For Clovis residents, the day can start at any hour, sun up or sundown. There’s not much of a break in traffic as 24/7 people must take off for work, or perhaps to a class in Fresno, or just head out to find some fast food. Some choose to start it all off with a request on the Lyft app.
Rideshares make travel across Clovis and into surrounding cities much easier for those who don’t have a car or don’t want a car. The snag in their business model is that all those vehicles add a lot of extra drivers to the road and sometimes those drivers aren’t paying a lot of attention to that road. A glance at a Lyft app by a driver can quickly result in an out-of-control car and a dangerous collision for anyone else using Clovis streets.
Getting Help After A Lyft Accident
You could be in a vehicle, on a bike or motorcycle, or on foot when you’re struck by a Lyft driver. You may be a rider in a Lyft car and hurt. If you’re injured it may be fair to wonder just how much a giant corporation really cares about your wellbeing. You may have enormous hospital bills from an accident that wasn’t your fault and suddenly have no way to pay them.
The truth is a crash with a Lyft vehicle can involve three or more different insurance policies and you may have to go through them all before you see any compensation. If you’ve been made a victim, don’t wait to call a rideshare accident lawyer serving Fresno County. Pick up the phone or write us an email and tell us what happened. We offer a free evaluation of your case to determine the best path to finding help after you’ve been injured.
Lyft Insurance Coverage in Accidents
You might think that in the wake of a collision, Lyft would step-up with immediate help after a mistake by one of their employees. Unfortunately, it’s never that simple when a major corporation is involved. In fact, Lyft has done its best to keep employees designated as contract workers so they can put most of the responsibility on their drivers.
You’ll have to start your accident claims process with the driver’s auto coverage, but your journey to securing support for your recovery probably won’t end there:
- The Lyft Worker’s Insurance: All Lyft drivers must carry their own car insurance. You’ll first have to file a claim against their provider. Don’t get your hopes up though. This coverage often has a low cap on what you can earn in compensation. You could end up not getting enough to pay all of your recovery expenses. These claims can also be tossed out because some insurers refuse to cover accidents when their policyholders are working for a rideshare.
- Lyft’s Coverage: Lyft does carry one million dollars in liability insurance for the victims of accidents, but it can only be called into play if the driver’s insurance won’t cover the accident or doesn’t provide enough coverage. Even then, Lyft only covers accidents that happen during certain periods of a driver’s shift. If an accident happens while a driver is on the way to pick up a passenger or the passenger is in the car, the million-dollar policy can be drawn upon. The accident coverage can be much less if the driver doesn’t have a passenger and doesn’t have one scheduled.
- Your Uninsured Driver Coverage: If Lyft’s coverage and the driver’s coverage both prove to be dead ends, there is another option. You may have to rely on your own car insurance policy. Specifically, the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. But even though you’re working with your own agents, you can still be victimized by the unfair practices all insurance companies can use on victims. They will try to question every aspect of a collision and injury in the hopes of getting you to accept as little in compensation as possible. An attorney working on your case can help discourage insurance adjusters from behaving in this unfair manner.
Compensation for Injured Lyft Accident Victims
If all else fails, your lawyer can try a few more avenues to attempt to get Lyft to accept the responsibility they should own up to. We can start poking around Lyft’s hiring and training policies to see just how safe their rideshare operation is. We can also look into the driving history of the employee that caused the crash to see if they should have been on the road and working for Lyft at all.
After an accident, victims should be looking to talk to an attorney and file a claim for damages as soon as they can. California allows victims up to two years after a crash to file their claim, but it’s always a good idea to get your request out early when a big company like Lyft is involved. Evidence and witness testimony pointing to the fault of the Lyft driver will also be easier to find in the days immediately after a crash.
If your claim is successful you can receive compensation for every hardship you’ve endured. This can include all medical costs and any anticipated care needed in the future. Your lost wages at your place of employment can also be replaced. The emotional strain you and your family may have been under during recovery can also be considered and added to a settlement.
Contact a Lyft Accident Lawyer in Clovis
If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury and the crash involved a Lyft vehicle, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Tell us what happened so that we can discuss your best legal options.
Whether you were hit by a rideshare driver or injured as a passenger call us today. You may have also been a Lyft driver in an accident and feel you’re getting little support from your employer. We can also help you. Our goal is to help you get the maximum amount of compensation available to you for your injuries.
