Merced residents never stop working and playing. Sometimes they need rides over to UC Merced for an early class or down Martin Luther King Way for an In-N-Out Burger run. No matter where they need to go, rideshares can handle the trip. Lyft drivers race across San Joaquin Valley all day and night to make sure people are where they need to be when they need to be.
The taxi service is very affordable for anyone on the go, but the price we may all end up paying is the increased traffic and hazards on the road. Lyft workers driving on hectic schedules all over town can be a bit distracted, careless, and even reckless at times.
If you suddenly find yourself in a dangerous accident involving a Lyft car, as a driver in another car, a Lyft employee, or a passenger, don’t hesitate to call a Merced Rideshare Accident Attorney. Lyft and its representatives will be calling their lawyers for sure. And you may soon find yourself being taken advantage of if you don’t have a lawyer looking out for your best interests as you recover from injury. Reach out to us for a no-obligation, no-cost consultation on your case.
Lyft Driver Collision Hazards Around Merced
Lyft drivers juggle a lot as they drive. They monitor requests coming in all day and must make snap decisions on who to take aboard and the best way to get them to their destination.
That’s just one or two of the many duties they must handle while behind the wheel, all the while trying to keep their cars on the road and out of your way.
Some of the other distractions and temptations they face on a daily basis:
- Notification Snap Judgements – When a customer hits the app up from a ride, a Lyft computer calculates the closest and best driver to take the job. That driver gets a notification on his or her phone and may have seconds to decide to accept the ride request. If not, the job goes to someone else. This distraction can make Lyft drivers travel for quite a distance without looking up at the road.
- License to be reckless – When a driver is delayed in picking up passengers, or passengers say they’re in a rush to get across town, that Lyft employee may feel it’s necessary to speed, cut other drivers off, and drift through lanes as they look for their next turn. These actions lead to accidents every year.
- Cruising — Lyft employees can spend half of their shifts or more without a passenger. Often they will be driving aimlessly in high traffic areas hoping to be close to the next potential rider. These hours can lull a driver into not paying attention to other cars or even traffic signals.
- Driver physical and mental state – We can all have a bad day at work or be suffering from a lack of sleep, but Lyft drivers battle these issues while on freeways and busy roads. They may be distracted by a personal dilemma and not watching when the driver in front of them brakes for a stop sign. Passengers can often see the signs of careless driving and watch a collision unfold.
- Drug or Alcohol use. Lyft doesn’t tolerate drivers who drink or use drugs before or during a shift. Any person working a taxi job is under stricter guidelines than most drivers. A normal person must keep their blood alcohol content (BAC) under .08% while behind the wheel, but a rideshare driver must generally stay under.04% BAC to remain legal.
Insurance Problems After A Lyft Involved Accident
If you end up t-boned or rear-ended by a Lyft car you may have more than just your injuries to worry about. Hospital bills and physical therapy fees will soon come due and you may not be in any shape to go to work to try to earn enough to make even a small payment on these huge costs.
So what does Lyft offer to its drivers and their victims after a crash? Well, they have a policy, but it’s a complex issue deciding if you can use it or not.
You’ll first be directed to file a claim against the Lyft driver’s personal insurance policy. These claims are often rejected. If that claim fails, Lyft offers victims with up to one million dollars in coverage. The key is the driver must have been on the way to pick-up a passenger or have had the passenger in the car when the accident occurred to have access to the coverage. If the employee didn’t have a ride request when the accident happened but was logged on the Lyft app, a smaller amount of insurance will apply.
Otherwise, victims of an accident caused by a Lyft driver may be left to ask their own insurance company for compensation. This can be a tricky path too, because your own agents may try to get you to accept an offer that’s less than what you need to get your life back on track.
Contact a Merced Lyft Accident Lawyer
After an accident involving Lyft, you may be contacted by representatives from the company. These representatives may be lawyers or they may be insurance adjusters. Don’t talk to any of them. Talk over your case with a local rideshare accident attorney and let your own representative deal with anyone seeking to weaken your claim to compensation.
If you or a loved one sustained a serious injury and the accident involved a Lyft, contact us for a free and confidential consultation. Whether you were hit by a Lyft driver, injured as a passenger, or injured as a Lyft driver we can make sure you get treated fairly and keep you from becoming a victim a second time.
