Taking a Lyft is an easy way to travel from place to place in Florida. Maybe you called a car after a night on the town or scheduled a Lyft to take you to the airport, only to become involved in a serious crash as a passenger.
Whether you were vacationing in Florida at the time of the accident or are a year-round resident, you have the right to seek compensation for your injuries. Steinberg Law, P.A., can help.
Allow our Delray Beach Lyft accident lawyers to represent you while you focus on your recovery.
5 Common Causes of Lyft (and Uber) Accidents
Lyft, Uber, and other rideshare services have made traveling around Florida convenient, especially for vacationers who do not want to rent a car. When you enter a rideshare vehicle, you place your trust in the driver to safely transport you to your destination. Being involved in an accident can be a traumatic experience.
Rideshare drivers are often at fault in accidents for any of the following reasons:
- Distracted driving: Perhaps the driver was busy looking at the GPS navigation or talking to you, leading them to make a mistake that caused an accident.
- Fatigued driving: Sometimes, rideshare drivers work long hours to maximize their income for the day. Fatigue can quickly lead to accidents.
- Unfamiliarity with the area: Lyft drivers often pick up passengers in unfamiliar areas. They may not have experience with the traffic patterns in your area, leading to a mistake.
- Congested traffic: If a rideshare driver is picking you up from the airport, a concert, or a festival, they must navigate dense traffic. These conditions increase the chances of being involved in a collision.
- Poor vehicle maintenance: When you book a rideshare, you have little control over the type of vehicle you will be riding in. You also do not have verification that the car has been maintained properly and is safe to ride in.
Lyft drivers can also be involved in accidents that are not their fault. Another driver may have struck their vehicle or otherwise caused an accident.
Even if another driver technically caused the crash, your rideshare driver may have been partially liable if they were distracted at the time.
How Do You Seek Compensation After a Rideshare Accident?
Pursuing compensation after a rideshare accident is a bit different from filing a typical auto insurance claim. You need to determine who was liable for the crash and what insurance coverage applies to the event.
The police likely came to the scene of the crash and created an accident report. They may have indicated who they believed to be responsible for the crash: your rideshare driver or another party. Alternatively, they may have assigned partial negligence to both drivers under comparative negligence law. Either way, this information can help you determine how to proceed with an insurance claim.
Our Delray Beach Lyft accident lawyers can help you navigate the compensation process.
When the Lyft Driver Was At Fault
If a rideshare driver was at fault in a collision when you were a passenger, you will need to file a claim through your driver’s insurance policy. Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies extend coverage to their drivers when they are actively transporting passengers. Drivers are also responsible for maintaining some types of coverage on their personal policies.
Your first step should be to contact the rideshare company and report the accident. Take screenshots of the app showing the driver’s name, the vehicle type, the ride confirmation number, and any other details you have.
The rideshare company can tell you whether their insurance policy will cover your injuries or whether you will need to file through the driver’s personal policy. If the latter is true, you would need to put the claim on their personal injury protection (PIP) insurance as long as they have this coverage. All motorists are legally required to carry PIP coverage in Florida.
When Another Driver Was At Fault
If another party crashed into your rideshare driver’s vehicle, you may assume their insurance would be responsible for covering your injuries. However, Florida is a no-fault state for car accidents. This means each party involved in a crash is responsible for filing a claim with their own PIP insurance first, regardless of who was at fault.
You will need to start by opening a claim with your driver’s insurer, whether that is through their personal policy or the rideshare company. You would only file a third-party liability claim if your injuries met the “serious injury threshold,” encompassing any of the following:
- Significant and permanent loss of a critical bodily function
- Permanent injury based on a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Significant and permanent disfigurement or scarring
- Death
In these cases, the at-fault driver’s insurance may be responsible for paying for your injury expenses beyond what you can secure through the rideshare driver’s insurance.
Understanding which insurance company is responsible for your damages can be confusing. Our Delray Beach Lyft accident lawyers can review all relevant policies and represent you through insurance coverage disputes.
Can You Sue After a Lyft Accident?
You may have the right to sue after a Lyft accident. We may advise you to consider a lawsuit if:
- The relevant insurance company fails to provide a reasonable payout for your injuries.
- The rideshare driver was uninsured at the time of the accident.
- The at-fault driver’s insurance will not cover your severe injuries.
- The accident involved serious Lyft driver negligence.
A lawsuit may allow you to claim non-economic damages aside from your medical bills and other injury costs. These may include emotional damages like:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
We Are Your Delray Beach Lyft Accident Lawyers
Being involved in a rideshare accident can be a harrowing experience. One minute, you are enjoying your time in Florida, and the next, you are dealing with serious injuries due to no fault of your own.
Our Delray Beach Lyft accident lawyers are here to protect your rights to compensation. We also represent cases where your vehicle was struck by a rideshare vehicle.
Contact Steinberg Law, P.A., today at 877-783-4611 or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation.
Lyft Accident FAQs
What Happens if a Rideshare Driver Gets Into an Accident While I Am a Passenger?
If your rideshare driver gets into an accident, our attorneys can help you determine how to proceed. You likely need to file an insurance claim using your driver’s policy. The rideshare company may extend coverage to the driver, or they may have personal auto insurance. Your injuries would go on the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in the policy, which is mandatory for all drivers in Florida.
How Much Is a Lyft Settlement?
A Lyft settlement after an accident can vary in value depending on the severity of your injuries and other damages. An accident attorney can estimate the value of your case and take steps to maximize your compensation.
How Long Does a Lyft Lawsuit Take?
A Lyft lawsuit may take anywhere from a few months to over a year to finalize. The exact timeline depends heavily on the court you are filing through. Delays are common in personal injury cases, but if you decide to proceed with a lawsuit, an experienced lawyer will do everything possible to keep your case on track and streamline the compensation process.
