All motor vehicle accidents can cause serious injury, leading to complicated legal battles for fair compensation. However, when car accidents involve rideshare services like Lyft, the legal realities become even more complex.
This is because insurance claims for rideshare collisions involve large companies, independent contractors, and multiple insurance policies.
If you experienced an accident involving a Lyft driver in Aurora, IL, a Lyft accident lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers can provide the legal guidance you need to win the compensation you deserve.
Why Choose Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers
At Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated to securing the highest compensation for clients involved in Lyft accidents. Our skilled legal team has extensive experience in rideshare accident cases and a proven track record of achieving substantial settlements and verdicts.
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Hip and foot injury exiting a vehicle
We thoroughly investigate each incident, ensuring all medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering are fully addressed. Our deep expertise in Lyft accident claims allows us to effectively navigate the complexities of these cases and fight tirelessly for your rights.
Understanding Lyft Accident Insurance Coverage
One of the main reasons auto accident cases are more complex when they involve companies like Lyft is insurance coverage. Which insurance company is responsible for paying the damages will depend on the driver’s insurance coverage status in the app at the time of the incident.
Here, we will discuss some factors influencing a Lyft driver’s insurance status.
When the App Is Off
If a Lyft driver has the Lyft app turned off (indicating they are not available to pick up clients), they are only covered by their personal auto insurance. Lyft requires drivers to meet the state’s minimum insurance requirements.
In Illinois, this means a Lyft driver’s insurance will cover at least $25,000 for injury or death per person, $50,000 for injury or death per accident, and $20,000 for property damage.
When the App Is On and Waiting for Ride Requests
If a driver is available to work but has not yet accepted a ride request, Lyft provides third-party liability coverage on top of the driver’s personal insurance.
This insurance policy includes $50,000 per person for injury, $100,000 per accident for injury, and $25,000 per accident for property damage.
When the Driver Is En Route or Transporting a Passenger
A third policy applies if the Lyft driver has accepted a trip and is en route or currently driving a passenger.
This policy covers at least $1,000,000 for a Lyft accident in most places and covers uninsured and underinsured motorists.
Other Types of Insurance
In some cases, another insurance company could play a role in compensating for damages in a Lyft accident. For example, if a Lyft driver is involved in a crash with another driver, the second driver’s insurance provider may have to pay damages if that driver is at fault.
Also, if a motor vehicle accident occurs because of a product malfunction, the manufacturer’s insurance provider may get involved.
Compensation Our Aurora Lyft Accident Attorneys Can Help You Recover
The goal of any insurance claim is to recover compensation, but there is no easy way to estimate what your case could be worth without speaking with a lawyer directly.
Estimating the value of an accident case is difficult because so many different factors are involved. These include insurance policies, the severity of your injuries, the cause of the accident, the negotiation process, and the impact of the collision on your life.
The degree of fault attributed to you could also impact your settlement since Illinois is a comparative fault state.
Injuries Typically Sustained by Lyft Accident Victims
Incurring a serious injury in a Lyft accident could alter the course of your life, forcing you to miss work, lose income, or face high medical expenses. However, the types of bodily injury incurred during car accidents can vary from bumps and bruises to knee injuries and spinal cord injuries.
Common injuries sustained in Lyft car accidents include:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Knee injuries
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Lacerations
- Internal bleeding
- Nerve damage
- Death
Damages Awarded in Lyft Accident Cases
One of the ways an Aurora Lyft injury lawyer can help is to assess all the legal damages that occurred as a result of the accident. This process helps determine the amount of compensation you can pursue with your case.
Damages fall into two categories: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Property damage
- Loss of financial support
- Cost of future medical care
Non-Economic Damages
- Physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If the accident involving a Lyft driver is fatal, surviving family members can file a wrongful death claim with the help of Aurora wrongful death attorneys. In this type of claim, you can pursue damages for funeral costs, burial expenses, lost income, loss of companionship, and emotional distress.
