Can I Sue Lyft After an Injury Accident?

Can I Sue Lyft After an Injury Accident?

While you may sue Lyft after an injury accident, you may need to prove Lyft’s negligence in causing your accident.

Suing Lyft is one of several possible responses to a rideshare accident, though an unlikely and unnecessary one. Usually, a rideshare lawyer can secure compensation for you without suing Lyft.

Parties other than Lyft, such as a rideshare driver, may bear financial liability for your accident-related damages. Each case is unique, and having a Lyft accident lawyer represent you can ensure you choose the best course of action for you.

Who Might Seek Compensation After a Lyft Accident (or Other Rideshare Accident)?

Whether your accident involved a driver for Lyft, Uber, a taxi service, or another third-party ride service, you can seek compensation for accident-related damages.

You may hire a rideshare accident lawyer if you are:

• A rideshare passenger: If you suffer injuries as a rideshare passenger, you should expect reasonable compensation for your damages. A lawyer will demand fair compensation for your damages if the individual who caused your injuries was a Lyft driver, another motorist, or another party. 
• A rideshare driver: If you are a rideshare driver injured during a collision, an attorney will seek fair compensation for your damages. Lyft or other liable parties should pay for all of your accident-related damages, and a rideshare accident lawyer will demand that they do. 
• A motorist or passenger hit by a rideshare driver: If a rideshare driver struck a vehicle you were in (either as a driver or passenger), an attorney will fight for your financial recovery.
• A pedestrian, bicyclist, or scooter rider hit by a rideshare driver: Pedestrians, bicyclists, and scooter riders have a right to safety. If a rideshare driver struck you in any of these capacities, a rideshare accident lawyer will seek the settlement or judgment you deserve.
• The loved one of a deceased rideshare accident victim: If you lost a loved one to circumstances related to a rideshare accident, hire a wrongful death lawyer to seek justice for your immense loss.

If you do not fall under any of these categories but suffered an injury during a rideshare accident, allow a rideshare accident lawyer to work for you. They will evaluate your damages, explain your options for seeking compensation, and handle every step of your insurance claim or lawsuit.

How to Seek Compensation for a Lyft Accident

There are two primary ways to seek compensation for any traffic accident, including Lyft rideshare accidents. The circumstances of your accident will determine which course of action is proper.

A rideshare accident victim may secure compensation for their damages by:

Filing an Insurance Claim with Lyft’s Insurer

Lyft has high-value insurance policies covering its drivers and any victim of drivers’ negligence—possibly including you. The policy sometimes provides up to $1 million in coverage for third-party liability.

However, the applicability and amount of coverage may depend on:

• What the Lyft driver was doing at the time of the accident 
• The specific cause of the accident
• The status of the Lyft driver’s app at the time of the collision
• Other factors specific to a rideshare accident

Lyft’s insurance policies can be a valuable resource for rideshare accident victims. A rideshare accident lawyer will review the details of your accident, evaluate all applicable insurance policies, and file a claim with Lyft’s insurer (if it is the right course of action for you).

Filing an Insurance Claim with the Lyft Driver’s Insurer

To drive with Lyft, contractors must have valid auto insurance that meets the required coverage limits. You may need to file an insurance claim with the driver’s insurance, especially if they were not picking up or dropping off a passenger at the time of your accident.

Suing the At-Fault Driver

You may sue the motorist who caused your accident, whether that motorist drove for a rideshare company or not. You may need to sue when their insurance does not adequately cover your damages.

Suing Any Other Party Responsible for the Lyft Accident

Other parties you may hold liable for a Lyft accident include:

• Motor vehicle manufacturers
• Vehicle component manufacturers
• Municipalities (who can be responsible for dangerous road conditions) 
• Establishments that serve alcohol (which may be liable for a drunk driving accident)

As your attorney investigates your rideshare accident, they will identify all parties liable for the collision. They will explain your options for seeking fair compensation from these liable parties.

Should I Hire a Lawyer Following a Lyft Accident?

Every victim of a Lyft accident must determine if a lawyer is necessary. Even if your accident or injuries are seemingly minor, hiring a lawyer can have several immense benefits.

Leading reasons to hire a Lyft accident lawyer include:

• Financial support: Your lawyer will provide complete financial support for your case. They will cover filing fees, expert fees, and all case-related expenses. Your lawyer will only receive a fee if they win, meaning you pay no out-of-pocket costs to hire an attorney.
• More time for recovery: Your health should be the priority after a rideshare accident. With a lawyer handling your insurance claim or lawsuit, you can focus on rest and recovery.
• A lawyer’s experience with rideshare accident cases: You cannot put a price on a lawyer’s experience. Those who have completed rideshare accident cases may have valuable insight into challenges and expectations related to your case. Therefore, hiring an experienced rideshare accident lawyer can greatly benefit your case.
• A lawyer’s training: Lawyers know how to complete lawsuits and insurance claims. Through their schooling, training, and experience, they know the rules and procedures that will govern your Lyft accident case. If you do not know these rules and procedures, you need a lawyer.

