Rideshare Law Office wins support for California victims hurt in accidents involving Lyft drivers. Victims may have been struck or were passengers in a Lyft car when it was hit by another vehicle. Please contact us to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation for all California injury victims. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury should be worth and how to hold Lyft responsible.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Lyft Accident?
If your injuries are only very minor in a crash, or it’s a property damage-only accident, you may not need the help of a lawyer for your case. It’s when your injuries are serious, like a broken wrist or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), that you should go over your accident with a skilled lawyer.
When medical bills run high, insurance adjusters for Lyft will be working overtime to try to shift the blame in an accident to you, or at least devalue your injuries. Rideshares also employs corporate lawyers who seek to limit the compensation you receive.
A California rideshare accident lawyer fully investigates your accident and collects the evidence necessary to keep Lyft from wiggling out of responsibility. Witness testimony and accident reconstruction data will be used to force Lyft to provide the maximum in compensation available.
Lyft Accident Dangers in California
Plenty of California residents hang up their car keys and let Lyft handle the driving. They grab a rideshare on the way to work or a college class. They may take a Lyft to the store, a concert, or to Venice Beach.
But when someone makes a ride request, it’s adding another car to the sometimes already crowded freeways and boulevards. The accident risks go up. And no matter how safe Lyft employees try to be, they also face the distractions of performing a difficult and distracting job while behind the wheel.
These are just a few of the reasons why Lyft drivers may be prone to causing dangerous collisions:
Cellphone Distractions – Lyft drivers rely on their cell phones for so much. They may have devices that place their screens at eye level and notifications to alert them of ride requests nearby, but they still must take their eyes off the lanes. They can miss a traffic light turning red or not notice they are veering over a white line. Once they look away from their app, it’s too late to avoid a full-speed accident.
Personal Distractions – We can all have a bad day, but when Lyft Drivers get a poor night’s sleep or are dealing with emotional hardships it can affect their driving. They may be at the wheel while sleepy or upset after an interaction with an unhappy passenger, meaning less attention paid to the road. Lyft is responsible for making sure its drivers are focused behind the wheel and aren’t working too many hours straight.
Temptation to Be Reckless – Lyft employees might also feel pressure to race to a rider’s location or to speed to get a passenger to their location. They may exceed the speed limit and aggressively push other vehicles to get out of the way. One minor mistake can lead to a major accident that injures people in other cars and Lyft passengers.
Of course, Lyft drivers might also be the victim of reckless California motorists. When employees get injured, Lyft may be reluctant to support its workers injured on the job. A California Lyft Accident Lawyer can turn up the pressure on the rideshare company to see that workers get the support they need to recover.
Does Lyft Have Insurance Coverage for Accident Victims?
Yes, Lyft does have a big insurance policy to help the victims of accidents caused by their drivers. However, it’s only available in certain situations and you may first have to file a claim with the driver’s personal auto insurer.
If you are hurt, you may be stuck in a game of keep away. The driver’s insurance and Lyft’s agents may toss your case back and forth with no one stepping forward to accept responsibility.
After a collision, your first attempt to get help will have to go through the Lyft driver’s personal car insurance coverage. All Lyft employees must carry their own insurance. But insurance companies can refuse to cover accidents once they find out a policyholder was working for Lyft when the crash happened.
You would then file a claim against Lyft Incorporated. But their coverage only protects victims if the accident happened in a certain phase of the driver’s shift.
If the driver had a passenger in the car or was on the way to pick up a passenger, Lyft backs accident victims with up to one million dollars in coverage. If the driver didn’t have a passenger but was on-the-clock (logged into the app) there is up to 100,000 dollars in coverage available.
If a driver isn’t logged into the Lyft app but is on the road and causes an accident, Lyft won’t usually be liable.
What If Lyft Rejects My Accident Claim?
If Lyft is providing zero help to you as you cope with a debilitating injury, there are certain issues an attorney on your side can bring to light to get them to change their minds.
These are just some of the things an attorney can call into question:
- Lyft Safety Practices – Did Lyft provide training to its drivers, online or in-person? Are background checks performed often enough? Do their employees feel like they must engage in unsafe practices just to keep their jobs? Has the driver been in trouble with Lyft before?
- Lyft Worker’s Driving Record – An attorney can investigate the driver’s past traffic violations and even criminal charges if they exist.
- Drowsy Driving – Does Lyft monitor how many hours a day their driver is working? Is the driver getting enough shut-eye?
- Lyft Vehicle Safety – Is the vehicle in use safe and inspected often? Lyft should take responsibility for the cars that are making the company money. If a malfunction on the car itself causes an accident a claim against the car manufacturer may be possible.
If Lyft is responsible for an accident but refuses to offer an adequate settlement check, your Rideshare Law Office attorney would have evidence ready to file a lawsuit. Lyft is not excited to deal with the cost of a trial and the embarrassment. When your lawyer files a lawsuit, Lyft will often return to the negotiating table to offer you a better settlement before a court date arrives.
Compensation After a Lyft Involved Accident
Victims in Lyft accidents may have less time than they think to file a claim over their injuries. California sets the statute of limitations on a civil case at two years from the date of the accident.
Two years seems like a long time, but to give your case the best chance at a positive outcome victims should really file as soon as they are ready. Evidence will be easier to collect and documents will be easier to retrieve in the weeks after the accident. It’s also best to get your claim on the desks of a national company like Lyft as soon as possible. They may take their time processing and responding to your lawsuit, so the sooner you get it to them the sooner you may get the compensation you need.
If your case wins an award you can hope to collect compensation for all of the bills and other hardships you’ve had to go through in the months since the accident.
Here are a few of the things that can factor into how much compensation you receive:
- Medical expenses. Money for any surgeries or rehab expected in the future.
- Wages from missed work hours. Any lost wages expected in the future.
- Costs associated with a permanent disability such as medical equipment, physical therapy, or even training for a new career.
- Emotional anguish. Loss of enjoyment of life. A claim might earn you money towards counseling.
- Enduring extreme physical pain. Pain that might stay with you over a lifetime.
- Damage or destruction of property.
Contact a California Lyft Accident Attorney
If you are hurt in an accident caused by a Lyft driver don’t trust that insurance companies will have your best interests in mind. After an accident, you may soon fall behind on not only hospital invoices but your monthly cost of living expenses like a mortgage or power bill.
An insurance agent may try to ignore these hardships and pay the bill for one night in the emergency room. Those bills are only half the story.
We have represented and protected victims from all over California. If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury in a crash involving a Lyft vehicle, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. After you tell us what happened, we will help you consider all of your legal options.
There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can help you earn more for your recovery, you won’t need any money to hire Rideshare Law Office. We work on a contingency basis and don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the award Lyft must pay to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on the following links to learn more about these frequently asked questions:
How do I take legal action against Lyft?
How much is a typical Lyft settlement?
Can you sue a California Lyft driver?
How much does Lyft pay for accidents?
How does Lyft handle accidents in California?
What should you do if you’re injured as a Lyft Passenger in California?
Do I have to file an insurance claim after a Lyft accident in California?
