Rideshare apps like Lyft have revolutionized modern transportation. With just a few taps, you can hitch a ride with a nearby driver for a reasonable price.
But what happens when that convenient Lyft ride turns into a nightmare accident?
Lyft drivers are just as likely as anyone else on the road to get into an accident. Unfortunately, most people don’t know what to do when they do. Whose insurance covers your medical bills? Can you recover from compensation from both drivers? What if they don’t have coverage—is it possible to sue Lyft?
That’s where our experienced rideshare car accident attorneys at DP Injury Attorneys can help ease your burden and answer your questions.
By now, most people are familiar with Lyft’s operating model – the drivers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. This is an important distinction when accidents happen.
Lyft’s insurance coverage varies depending on when the accident happened:
It’s the last period that’s most important for passengers. During it, Lyft provides $1 million in third-party liability coverage as well as uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, MedPay, and other coverages.
If the driver was participating in the Express Drive rental program, there may be other coverage available.
The actions you take immediately following an accident are critical, especially if you plan on pursuing a personal injury claim. Here’s what we advise:
Your health and safety come first. If you or anyone else involved is seriously hurt, call 911 immediately for emergency medical assistance. Trying to “tough it out” puts your well-being at risk.
Even if you don’t need emergency transport, you should still see a doctor soon after the accident happens. Injuries like whiplash or internal bleeding may not be immediately apparent. Getting checked out also creates documentation linking your injuries to this accident, which is crucial evidence.
If possible, report the accident details while still at the scene through the Lyft app or to a Lyft representative. Request a copy of the incident report for your personal injury case.
If you’re able to, take photos and videos thoroughly capturing the accident scene, vehicle damage, visible injuries, and any other pertinent evidence. Also try to collect names and contact information of any eyewitnesses, as well as the name, driver’s license number, license plate and insurance information of the Lyft driver and any other drivers involved.
As soon as possible, consult our personal injury lawyers at DPI Injury Attorneys. We have represented many clients involved in Lyft/rideshare accidents, and our team can protect your rights, investigate thoroughly, and fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Once you’ve handled those initial steps, our car accident attorneys will help determine who was liable for the accident – whether it was the negligence of the Lyft driver or another driver involved.
If the Lyft Driver Was At Fault: You’ll likely need to file an injury claim directly against their personal insurance policy first. But don’t be surprised if that policy’s limits are exhausted quickly. At that point, Lyft’s $1 million liability coverage should kick in to cover your remaining damages.
If Another Driver Caused the Accident: In this situation, you’d file a third-party liability claim against that driver’s auto insurance policy. But again, those policy limits may be insufficient for your full damages. That’s when Lyft’s underinsured motorist coverage comes into play.
It’s an all-too-common scenario – the at-fault driver either has no insurance at all or lacks enough coverage for your injuries. Years of representing injured passengers has taught us strategies for maximizing compensation in these difficult underinsured/uninsured situations.
If your damages exceed what the at-fault driver’s policy covers, Lyft’s underinsured/uninsured motorist policy provides up to $1 million that our attorneys will aggressively pursue.
It’s also important we look at other potential avenues like filing a claim against your own auto policy’s underinsured coverage if you have it. Our focus is always recovering the full compensation our clients deserve, not just taking the path of least resistance.
While Lyft is often the primary target due to mandatory liability coverage, our investigations don’t stop there. We’ll identify and pursue every possible source of compensation, including other negligent parties:
The path to maximum compensation sometimes means identifying multiple avenues and fighting on every front. As your legal advocates, that’s exactly what we’ll do.
From the moment you become our client, we begin collecting and organizing the evidence to build the strongest possible case on your behalf.
While the Lyft incident report and police report are great starting points, we go much further:
Our goal is to develop a comprehensive, air-tight case that leaves no questions about the extent of your damages and who is liable for paying them.
In general, you have two years from the date of a rideshare accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against Lyft, the driver, or any other liable parties.
There are a few exceptions that could leave you with more time, such as if the accident led to a fatality or your injuries were not immediately discovered. But you should never test those boundaries – two years may seem like plenty of time, but these cases demand extensive preparation.
You can count on our attorneys to act promptly in conducting our investigation and fighting for the maximum settlement. But we also will not rush or compromise your case just to beat the statute of limitations. If the available evidence and settlement offers warrant taking your case to trial, we’ll remain committed to securing the best possible outcome – even if it means filing the lawsuit right up against the statute of limitations.
If you were a passenger injured in a Lyft accident, your choice of legal representation is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Don’t settle for a personal injury attorney who views rideshare cases as just another file. This is a rapidly evolving area of law that demands specialization.
At DP Injury Attorneys, car accident cases like yours are our primary focus. We’ve successfully taken on and prevailed over defense teams and insurance carriers many times before, securing multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients.
We simply outwork and out prepare the opposition. Our investigators and legal team dive deep into every single detail of the accident, injuries, and damages. When Lyft and their insurers see the strength of our case preparation, they know they’re unlikely to get a cheap settlement or favorable verdict. That’s the power of having DP Injury Attorneys on your side.
Most importantly, our rideshare injury attorneys work on a contingency basis. That means you pay no upfront costs and owe absolutely nothing unless we win your case. You have zero financial risk in letting us fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
If you were a passenger injured in a Lyft accident anywhere in California, don’t try to take on Lyft’s team of corporate lawyers alone. Our track record and resources allow us to stand toe-to-toe with these multi-billion dollar companies and their insurers – all you have to do is focus on recovering to your full health.
Contact DP Injury Attorneys today for a free consultation on your Lyft accident case. We’re available to start working for you 24/7.
Arthur Paul D’Egidio is the Managing Partner of DP Injury Attorneys, a San Diego personal injury law firm. With more than 12 years of experience in California injury law, he has dedicated his practice to representing clients in a wide range of personal injury matters, including car accidents, workers’ compensation, slip and falls, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases.
Arthur received his Juris Doctor from the Thomas Jefferson School of Law and is a member of the State Bar of California as well as the San Diego County Bar Association. He has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named a Super Lawyer for seven straight years by Thomson Reuters and a “Top 40 Under 40” by the National Trial Lawyers.
