli Drivers Scramble Around San Jose to Earn a Living

Opoli claims to be a rideshare service that allows the customers control over their rides. They are a hybrid upscale livery and rideshare company that has allowed customers to select the driver and negotiate rides. The unwelcome byproduct of this is that you have hundreds of Opoli drivers scrambling around San Jose streets competing for passengers.

This can only take away from safety for other drivers and Opoli passengers. An army of aggressive rideshare drivers trying to eke out a living means that they could cut corners to make more money. In general, rideshare drivers try to congregate in areas where they know that they can be close to riders. This means that they clog up traffic and drive on the streets, making life far more dangerous for anyone in the vicinity trying to get somewhere.

The Opoli App Encourages Distraction

The whole ridesharing process can be dangerous because of how it works. For Opoli, everything is about the app. Drivers are on it at all times and have one or both eyes on it while driving. Everything about ridesharing encourages distraction. Drivers are looking at the app when they are seeking passengers and when they are in the car. Silicon Valley roads are difficult enough these days without Opoli drivers not looking fully at the road.

The Risks of Opoli to Passengers and Drivers

Distraction is just one of the risks. Here are other dangers that Opoli drivers could pose:

1. Drivers could work long shifts trying to earn a living because Opoli makes things so competitive for drivers.
2. Opoli drivers could venture into parts of San Jose that they are not familiar with, looking at the app for directions when they do not know where they are going.
3. Drivers bunch onto the roads at peak hours because that is when they could make more money, but the roads are already congested.
4. Opoli puts its drivers out on the road with little to no training. They are supposed to do extensive checks on the drivers, but that does not always happen.

Why You Cannot Sue Opoli Directly

Opoli knows about the dangers of ridesharing too. This is part of why it has structured its entire system to protect itself from the dangers that its drivers cause. The way that it gets away with this is by saying that Opoli drivers are not really “Opoli drivers.” 

The legal structure is that Opoli drivers are independent people just like you who just happen to be using the Opoli app. Even though Opoli gets paid a 5% fee for each ride, the company claims to just be a middleman while the driver directly services you. This helps them avoid liability in case of a lawsuit since the driver is not an Opoli employee. 

There May Be a $1 Million Insurance Policy

However, Opoli could not get away with telling passengers and other drivers that they are out of luck when they have been hurt in a rideshare accident. While there are other problems with the independent contractor arrangement, Opoli at least maintains a $1 million policy to insure accidents.

While this seems clear-cut, the confusion begins when you are actually hurt in an Opoli accident. There are many rules in place that you would need to know when you file your claim. These rules would dictate where you file your claim and how much you recover. Here is some of what you need to know:

• The $1 million policy is only in place between the time that the driver accepts a ride request in the app until the time when the passengers safely exit the vehicle.
• If the other driver is at fault for the accident, you would file a claim against their insurance. The $1 million policy would come into play as underinsured motorist coverage if your damages exceed the limits of the other driver’s policy.
• If the driver has the app on but has not accepted a ride request, there is coverage, but at a much lower amount than the $1 million. If you have been in a collision as a driver and the coverage is not enough, your underinsured motorist coverage may kick in to cover the extra.

The first thing that you need to know is who was responsible for the accident. It is not a foregone conclusion that the Opoli driver was negligent. You need a lawyer to help you get to the bottom of the accident to know where to file the insurance claim. This is a confusing process, and sometimes it feels like this is exactly how the ridesharing companies want it. 

It’s smart to make use of ridesharing services like Uber when enjoying a hassle-free night out with friends or grabbing a ride home after a flight.

The Hidden Dangers in the Opoli Accident Claims Process

The claims process is also laden with pitfalls for injured people. Don’t lose sight of the fact that these insurance companies know exactly what they are doing and have been known to resort to some underhanded things to get you to compromise or give up on your legal rights. Things such as unannounced phone calls, checks on your social media profile, and other underhanded tricks could cost you money.

How Our Opoli Accident Attorneys Can Help You

The best way to protect yourself when dealing with an insurance company is to hire an aggressive and experienced lawyer. Our attorney can help you by doing the following:

• Evaluating your claim and giving you an idea of how much money you may be able to receive for your injuries
• Protecting you by keeping the insurance company from contacting you and letting you know what they could do to harm your claim
• Handling all of the communications with the insurance company on your behalf
• Guiding you through the entire legal process, letting you know your options at every step of the way

We Fight for a Fair Settlement

The goal is for you to reach a fair settlement with the insurance company that pays you for your injuries. When you have an experienced attorney on your side, you maximize your chances of this. Otherwise, the insurance company and their adjusters and lawyers may take you for an easy mark and try to get away with paying you pennies on the dollar. 

Your Opoli accident compensation should put you in the same exact position as if the accident never happened. While the settlement itself will not restore your health, the money is meant to compensate you for what you have experienced or lost. Here is what your settlement should include:

• Past and future pain and suffering
• Lost wages for the time that you cannot work and any reduction in your earning power
• Emotional distress
• Past and future medical expenses that have come out of your pocket

We Can File a Lawsuit on Your Behalf if Necessary

Just because you cannot sue Opoli directly (for now), it does not mean that you are not able to file a lawsuit at all. The insurance company handles the claim, and they will determine how much to offer you in a settlement. However, they are not the judge and jury when it comes to your claim. You still have legal rights to full and fair compensation depending on who was at fault for the accident.

If Opoli’s insurance company will not pay you enough for your accident, you could either continue to negotiate with them for more money, or you could file a lawsuit. At some point, you may need to sue to get what you legally deserve. Sometimes, it is the only language that an insurance company will understand. The only way to protect yourself from the insurance company is to get tough yourself. This starts with hiring a lawyer to fight for your legal rights. 

Helping San Jose Opoli Accident Victims

Call The Ride App Attorneys today at (866) 641-0697 to schedule your free initial consultation. We are aggressive attorneys who know exactly how to deal with rideshare claims and the tricks that insurance companies use. We commit to fighting zealously on your behalf as you seek the money that you legally deserve after an accident. Turn your rideshare accident into money by contacting an attorney today.