A day in Manteca may have you taking the kids over to Northgate Park or you may be commuting up to Stockton or into the Bay Area. We all have places to be and it’s a safe bet Lyft has the route already mapped out if you need them. Trusting a rideshare to get you across San Joaquin County can be the easiest choice you’ll make today, but there’s also a downside to all those handy rides.
The surging rideshare industry can put a lot of traffic on local roads. You may have noticed a frantic Lyft driver on Yosemite Avenue or Louise Avenue in a rush or weaving in the lanes. They can be very distracted by their duties as they seek out addresses and passengers.
Distracted drivers cause a lot of accidents each year and Lyft drivers are no exception. If you are the victim of an accident involving a rideshare car don’t hesitate to contact a rideshare accident lawyer serving Manteca. If you’re injured, you might not get the support you’d expect from the driver’s insurance or a giant company like Lyft. Let us help you sort out who should be stepping up to provide the money you need to pay for your healthcare and to keep your finances afloat while you heal.
Insurance Coverage After a Lyft Accident in Manteca
It may seem like it would be easy to get help when an accident involves a driver on-the-clock and the billion-dollar company they work for. Unfortunately, these cases can leave you feeling even more forgotten and alone than a crash with a normal driver. Instead of one insurance company trying to avoid taking responsibility for your accident, you may see two or three insurance companies trying to shed blame.
Your first claim may be the most frustrating because you’re required to begin by filing with the Lyft driver’s personal car insurance policy before you can approach Lyft. As you can imagine, some car insurance providers aren’t excited about covering policyholders while they are working for a rideshare.
If the driver’s insurance company rejects your claim or if they have limits on their coverage that leave some of your bills unpaid, you can then petition Lyft for help. Lyft works with its own insurance provider to offer up to one million dollars in liability insurance. The catch is that they’ll only cover accidents in certain situations.
Their driver must have been logged into their app and either en route to pick-up a customer or have the customer in the car at the time of a crash for the million-dollar coverage to be available. There’s less coverage available if the driver didn’t have a ride request lined up and was cruising at the time of the collision. You could end up in a situation where you are denied coverage by both parties. As a last resort, you are forced to file a claim on the uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on your own auto insurance policy.
Bad Faith Insurance Practices to Beware of
Dealing with insurance companies can be one of the most infuriating parts of your accident experience. In an accident caused by a Lyft driver, you may be dealing with three or more different insurance firms.
It can be a recipe for a headache because insurance agents are pros at denying claims or getting you out the door with as little compensation as possible. You may find that their first offer would only cover your initial visit to the emergency room. What if you require physical therapy in a month or even an unexpected surgery to correct your injury?
The good news is that an attorney working on your behalf has seen all of the insurance tricks before and can steer you around each one. Here are just a few shady practices they commonly try:
- Turning the Blame on You: Insurance companies can investigate the accident and try to shift some or all of the responsibility to you. Even if a police report says that you weren’t at fault insurance agents can still try this tactic. They may also look into your driving history thinking they can prove that you are a dangerous driver. They could use recorded statements you may have given them to try to make it sound like you admitted fault. Don’t give them these statements to use. Always let your attorney do the talking.
- Delayed Justice: It’s the easiest way to keep you desperate. Insurance providers can take their time processing your claim and responding. They know that the longer you wait the more bills you’ll have piling up and the more open you’ll be to sign off on an offer.
- Low Settlement Offer: Once you are disheartened, insurance adjusters can hit you with their “lowball offer.” If you don’t have a legal expert telling you that you’re being treated unfairly you may be tempted to take whatever you get offered. You may not know that your injury is worth a lot more.
Contact a Manteca Lyft Accident Lawyer
Whether you were struck by a Lyft driver, or you were a Lyft passenger when an accident occurred and you were injured call us today. Our goal is to help you get the maximum amount of compensation available to you to help you heal and return to your normal life.
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation and case evaluation. After you tell us what happened, we will let you know all of your legal options.