Rideshare services are a responsible way to get home after a night of drinking. While choosing not to drive drunk shows good judgment, that doesn’t mean there’s zero chance of getting into a crash.
Highly intoxicated passengers can still create adverse driving situations. Your actions as a drunk passenger can distract your Uber or Lyft driver enough to cause a car accident.
How drunk passengers can cause accidents
Alcohol affects judgment and behavior in ways that spell trouble during rideshare trips. Some drunken passenger behaviors that put everyone at risk are:
- Trying to grab or touch the steering wheel
- Yelling, screaming or blasting music
- Suddenly opening doors or sticking heads out windows
- Getting handsy or aggressive with the driver
- Demanding the driver take shortcuts or run red lights
Just one of these distractions force drivers to split their attention between the road and managing disruptive passengers. Looking away from the road for even five seconds is dangerous. Those seconds can make you miss a car coming your way or a pedestrian crossing the road.
What California law says about shared fault
California follows pure comparative negligence rules in car accidents. You can still recover some money for your injuries even if you share blame for causing the crash. However, the court reduces your compensation based on your percentage of fault.
Let’s say you were 30% responsible for the accident for distracting the driver. In that case, you may still recover up to 70% of your damages.
Seeking damages after a complicated crash
Determining fault in rideshare accidents involving drunk passengers requires careful investigation of all factors. While your intoxicated behavior may have contributed to the crash, other parties may also share responsibility. An experienced motor vehicle accident attorney can evaluate your case and help protect your rights to fair compensation. Please feel free to contact The Law Office of Aman N. Shah if you have been involved in a rideshare accident and want to know your rights.
