According to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) in 2020, ridesharing has led to an increase in fatal accidents for vehicle occupants as well as pedestrians. The main reasons for this increase in accidents and fatalities are: growing congestion, increased road usage, traffic delays, and human psychology. The bureau estimates that the annual human cost of such accidents that our economy bears is between $5.33 billion and $13.24 billion.
Well, most victims of a ridesharing accident involving a Lyft driver are confused about what it takes to sue the company, and therefore, our Utah-based Lyft car accident lawyer created this helpful guide:
Lyft’s Insurance Coverage Rules
Lyft’s liability insurance coverage is riddled with conditions that every ride hailer should be made aware of:
- Its liability coverage does not apply if the victim’s app is switched off at the time of the accident. In this situation, the victim has only his auto insurance to fall back on. This is a crazy rule – but in reality, no one switches off the app during the ride, and therefore this provision applies only in rare situations. In any case, no Lyft user should switch the app off once he has booked a ride until he arrives at his destination, safe and sound.
- If the accident happens when the customer is waiting for a ride request (and his app is on), Lyft provides:
- (a) $50,000/person for bodily injury subject to a maximum of $100,000/accident for bodily injury
- (b) $25,000/accident for property damage
- Note that the limits are modified as per the state regulations, and therefore in Utah, the rule of 25/65/15 applies.
- If the accident occurs during the ride or while picking up passengers (whose app is on), Lyft provides $1 million towards third-party auto liability.
The coverage looks fair, but Lyft’s insurance company is not likely to concede UNLESS the victim hires an experienced Lyft car accident lawyer who has successfully resolved many ridesharing accident claims. A rookie attorney or a general practice firm is likely to botch up the case.
What Should a Victim Do Immediately After His Lyft Rideshare Meets With an Accident?
Some of the following rules are mandated for Lyft drivers, and therefore the victim must pay close attention to check if the driver followed them:
- The driver should stop to enable all his passengers to exit.
- He should turn on the hazard lights to stop any additional damage.
- If the driver is not injured and the vehicle can move, he should drive to a safe spot (such as a road shoulder) to halt any additional damage.
- Someone in the ride should call 911 if the driver cannot (or does not).
- The driver should willingly exchange his insurance information.
After noting the above points, the victim should seek medical help even if he does not have any symptoms. Some symptoms can show up after days or weeks. Also, seeking immediate medical attention helps the victim’s Lyft car accident lawyer build a strong case. Then, the victim should talk to all the parties (driver, co-passengers, witnesses), and file a police report based on the gathered information and his personal experience. He should stick to the facts and stay away from giving his opinion.
What Should a Victim Do if the Lyft Driver Was Not at Fault?
If another driver was at fault, and if the Lyft driver followed all the rules and regulations, then the victim should claim compensation from the at-fault driver.
Finally, remember that Lyft’s drivers are classified as independent contractors and the company’s insurers are not cooperative. To extract a claim from the company is a tough job that can only be handled by an experienced Lyft car accident lawyer, who specializes in the personal injury niche and derives most of his revenues from car accident cases.
If you would like to know more, we urge you to take advantage of our free meeting offer.
FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION
Lyft accidents are on the rise in the country and if you are looking for a Lyft car accident lawyer in Utah to help you extract compensation from the company, we urge you to set up a free initial consultation with our experienced attorneys.
We work on a contingency basis (that is, you don’t pay if you don’t win) and our free meeting comes without any strings attached. It is a completely free, no-pressure, and no-obligation meeting.
During the meeting, we will analyze your case and hand over our opinion about its strengths and weaknesses.
We assure you that after the meeting, you will emerge as a more confident and smarter litigant.
By meeting us, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
And, we are just a phone call away.