Following an auto accident with a Lyft vehicle, it’s crucial to take the proper steps to protect your health and claim status. Any missteps could undermine your claim and ruin your chances of winning compensation.
Here are five things you should NOT do after your Lyft accident:
Filing a Claim With Our Aurora Lyft Accident Lawyers
Choosing the right law firm to represent you is crucial when filing a claim. Trying to navigate multiple insurance policies, the employment status of the driver, and the liability issues can be a nightmare without legal assistance. But our Aurora car accident attorneys know how to handle the complexities of a collision involving a Lyft driver.
When you file a claim with Rosenfeld on your side, you have an experienced team ready and willing to help when you need it most. We offer free legal consultation, allowing you to ask questions about your case and our process before you commit.
Then, we investigate your case thoroughly, gathering evidence to support your claim, consulting with experts like accident reconstructionists, negotiating with insurance carriers for fair compensation, and even preparing you for trial if necessary.
Common Causes of Lyft Accidents
Potential causes of Lyft accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Disruptive passengers
- Poor road conditions
- Adverse weather
- Failure to obey traffic laws or signals
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Lane-switching
- Busy intersections
- Malfunctioning car parts
Legal Liability for Lyft Car Accidents in Aurora, IL
Put simply, liability refers to the party legally or financially responsible for an accident. Depending on the circumstances, several parties may be held liable in Lyft vehicle accidents. Your Aurora Lyft crash lawyer can help by determining exactly who is liable, even when the evidence is complex.
Potentially liable parties include:
- Lyft – Lyft is rarely held liable for collisions involving its drivers. However, it could be if a driver was not properly vetted or the rideshare service did not involve its insurance policy when it should have.
- Lyft driver – If the driver is responsible for the Lyft accident, coverage will depend on their status at the time (offline, en route, or waiting for a ride request). Lyft drivers are independent contractors, not employees, which changes how fault is analyzed.
- Other drivers – If your collision involved multiple vehicles and the other driver is the at-fault party, their insurance will be used to cover damages.
- Lyft passenger – In rare cases, a Lyft passenger may be liable for an accident if they behaved disruptively or distracted the driver prior to the accident.
- Manufacturers – As mentioned above, the maker of a vehicle or vehicle part that malfunctions may be liable for an accident caused by the malfunction.
You Have a Limited Time to Take Legal Action Following a Lyft Accident
The sooner you file a claim to recover compensation after an accident, the better. This is mainly because gathering evidence is much easier right afterward. However, car accident lawsuits also face strict statutes of limitation.
In Illinois, you have two years to file a personal injury claim after a Lyft accident.
You also have two years for product liability if the claim involves an injury. However, you have five years to file if the product failure caused property damage.
If a family member dies due to a collision or related injuries, surviving family members have two years from the date of the individual’s death to file a wrongful death suit.
If you wait beyond these time limits to file your claims, your case will likely be dismissed, and you will be ineligible for compensation whether you hire an Aurora Lyft crash attorney or not.
During your free case evaluation with Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, we can answer any questions you might have about statutes of limitation in Aurora, IL.
The Cost of Hiring an Aurora Lyft Accident Attorney
The attorneys at our law firm work on a contingency fee basis. This means there are no upfront costs for our services. At a time when you may be facing lost wages and high medical costs, the last thing you need is another expense.
With this contingency agreement, our Aurora personal injury attorneys only get paid if we win your case, and that payment is only deducted from the final settlement amount.
Contact an Aurora Lyft Car Accident Lawyer Today!
Your best chance of winning a claim after a Lyft accident is hiring an Aurora Lyft rideshare accident lawyer from Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers. These accident cases are highly complex, involving numerous insurance coverage policies, a major rideshare company, and their independent contractors. Our team of Aurora rideshare accident lawyers has recovered millions for injured car accident victims, and we’re ready to help you, too.Â
Contact our team today at 888-424-5757 for your free consultation. You can also fill out our online form, and we will get back to you promptly to discuss your case.