If you’ve been involved in a Doylestown Lyft accident, your mind is probably racing with questions, most of them regarding liability for your damages. The truth is that liability concerns in a Lyft accident are nothing if complicate. Who pays what hinges largely on:
- If you were driving or riding in the Lyft vehicle, driving or riding in a non-Lyft vehicle, or a Pedestrian on the street
- Whether or not the Lyft driver was signed into the Lyft app at the time
- Whether or not the driver had agreed to pick up a passenger
- Whether or not the passenger was inside the vehicle
- The status of the Lyft driver’s own personal auto insurance
Sound Complex? It Is!
Lyft requires its drivers to maintain personal auto insurance on the vehicles they use to haul its passengers. However, not all insurance companies cover vehicles that are insured for personal use when they are actually being used for profit.
Knowing this, Lyft itself carries a standard liability policy on the cars that are driven by its independent-contractor drivers. However, this policy is limited in scope and is basically bare-bones coverage that is only in force if the driver is signed in and ready to accept riders.
Once the rider is accepted, the policy’s limits expand to $1 million, then fall back down to $0 when the rider reaches his or her destination.
While this structure seems fair for those who are taking advantage of this ridesharing service, it gets a lot more complicated when the Lyft vehicle without passengers is involved in an Auto Accident—either due to the Lyft driver’s fault or the fault of another party.
If the other driver is found at fault, then that driver’s insurance will need to cover damages for affected parties. But what happens if the driver is uninsured or if the driver’s coverage is not enough to cover the full amount of damages incurred by those involved?
Things can really get tricky when there is a Lyft claim with multiple defendants, each represented by attorneys from insurance companies that are hoping to find a case resolution that involves paying the least amount possible to victims.
Lyft Accident Damages
A seasoned attorney can sort out the liability in your Lyft claim, identifying the parties to go after for damages. Damages in a Lyft accident are not unlike standard damages in any other type of motor vehicle accident. You may be able to collect compensation for:
- Medical bills, both present and future costs of care
- Lost wages, including future diminished capacity to earn a living
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Property damage
Timely Lyft Accident Claims
In Pennsylvania, accident victims, including those involved in Lyft accidents, have just two years to file their Personal Injury Claims under the statute of limitations. For this reason, it is important that you get your claim started right away. Contact our Doylestown Lyft Accident Attorney today for a Free Consultation and to discuss the merits of your case.