San Luis Obispo sees traffic from local commuters, beach tourists, and college students all day long. And anyone without a car can exercise their cellphone skills and schedule a Lyft driver in minutes. There’s never an excuse for missing a connection or a shift at work.
The problem with this dense network of rideshare services is that our local traffic levels suffer. Lyft drivers can hit the road and immediately add to gridlock hazards with their sometimes distracted driving and rush to deliver people.
If you are a victim of this rideshare rush in an accident caused by a Lyft driver, as another motorist or a passenger, don’t just assume that Lyft will step forward to help you with the astronomical costs of injury recovery. Talk to a San Luis Obispo rideshare accident attorney about your next move after an accident. If you contact us you’ll get an honest evaluation of your case and we’ll help you determine every party that might have to provide you compensation.
Lyft Driver Distractions in San Luis Obispo
Maybe you’ve got to get to Foothill Boulevard for coffee, donuts, drinks, or hamburgers or all four. Your friends won’t wait before they start ordering, so it’s a quick plea to a Lyft driver and away you go.
That quick response is great when you’re running late, but imagine the pressure those quick trips and turnarounds put on rideshare and delivery drivers. The stresses of performing your work duties while behind the wheel can lead to mistakes on the roads and that can put passengers and other drivers at risk of a collision.
Here are just a few of the reckless and distracted actions Lyft workers take during their shifts:
- Ride Request Notification: It starts with the cellphone that Lyft drivers can’t do without. It alerts them when they have a ride request. It attempts to guide them to the pickup spot. The trouble is cellphones have been the most dangerous distraction for drivers for over two decades now. The Insurance Information Institute reports that cellphone use is involved in 13% of all distracted driving accidents. And that’s only counting the incidents of cell phone caused crashes that drivers admit to.
- Driving for the Competition: Drivers often work Uber and Lyft apps at the same time to increase their chances of earning money. There are even apps that help with switching back and forth between apps. If one Lyft app was already a scary distraction, more alerts and potential requests can double the chances of an accident.
- Distracting Customers – Riders can be unpredictable. Just ask a rideshare driver. They can change their plans mid-ride. They can become hostile. They can be real chatty. All of these factors can add to a driver’s distraction.
- Speeding – Lyft drivers can feel pressure because they don’t want to get a bad rating. They may be tempted to speed in order to avoid keeping a customer waiting. They can also start bobbing and weaving recklessly in traffic. A Lyft driver who has missed his or her turn may suddenly make an ill-advised stop or weave that puts your SUV in a dangerous spot.
Can I get Compensation from Lyft After an Accident?
In California, you have up to two years after getting injured in an accident to file a claim. This may seem like plenty of time, but you should consider filing as soon as you and your attorney feel you’re ready. Evidence and documents will be easier to collect in the days and weeks right after a collision.
Filing as soon as you’re prepared also puts Lyft and its driver on notice as soon as possible. This can be beneficial when dealing with a giant corporation like Lyft. Things can move slowly.
Unfortunately, the start of your claim process will always be the same. You’ll first be forced to bring your claim against the Lyft Driver’s personal insurance representative. This probably won’t go anywhere because insurance companies like to deny claims when they find out their policyholder was on-the-clock for Lyft.
If your first attempt fails, you can then file a lawsuit against Lyft and ask them to help you replace money spent on hospital bills and wages lost while you’ve had to miss workdays. Lyft has a one million dollar insurance policy to cover accident victims. The catch is that the accident must have happened while their employee was transporting a Lyft customer or the driver was on the way to a pickup.
If a Lyft driver is simply cruising and hoping to get a ride request when he or she causes a collision, then Lyft offers substantially smaller compensation to victims.
Contact a Rideshare Accident Attorney Serving San Luis Obispo
There are other options open to a victim injured in an accident involving Lyft. An attorney can put Lyft’s hiring and training policies on trial to force them to accept liability in your accident. An attorney protecting your rights can also help you file a claim against your own insurance coverage if that’s the only option remaining.
Contact us for a free evaluation of your case. You are under no obligation to our rideshare attorneys if you decide to go a different direction with your injury claim. A rideshare attorney will listen to you and determine the best course of action to help you earn fair compensation. You should not face Lyft and their corporate lawyers without representation of your own.