Lawyers seek compensation for victims of negligence, including rideshare accident victims. This is their job, and many lawyers perform their job daily. When you need fair compensation for medical bills and other damages, why not accept the help of someone with such a high degree of relevant experience?

Damages Your Lawyer Will Demand Compensation For

The cost of a motor vehicle accident can be sky-high, and the toll can take many forms, including:

• Healthcare expenses: The cost of a serious motor vehicle accident can top $1 million. Healthcare expenses may make up a sizable portion of accident-related costs, and you must receive complete financial coverage for your medical bills. Your lawyer will include all accident-related medical expenses (including future costs) in your Lyft accident case. 
• Pain and suffering: Your lawyer will consider non-economic harm resulting from your accident, and pain and suffering is a common type of non-economic damage. Pain and suffering can include physical pain from injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, emotional anguish, and psychological distress. 
• Mental health treatment: If you need treatment to relieve your pain and suffering, your lawyer will include the cost of your treatment in your settlement calculation.
• Lost income: If you cannot work after your rideshare accident, your lawyer will calculate your professional damages. Such damages may include lost income, missed chances to earn promotions and bonuses, diminished earning power, and lost benefits. If you are disabled, these types of damages may be permanent.
• Property-related damages: If your vehicle, phone, clothing, accessories, or other property became damaged during your Lyft accident, your attorney will include property-related expenses in your lawsuit or claim.

Each accident victim has different damages. Your lawyer will develop a complete, detailed account of your damages. This account will guide calculations of your settlement value.

Lawyers Seek Compensation for Fatal Lyft Accidents

The rise of ridesharing has corresponded with an increase in fatal traffic accidents. If you have been affected by a fatal Lyft accident, an attorney can seek a financial recovery reflecting the tragedy of your circumstances.

Recoverable damages in a fatal Lyft accident case may include:

• The pain and suffering of affected loved ones (including grief and depression)
• The cost of treatment for grief, depression, and other effects of losing a loved one
• The decedent’s pain and suffering
• The loss of a spouse’s companionship
• The loss of a parent’s guidance and support
• Loss of the decedent’s household contributions (which may include handiwork, accounting, security, and other services)
• Loss of the decedent’s income and other financial support
• Funeral and burial expenses

A lawyer can compassionately seek fair compensation for your tragic loss.

Services Rideshare Accident Attorneys Provide Their Clients

Your lawyer will lead every step of your case, which will include:

Developing a Case Strategy

There are several ways to seek compensation for a Lyft accident, and your attorney will develop a personalized strategy for your case. One of the key decisions is whether to file an insurance claim or lawsuit.

Handling Communications and Paperwork

Attorneys handle all paperwork and communications for clients, which ensures that:

• The case moves forward as quickly as possible
• All case-related paperwork is accurate and complete
• Hostile parties (such as insurers) cannot directly contact the client
• Nobody can violate the client’s rights or manipulate them into acting against their own interests

By handling these critical details of a case, an attorney also frees their client to focus on their health.

Securing Evidence

Attorneys must secure evidence from a Lyft accident as soon as possible.

Useful evidence may include:

• Video footage, which may come from a Lyft driver’s dash camera, traffic light cameras, security cameras, cellphones, or other sources
• Eyewitness accounts
• Police reports
• Photographs of the accident scene
• Photographs of vehicles damaged during the accident
• An expert’s reconstruction of your accident
• Any other evidence that explains the accident (or speaks to liability)

Attorneys often rely on investigators to help build rideshare accident cases. When you hire a lawyer, you get an entire legal team developing your case for compensation.

Documenting Damages

Your lawyer will work to prove the cost of your accident in as much detail as possible.

Documentation of your damages may include:

• Medical records detailing your injuries and treatment
• Medical bills
• Expert testimony detailing your injuries, lost income, and mental health struggles
• Invoices for vehicle repairs and other property expenses
• Your own account of pain and suffering and other accident-related harm

Documentation is specific to each client. Your lawyer will compassionately document the economic and non-economic harm caused by your rideshare accident.

Negotiating a Settlement

Your attorney will meet with liable parties to negotiate a settlement. Your lawyer will have a specific settlement target, and they should work as hard as possible to hit that target.

Ultimately, liable parties must agree to pay you fairly. If they don't, your lawyer may discuss the possibility of bringing your case to trial.

Handling Any Necessary Trial

If you and your lawyer decide to go to trial, your attorney will represent you in court. While trials carry risk and can take longer to resolve, they may be the right option for you.

Hire Your Rideshare Accident Attorney as Soon as Possible

Remember that your case may come with a rigid filing deadline. Do not wait to research law firms and find the right attorney for your Lyft accident case. Rideshare cases are more complex than other car accident claims, so always consult a personal injury attorney who has experience going up against Lyft and its insurers.

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