The past decade has brought us many advancements in social networking through our smartphones. One of these advancements is the rise of the “gig economy,” through which individuals sell their skills and time to others through online marketplaces. Perhaps the most prominent example of this new economy is the rise of ridesharing companies like Lyft and Uber.
Through the Lyft app, riders can connect with individual drivers and pay small fees for short rides. Although this is somewhat similar to private taxi services in practice, there are numerous differences between riding in a taxi and riding in a rideshare vehicle; namely, the company’s requirements for being a driver and the driver’s insurance coverage. However, in either type of vehicle victims can seek compensation in the event a car accident occurs.
Safety Concerns Regarding Ridesharing ServicesWho’s Driving You? is a public service campaign that aims to raise awareness about the lack of oversight ridesharing companies have been accused of in employing drivers, and the risks this poses for their clientele. The campaign is an initiative of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA), which undoubtedly suffers due to the chunk companies like Lyft take from their business. While this may provide a motive for them to tarnish the image of ridesharing, there is little doubt as to the increasing and alarming nature of the incidents being reported.
The TLPA claims that ridesharing companies fail to provide adequate fingerprinting and background checks prior to hiring their employees. This means that passengers could end up accepting rides from people with poor driving records, which include license suspensions, past DUI or speeding violations, and a history of prior car crashes and collisions. In addition to publishing reports about car accident injuries and fatalities involving ridesharing service providers, the TLPA also keeps records on assaults and robberies committed against passengers by Uber and Lyft drivers with past criminal records.
Injuries Sustained in Lyft Car AccidentsInjuries sustained in Lyft car accidents depend on the same types of factors as any other type of crash or collision. The type of vehicle you are in and the safety features it is equipped with play a role, as does your position in the vehicle in relation to the point of collision and the speed at which you and the other driver involved are traveling when the collision occurs. Common types of injuries suffered in Lyft accidents include the following:
- Soft tissue injuries, including muscle and tendon sprains, strains, and tears;
- Severe cuts and lacerations;
- Broken bones and dislocated joints;
- Back and neck injuries, including damage to discs, vertebrae, and spinal cord injuries;
- Head injuries, including concussion and traumatic brain injury;
- Damage to internal organs and internal bleeding.
What to Do if you are Involved in a Lyft Car AccidentLyft operates fairly extensively in the Phoenix area. Drivers must pass background checks for DUI, violent offenses, and major traffic violations to be permitted to drive for the company.
If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence while you are riding in a Lyft car, you may seek compensation from that driver’s automobile insurance policy through a personal injury claim.
If the Lyft driver was at fault, whether he or she was on duty when the collision occurred will determine how you must proceed with your claim. If you were a passenger in the vehicle when the accident occurred, the driver was clearly on duty and thus covered by Lyft’s $1 million liability coverage policy. You can seek compensation from this policy through a personal injury claim.
If the driver was off duty, meaning that he or she was not transporting or driving to a passenger, he or she is covered by his or her personal automobile insurance. In this scenario, you would file your personal injury claim with the driver’s personal policy.
In any case, follow the same procedure you would follow after any other car accident when you are involved in a collision with a Lyft vehicle and you are not taken from the scene immediately by ambulance:
- Call 911 if anybody needs emergency medical attention;
- Call the local police to have an officer sent to the scene;
- Fill out an official police report with the officer at the scene;
- Exchange insurance information with the other driver involved in the collision. If you were a passenger, take both drivers’ insurance information;
- Take photographs of the accident scene and your injury; and
- Do not leave the scene unless you have a copy of the official police report, contact information for all witnesses, and each involved driver’s insurance information.
After leaving the scene of the accident, if needed, seek medical attention for your injury. Do this even if you do not feel that your injury is severe. Sometimes, seemingly minor injuries can become severe if they are left untreated for a prolonged period of time.
Seeking Compensation for Your Damages Following a Lyft Car AccidentThrough a personal injury claim, you can seek compensation for the following damages:
- Your medical expenses;
- Your lost wages, current and projected; and
- Your pain and suffering damages. These are the damages that do not fit into either of the above categories, like your mental anguish following the accident.
In Arizona, there is a statute of limitations for a personal injury claims that starts running from the date of the accident. Be proactive and start working on your claim with a car accident lawyer as soon as you can after you receive appropriate medical care for your injury.
How Our Team Can Help you With Your Car Accident ClaimOur team at Abels & Annes, P.C. is devoted to helping injured car accident victims seek the compensation they deserve through personal injury claims. It does not matter if you were a bicyclist, a pedestrian, a passenger, or a driver – if you were injured because of a driver’s negligence, you have the right to seek compensation for your damages.
A successful personal injury claim requires a sufficient amount of evidence to support it. The evidence our team may use to support your claim includes:
- Your medical records and bills;
- Your documentation of your current and projected lost wages;
- Testimony from witnesses to the accident;
- Photographs of the accident and your injury;
- Testimony from expert witnesses; and
- The official police report for your accident.
You are not expected to have all of the evidence you need to support your claim, and we help obtain it.
Work With Our Team of Phoenix Lyft Car Accident LawyersIf you have been injured in an accident while riding in a Lyft vehicle, consider seeking compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. To learn more about this process, contact our team of Phoenix car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. for a free case evaluation with our office. A few previous claims we have settled for car accident victims include:
$600,000 for a pedestrian victim who was struck by a car when crossing an unmarked crosswalk at night; and $200,000 for a victim who was injured in a collision between her bicycle and a driver due to the driver’s distraction and failure to observe the victim when pulling out from a stop sign.
Do not wait to start working on your claim with us. Contact our office today.