Los Angeles Opoli Accident Attorney

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

A number of companies in the Los Angeles area are stepping in to try to challenge the dominance of Uber and Lyft. Opoli is one of these companies that is trying to stake its claim in California. Opoli fashions itself as a more customer-friendly ridesharing service. However, for injured passengers and other drivers on the road, it is more of the same when it comes to liability for the accident. 

Opoli’s initial premise was that customers could negotiate with drivers to price their rides. They envisioned allowing drivers to compete on price to win customers. They also promise to eliminate the surge pricing that frustrates rideshare customers to no end. Now, Opoli offers car services that promise control over the experience to the customer. They specialize in airport travel and door-to-door transportation service in a variety of vehicles. Opoli also competes with Uber and Lyft in the ride-for-hire business. 

In essence, Opoli is a hybrid between a livery company and a rideshare provider. Opoli claims to do it right, taking shots at the other ridesharing company “fumbles.” 

• Under Price Pressure, Opoli Drivers May Cut Corners to Do More Work
• You Cannot Sue Opoli Directly, But There Is Insurance
• How Opoli Accident Claims Work
• How Opoli Drivers May Cause Accidents
• You May Have a Legal Right to Compensation for Your Injuries
• Opoli’s Insurance Company Does Not Make it Easy
• We Are Your Advocates in a Rideshare Accident
• Experienced Los Angeles Opoli Accident Attorneys Helping Injured Clients

Under Price Pressure, Opoli Drivers May Cut Corners to Do More Work

However, drivers on the road working under price pressure may be in a greater hurry to get places. Innovations that save customers money may not be the best thing for their safety. In that regard, Opoli has the same issues as the other rideshare company. Drivers end up on the road poorly trained and distracted because they have one eye on the Opoli app, which they must keep turned on to make money. 

Like all of the other rideshare companies, Opoli looks out for its own bottom line with some creative lawyering. Unlike taxi companies, Opoli does not hire drivers directly. Even though they are driving with an Opoli sign in their window and the company is paid a 5% fee on all ride revenue, the company still denies that its drivers work for them. Instead, they are classified as independent contractors. 

While this legal fiction is being challenged, it still presents issues for injured rideshare passengers and other drivers on the road. Although you have a legal right to compensation when someone is at fault in an Opoli accident, they do not make it easy for you to get compensation. 

You Cannot Sue Opoli Directly, But There Is Insurance

The main rule of Opoli accidents is that, as of now, Opoli itself cannot be sued for an accident. However, this does not mean that you cannot be compensated for an Opoli accident. Otherwise, we would not be offering our services as Opoli accident attorneys. 

On the contrary, hiring an attorney after an Opoli accident is a must. We are not going to understate it – rideshare accidents are very complicated regardless of whether you are an injured passenger or driver who has been in a collision with an Opoli car.

How Opoli Accident Claims Work

The first challenge is figuring out exactly which coverage applies. Opoli’s rules are similar to both Uber and Lyft when it comes to insurance. Here is how coverage works:

• Opoli must maintain an insurance policy that provides up to $1 million of coverage for each driver. This level of coverage begins when the driver accepts a ride request in the app. It continues until the time that the passengers have safely exited the vehicle.
• When the app is turned on, and the driver has not yet accepted a ride request, Opoli provides primary insurance in the amount of 50/100/30. Then, Opoli also provides underinsured coverage of $200,000 if the driver’s own auto insurance does not cover the excess damage.

If you are a driver who has collided with an Opoli driver, the standard car accident rules apply. Your insurance company and Opoli’s insurance company will determine who is responsible for the accident. The Opoli driver is not automatically responsible for the accident. Instead, like any car accident, you would need to show that the Opoli driver was negligent.

How Opoli Drivers May Cause Accidents

Here are some examples of ways that the Opoli driver could be negligent:

1. The rideshare driver is distracted because they are looking at their phone and the app instead of focusing on the road.
2. The driver speeds to make a pickup because they are focusing on timeliness and their rating.
3. The driver cuts off another driver pulling over to make a pickup.
4. The Opoli driver may be drowsy or fatigued after a long shift on the road and may cause an accident.
5. The driver loses focus because they are traveling through unfamiliar areas, and they lose track of where they are going.

If you are a passenger, you must determine who is at fault for the accident. If the other driver was responsible, their insurance coverage will be the one who pays first. However, Opoli’s coverage would be used as secondary insurance if the driver did not have sufficient insurance. If the Opoli driver was responsible for the accident, you can file a claim against the $1 million policy first.

You May Have a Legal Right to Compensation for Your Injuries

To clear up any misconceptions, even if you cannot sue Opoli directly, you still have the right to sue for your accident injuries. Essentially, you are suing the driver as an independent contractor who is covered by the corporate insurance policy.

Your hope is that you do not have to file a lawsuit against the driver and the insurance company. In most cases, this is only a last resort. However, dealing with the insurance company is not always easy, and that can involve many different claims and steps. 

Here is how the Opoli accident claims process would work:

• If you are an insured driver, you would call your own car insurance company with information about the accident and your claim. Your insurance company and Opoli’s provider would work out details of liability.
• If you are an injured passenger, you would present your claim to Opoli’s insurance company. 
• If the Opoli driver was at fault, their insurance company would make you a settlement offer.

Opoli’s Insurance Company Does Not Make it Easy

Receiving the initial settlement offer is nowhere near the end of the process. Note that we referred to it as an “initial offer.” This is because you will need to put in a considerable amount of work to get the insurance company to the point where they make you a reasonable offer that fairly compensates you for your injuries. They do not give this freely. 

Providing commercial insurance to Opoli is a big business. Insuring hundreds of rideshare drivers throughout California means that Opoli pays a lot of money to its insurance provider each year. While each claim involves its own complicated considerations, the overall calculation for the insurance company is simple; the premiums minus the amount that they pay out represents their profits. Therefore, they are looking to save money on claims. These companies count on you being uninformed throughout the process. 

We Are Your Advocates in a Rideshare Accident

You can rest assured that Opoli’s insurance company knows exactly what your claim is worth. This is what they do every day, and they have an entire corporate infrastructure that is devoted to knowing the value of claims. After that, they have lawyers more than ready to help protect them. Every part of the rideshare accident claim process deck is stacked against you unless you can unstack it. This is what a rideshare accident attorney does for you.

Of course, you are worried about how you are going to pay your bills after a rideshare accident. However, you should take the time to fight for a fair amount of compensation that pays you for what you have suffered. This starts with figuring out who was responsible for the accident and the right party against whom to file a claim. 

Given how complex the rideshare accident process is, you need your own guide to the process. This is what we can do as your lawyer. Our rideshare attorneys help you untangle the complex web that companies like Opoli have created that stand between you and fair compensation. However, you first need to make the phone call for help. Delaying that phone call could mean that many things could happen in the meantime that could compromise your legal rights. You cannot afford to wait valuable time because your right to financial compensation could be at stake. 

Experienced Los Angeles Opoli Accident Attorneys Helping Injured Clients

Contact one of our Opoli accident lawyers today to begin the conversation about your legal rights. We are standing by and ready to help. When you call The The Ride App Attorneys, you get a tenacious and dedicated advocate on your side who will fight for you against the insurance company. The consultation is completely free, and you do not owe us anything unless we are able to successfully help you recover compensation for your injuries. Call us immediately before Opoli’s insurance company could begin working against your legal rights.