Perhaps only slightly less well-known than its main competitor, Uber, the transportation network company Lyft is a rideshare service operating in hundreds of cities across the country, including Fort Lauderdale and dozens of other cities in Florida. With over two million people driving for Lyft, Lyft drivers will inevitably get into accidents, whether it’s their fault or the other driver’s. What happens if you are hit by a Lyft driver or while driving for Lyft? What if you are a passenger in a Lyft who suffers injuries in a wreck?
Why Choose Rosen Injury Law For Your Lyft Accident Case?
Accidents involving Lyft are handled differently than other car accidents in significant ways, and you’ll want an experienced Fort Lauderdale car accident attorney on your side who understands these distinctions and can help you get medical care and compensation after a crash. Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident lawyer Eric Rosen is a Florida Board-Certified Specialist in Civil Trial Law. He knows how to build a case against a negligent driver, and he has amassed an impressive record of verdicts and settlements that show Rosen Injury Law, P.A. is a law firm that gets results.
Below, you will find out what you need to know about accidents involving Lyft. If you’ve been hurt in a crash in Fort Lauderdale, call Rosen Injury Law, P.A. at 954-787-1500 for a free consultation.
What If I Was Hit By A Lyft Driver In Fort Lauderdale?
If you see the Lyft logo on the vehicle that hits you, it’s important to find out whether that driver was transporting a customer at the time or had matched with someone on the app and was on the way to pick up a fare. Lyft provides liability insurance for its drivers in some cases, and this coverage is much higher than basic no-fault limits if it applies. Coverage for Lyft accidents in Florida breaks down like this:
- If the driver was logged in to the app and available to accept ride requests but had not yet received a match notification when the accident happened, Lyft provides a liability insurance policy that covers $50,000 for personal injury to one person, $100,000 if multiple people are injured, and $25,000 in property damage.
- If the driver has accepted a ride request or was actively transporting a passenger when the crash occurred, Lyft covers the injured parties with a $1 million liability insurance policy.
- If the driver was not logged into the Lyft app at the time of the accident, Florida no-fault insurance (Personal Injury Protection/PIP) applies. If the accident caused a serious injury, a fault-based negligence claim is possible.
What If I Was Injured As A Passenger In A Lyft In Fort Lauderdale?
While insurance companies might fight over which driver caused a crash, injured passengers are rarely to blame and can claim 100% of their damages, assuming they can identify the responsible party. The liability insurance provided by Lyft covers injuries to passengers in the Lyft vehicle, but Lyft might instead tell you the other driver is the one responsible to you. While your first recourse might be against the other driver, Lyft should step in and cover your damages if the other driver is uninsured or if there is a dispute over liability. You should be represented by your own attorney in this process to make sure the right party or parties are pursued for damages and that you get the maximum amount of compensation due to you.
Injured While Driving for Lyft In Fort Lauderdale?
If you get in a crash while driving for Lyft, don’t be surprised if the other driver comes after you with a negligence lawsuit as soon as they hear about Lyft’s million-dollar insurance policy. If you weren’t at fault, our expert Fort Lauderdale accident lawyer will fend off unwarranted claims of your negligence while proving a case against the other driver for their liability to you. If they didn’t have insurance or were underinsured, Lyft provides uninsured motorist (UM) and underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage to pay for the damages done to you or your passengers. If you need to show the other driver your Lyft insurance, you should be able to pull up a certificate of insurance in the Lyft app by tapping first on Vehicle, followed by Lyft Insurance.
Lyft also provides its drivers with collision and comprehensive coverage, contingent on their driver also carrying some level of coverage on their individual policy. This insurance covers the lesser of the cost of repairs to your vehicle or its actual cash value if you get in a wreck after getting a match notification and before dropping off your passenger. This benefit is subject to a $2,500 deductible and applies without regard to who is to blame for causing the crash.
Top Causes of Fort Lauderdale Lyft Accidents
Various factors can cause Lyft accidents. Some accidents have the same or similar causes as any other motorcycle accident. However, some causes are unique to rideshare accidents.
Some causes of Fort Lauderdale Lyft accidents may include:
- The Lyft driver is drowsy or tired. Many Lyft drivers also work full-time and drive for Lyft as a side gig. They may be tired or sleepy after a long day, making an accident more likely.
- Lyft accidents often double park or park illegally, waiting for or dropping off a passenger. When stopped in the street, they are more likely to cause an accident.
- Looking for pickup or drop-off addresses. A Lyft driver may take their eyes off the road to find the correct address to pick up or drop off a passenger.
- The driver may be distracted by the Lyft app, checking the app, or accepting a ride request.
- The more ride requests the driver completes, the more they earn. A driver may speed to and from pickups and drop-offs to hurry and accept a new ride request, increasing the risk of an accident.
- The Lyft driver may not properly maintain their vehicle, which may cause it to fail or malfunction while driving, leading to an accident.
Our Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident lawyers carefully investigate your accident to identify all possible causes and liable parties to help maximize your recovery.
What Compensation Can I Recover For My Lyft Accident Injuries?
That depends on numerous factors, including the severity of your injuries. In a successful Lyft accident claim, you may be able to recover economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include current and future medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and other expenses incurred by your accident and injuries.
Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, mental and emotional distress, loss of consortium, and other intangible losses.
Only in rare cases can you recover punitive damages. Florida law only allows an award of punitive damages when the defendant is guilty of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Why Do I Need to Hire a Fort Lauderdale Lyft Accident Lawyer?
When represented by an experienced Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident lawyer, you will almost always have a significantly better outcome. Your attorney can investigate your accident to help determine all causes and liable parties. They can help uncover and collect essential evidence to support your claim and build your strongest case.
An experienced Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident lawyer can help ensure all your current and future damages are considered and accurately valued to determine what would be a fair settlement of your claim. They can then work to reach a fair settlement for you as quickly as possible. When a fair settlement cannot be reached, your attorney can take your case to trial and prove causation, liability, and damages to help you recover maximum compensation.
What is the Statute of Limitations for Fort Lauderdale Lyft Accident Claims?
A statute of limitations is the law that sets a deadline for filing a claim to recover compensation in a personal injury case. If you miss your deadline, you cannot recover damages.
Most Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident claims are based on negligence. Florida law provides a two-year statute of limitations for negligence claims. This means you have two years from the accident date to file your claim to recover compensation for damages. There are some rare exceptions to the two-year filing deadline. You must consult an experienced Fort Lauderdale Lyft accident lawyer as soon as possible to determine your filing deadline.
You also want to act quickly to help preserve and collect evidence to prove your claim, since evidence can be destroyed, lost, or diminished over time. The sooner you contact Rosen Injury Law, the sooner we can build your strongest case to help you recover maximum compensation as quickly as possible.
Help With Lyft Accidents in Fort Lauderdale
Car accidents that involve a Lyft driver add an extra layer of complexity to any claim. Be sure to hire a qualified and experienced auto accident attorney to handle your case and ensure you are compensated appropriately. In Fort Lauderdale, call a personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale from Rosen Injury Law, P.A. at 954-787-1500 for a free consultation with a Florida Board-Certified specialist in personal injury (civil trial) law.