Maison Law represents victims who are hurt in car accidents involving a Lyft car in Madera. Our personal injury lawyers aggressively seek compensation for our clients from reckless Lyft drivers and their employers. Please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation for all local injury victims. It’s a no-risk opportunity to find out what your injury may be worth and how to hold Lyft fully responsible for recovery costs.
Lyft Accident Dangers on Madera Highways
Madera residents have plenty of places to be each day. To get to work, school, or to the store, they may decide to contact a rideshare. Lyft rides are handy, but they place Lyft cars on already busy routes like Olive Avenue or Highway 99.
Rideshare drivers try to be as safe as possible, but they must also deal with an amazing amount of distraction to handle their jobs. They rely on cell phones and a Lyft app to make money and keep customers happy.
This added distraction can lead to accidents. People can be struck by Lyft cars while driving, while walking, or while cycling. Victims might also be vulnerable while riding in the back of a rideshare vehicle that gets struck by another careless driver.
Distracted driving is one of the biggest causes of traffic accidents. Here are just some of the ways working from an app can distract a driver:
Focus on a Ride Notification: Drivers will be anxiously awaiting a ride request notification alert. It’s an audio alert that sends them to their phones to see if the rider is in a convenient place. They must decide if they’ll accept the request or not. If they don’t want it, another rideshare driver will. It’s a lot of focus that takes away from safe driving.
Finding the Rider: Lyft employees also rely on GPS to help find passengers and their destinations. They sometimes must trust their phone’s navigation in areas of Madera they aren’t familiar with. Drivers make mistakes and GPS can also mess up. The distractions and confusion can lead to major collisions.
Distracting Passengers: A passenger might change their pick-up location, or message a driver. Riders might also start arguments with drivers or get chatty, leading to that driver’s attention being pulled from the road.
Working for Uber too – Drivers can also work for other rideshares and delivery services like Uber or DoorDash to score extra cash. They switch back and forth between apps creating even more distraction and more opportunities for mistakes in the lane.
That’s not to mention the rush that rideshare drivers are usually in to get passengers to their destinations as soon as possible. They can be tempted to speed or drive aggressively to please a customer and earn a good rating. It’s another reason a Lyft driver may end up in a crash.
Do I Need to Call A Lawyer After a Lyft Accident?
If your accident is very minor or only involving property damage, then you might not need a lawyer for your case. But when your recovery bills will be higher due to a serious injury, insurance adjusters for Lyft and their drivers work harder to avoid liability for the accident. Lyft lawyers and insurers will be working to shift the blame in the accident to anyone by Lyft. They also downplay your injuries in an attempt to get you to accept less in compensation. This is when you need a skilled lawyer ready to safeguard your rights while you heal.
Your Madera rideshare accident lawyer fully investigates your accident. Your lawyer examines the Lyft driver’s record and looks at hiring practices. Accident reconstruction is also a powerful tool at our disposal to make sure a rideshare company can’t try to change the facts of what happened. Your lawyer uses this evidence and testimony to get the most out of an injury claim for you and your family.
Who Can I Hold Responsible After a Rideshare Collision?
There could be several parties responsible for your rideshare accident while you are recovering. The Lyft driver or the driver of another vehicle could be held responsible. Lyft could also have to accept responsibility for their driver’s mistakes.
Here is what could happen during the claims process:
- The Lyft Driver’s Insurance: Rideshare drivers are required to carry car insurance just like any other driver on our roads. You will start by filing a claim with their insurer, though it may be denied if the policyholder believes they were working for Lyft at the time of the accident. If your claim is rejected, or the driver’s policy is to small to cover all of your damages, you will file a claim with Lyft. This is possible, but only if the driver was on the clock for Lyft at the time of the crash.
- Lyft Insurance Coverage: Lyft retains coverage that is up to a million dollars for both drivers and their victims in the event of an accident. However, this will only be available to you if your driver was logged into the company’s app when the accident occurred. The rideshare will do anything to challenge your claim and offer you much less than you’ll need to fully recover. This shady behavior can leave you to pay for part of your medical bills out of your savings.
If Lyft attempts to deny your claim or offer you a low settlement offer, your lawyer can help you take Lyft to court with a lawsuit. Your lawyer will examine several aspects to support your claim, from Lyft’s work policies to hiring practices. These are methods that can force the rideshare company to support the victims of its driver’s mistakes.
Maison Law can also help Lyft drivers who have been abandoned by their employers after they were hurt in an accident that was another motorist’s fault. Lyft should stand behind the employees they make so much money off of.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of things earn me money in a Lyft accident settlement?
You must receive support to pay every medical bill you have now and could receive in the future. The money you lose while miss work should be replaced. The physical pain and emotional trauma you endure are also worth a lot of money in an injury claim. Your attorney would be seeking support for these and many other factors in your case.
How long do I have to file a claim against Lyft?
A victim in an accident in California generally has up to two years after an accident to file a claim for damages against at-fault drivers and the company they drive for.
What if I can’t afford a Lyft Accident Lawyer?
Residents in Madera and Madera County don’t need any upfront money to hire a Maison Law attorney. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement Lyft must provide.
Contact a Madera Lyft Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in an accident involving a Lyft driver, you should call our Madera Lyft Accident Lawyers at Maison Law immediately. It can be difficult to deal with a complex claim against Lyft accident on your own and a mistake may cost you and your family the you all need to
Maison Law gathers all evidence available in your accident and provides you with the resources that you need to successfully move forward with a case. Please contact us today for a free and no-obligation consultation.