Lyft Accident Lawyer in Pleasanton

The East Bay opens for business early and goes late. Pleasanton residents are out on those interstates and freeways at all hours making sure they’re where they need to be. Local motorists are also joined by droves of rideshare drivers, transporting everyone else around.

Lyft drivers are a handy option for traveling the Bay Area, but they also move about on already-crowded streets and can be a bit distracted by their rideshare occupation. It’s a recipe for a dangerous accident and your vehicle may be the one that gets hit by a Lyft employee.

You may even be a passenger when an inattentive driver lands you in an accident. If this happens to you, contact a rideshare accident lawyer serving Pleasanton. An accident with a Lyft vehicle that leaves you with an injury may set you on course for a battle with the driver’s insurance or Lyft’s representatives.

It’s important not to go into this battle alone. A rideshare lawyer can make sure you aren’t taken for a ride by an insurance agent and robbed of fair compensation for your pain.

Lyft Driver Distraction Hazards in Pleasanton

You could be on your way to log a ten-hour day at the Hacienda Business Park or be ready for some fresh air on the trails at Augustin Bernal Park. Whether you drive yourself, hop on a bike, or hit up your Lyft app, you can always be put at risk by a rideshare driver.

Lyft drivers also use the Lyft app and must look at it quite a few times an hour. They get notifications all day and ride requests they must assess while behind the wheel. It’s a perfect storm for distracted driving dangers, and the storm happens every day that Lyft drivers take to the road.

Lyft workers can also feel pressure to drive a little recklessly to reach a customer or deliver a customer on time. They can speed and drive aggressively during any shift. They can also be veering and slamming the brakes along Stanley Boulevard while trying to locate a rider. These are all common mistakes any driver can make and they put pedestrians, motorcyclists, and other motorists at risk.

Lyft Accident Common Injuries

After a Lyft accident, the treatment of immediate injuries will be the most important task at hand. But that emergency care may not be the end of your recovery. More serious injuries are possible, and they can keep you in pain and facing giant medical debt for months and years to come.

These are just some of the most common serious injuries rideshare accident victims can experience:

  • Traumatic Brain injuries: A blow to the head can result in concussions, memory loss, and a loss of bladder control. These symptoms can subside or can develop into permanent disabilities.
  • Thoracic spine and back injuries:  Disc nerve damage can cause extreme pain and make walking very difficult. A loss of control of body parts can also result.
  • Fractured bones: Doctors often treat and set broken bones after car accidents. These injuries can take a long time to heal properly and surgery is sometimes required when the bones heal the wrong way and must be reset.
  • Backseat Injuries: For rideshare passengers, often in the backseat, the injuries can be even more extreme. Head and chest injuries are more common as passengers are sent into the seat in front of them or impact the door or window beside them. Backseats are generally equipped with less advanced seatbelts and usually don’t offer the protection of airbags.

Does Lyft provide insurance coverage for accident victims?

After a crash caused by a rideshare driver, you’ll first be concerned with the driver’s personal car insurance policy. You’ll have to file an injury claim against this coverage first, not Lyft’s coverage. These claims are often unsuccessful, though, because insurance companies can deny accident coverage when their policyholders are working for Lyft.

If your claim is denied or the compensation offered is not enough, you can then file a claim for damages against Lyft’s maximum one million dollar insurance policy. This policy is only available when an accident happens while a passenger is in the Lyft vehicle, or the driver is on the way to pick up a confirmed passenger. If a Lyft driver doesn’t have a passenger lined up but is behind the wheel, logged onto the Lyft app when an accident occurs a maximum 100,000 dollar policy is available.

If neither employee nor company offers support, you may be forced to file an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim with your own car insurance provider. This claim can also end in frustration because even when working with your agent, insurance companies can fight to pay you well below what your injury is worth.

Contact a Rideshare Accident Attorney in Pleasanton

If you were hurt in a crash caused by a Lyft employee, find out what your best options are by talking to a local Rideshare Accident Lawyer. Your consultation will be free and comes with absolutely no obligation to you.

Your lawyer can shed light on your rights as a victim and make sure you get everything you’ll need to make a full recovery. Contact a Pleasanton Lyft Accident Lawyer right now.