Ride-sharing companies, including Lyft, have become more popular than ever in Houston and throughout the United States. If you’ve been injured in a Lyft accident, you may be wondering about your options for pursuing compensation. If another person’s negligence caused the car crash that resulted in your injuries, you might be entitled to compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Discuss Your Case With a Houston Lyft Accident Attorney
Before you talk to an insurance adjuster, we recommend contacting one of the experienced personal injury attorneys at Ceja Law Firm PLLC. Our attorneys have an in-depth understanding of all of the laws regarding Lyft accidents. We will carefully review your case and help you understand all your legal options. Contact Ceja Law Firm PLLC today to schedule your free case evaluation and learn more about how we can fight for your right to compensation.
What Are My Legal Options After a Lyft Accident?
If you’ve been injured in a Lyft accident, there are several different strategies for obtaining compensation. Whether you are a passenger, driver, or a third party who’s been injured, you may be able to recover compensation through Lyft’s insurance policy. Additionally, you may be able to obtain compensation by bringing a lawsuit against the at-fault party or parties. In many accident cases, more than one party is at-fault for the accident. Perhaps your Lyft driver was texting while driving and didn’t stop in time to avoid colliding with another driver who was distracted.
The best strategy for obtaining compensation will depend on who caused the accident. For example, if a third-party driver caused the accident, and you were the driver or passenger in a Lyft vehicle, you will need to pursue compensation through the at-fault driver’s insurance policy or a lawsuit. If the third-party driver who caused the accident doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your damages, you may be able to obtain compensation through Lyft’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
Obtaining Compensation Through Lyft’s Insurance Policy
Determining liability after a writer accident can be challenging. It’s not always easy to determine who caused the accident. In Texas, rideshare drivers are considered independent contractors, not employees of the company for which they are driving. Lyft drivers work for themselves, which can safeguard Lyft from liability, but not in all cases.
Accident victims, including Lyft passengers and drivers, have the right to seek recovery from Lyft’s insurance policy in certain situations. The amount of insurance coverage available for victims of Lyft accidents depends on when the accident occurred. When the driver is not logged into the Lyft app and an accident occurs, Lyft does not provide any liability coverage. Instead, the victims will need to pursue compensation from the at-fault driver’s personal insurance policy.
If the driver is logged into the app but hasn’t accepted a ride and causes an accident, Lyft provides up to $50,000 in liability coverage per person, up to $100,000 in total injury liability per accident, and up to $25,000 in property damage liability.
If the Lyft driver is logged into the app and is en route to the rider customer when the accident happens, the driver and passenger will be entitled to the $1 million insurance policy coverage. Finally, when a passenger is in a Lyft vehicle at the time of the accident, the $1 million policy applies. Lyft also provides limited insurance coverage for damage to the Lyft driver’s car and uninsured motorist coverage.
Holding Lyft Accountable
It is possible for injured victims to hold Lyft liable for their damages when the Lyft driver caused the accident, or the company contributed to the accident occurring. For example, suppose Lyft did not conduct a background check before hiring a Lyft driver. If they had conducted a background check, they would have found that the driver had a history of multiple DWI convictions. If the driver causes an accident while intoxicated with a passenger in the vehicle, the victim may be able to bring a lawsuit directly against Lyft for their negligent hiring practices. pursuing compensation from Lyft can be a beneficial strategy because the company has assets above the $1 million dollar threshold for their insurance policy.
Proving Liability in a Texas Lyft Accident
Proving liability can be difficult, but it’s one of the most important aspects of a Lyft accident lawsuit. At Ceja Law Firm PLLC, we have extensive experience investigating complex car accident cases on behalf of our clients. We will diligently investigate your case, interview witnesses, and work with accident reconstruction specialists to gather evidence showing that the at-fault party is liable for your injuries. We also have extensive experience in negotiating aggressively with insurance companies for our clients to obtain the best settlement possible.
Recover Damages With the Help of a Houston Lyft Accident Attorney
If you’ve been injured in a Lyft accident, you have a right to pursue compensation from the person or company whose negligence caused your injuries. In Texas, personal injury victims are entitled to economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover all of the financial damages that are easily quantifiable and have been caused by the Lyft accident, such as:
- All of the victim’s current and future medical expenses
- Compensation for any damaged property, including damage to your vehicle
- Compensation for lost wages and loss of future income
Personal injury victims can also pursue non-economic damages for the pain, suffering, disfigurement, and other emotional damages they have suffered. If the at-fault party acted intentionally or with willful disregard of human life, the victim might be able to pursue additional punitive damages.
Contact a Lyft Accident Attorney in Texas
If you’ve been injured in a Lyft accident that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. At Ceja Law Firm PLLC, we have a proven track record of successfully recovering the most compensation possible for rideshare accident victims. The sooner you discuss your case with that attorney, the sooner we can begin investigating your case and developing a legal strategy. Contact Ceja Law Firm PLLC today to schedule your free consultation.
Ceja Law Firm PLLC helps clients with Lyft accident cases throughout Harris County and the Greater Houston Area including Pasadena, Baytown, Sugar Land, Bellaire, Galveston, Texas City, Jacinto City, and more.
