Causes of Lyft Accidents
Lyft drivers are human, so the causes are often the same as regular car accidents. However, more accidents may be caused by distracted driving. This is because Lyft drivers are encouraged to use their phones while driving to reply to potential rides, accept rides, and more.
Lyft drivers may also speed or drive more aggressively than other drivers as a way to get their passengers where they need to go faster. If they drive faster, they get better tips and can offer more rides.
Other causes of Lyft accidents include:
- Inexperience
- Fatigued driving
- Failure to obey signals, signs, and traffic laws
- Failure to maintain their vehicle
- Intoxication
Lyft Accident Statistics
In the state of Florida, there were approximately 340,000 motor vehicle accidents in 2020. A study completed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2018 found that ridesharing services could be responsible for a 3% increase in fatal accidents across the country.
Because Orlando is a city with a lot of tourists, there may be more Lyft drivers on the road. This could lead to an increase in accidents as well, especially if Lyft drivers drive recklessly or speed to get tourists where they want to go as fast as they can.
Types of Lyft Accidents
Depending on the type of accident you were in, your case may be different.
You’re the Driver of Another Vehicle
If you’re the driver of another vehicle and were hit by a Lyft driver, you may be able to sue the Lyft driver and the company to recover damages.
You’re a Lyft Passenger
If you’re the passenger of a Lyft, you also may be able to sue the driver and Lyft to recover damages. These types of lawsuits can be more complex, especially if the passenger doesn’t carry their own insurance. This is often the case in those who don’t drive.
Why App Status Matters
Lyft is a unique system, and therefore the status of the driver’s app plays a huge role in your lawsuit. Within the app, drivers are required to set their status to “online” when they’re ready to drive. The amount of insurance coverage that they have changes based on what their status is and whether or not they have a passenger on-board.
- If the app is offline, they are not covered by Lyft insurance and you would file a lawsuit as if they were a regular driver.
- If the app is online but they don’t have a passenger, Lyft offers some insurance coverage.
- If the app is online and they’re en route to pick up a passenger or they currently have a passenger on board, Lyft offers the maximum insurance coverage.
Lyft’s insurance coverage for drivers is as follows:
When the app is on but they don’t currently have a passenger:
- $50,000/person for bodily injury
- $100,000/accident for bodily injury
- $25,000/accident for property damage
When the app is on and they’re en route to pick up a passenger or a passenger is on board:
- At least $1,000,000 for third-party auto liability
- First party coverage (including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, MedPay, and occupational accident coverage)
What to do After a Lyft Accident
If you’ve been involved in a Lyft accident, it’s important to take the following steps after your accident:
- If you’re severely injured, you should seek immediate medical attention and ignore all steps that reference sticking around at the scene of the accident. Your health is the most important.
- If you can stick around, start by exchanging information with witnesses and the at-fault party. When speaking with the at-fault party, keep your conversation brief. Do not admit fault or apologize. Make sure to get any information you need in order to contact Lyft when needed.
- Take pictures and videos of the scene of the accident and the vehicles included. Take pictures of your injuries.
- Record a personal statement about what happened. This is a great way to get all the details down while they’re still fresh in your mind. This can be a voice memo or a written note.
- Contact the police to file a police report.
- Once you leave the scene of the accident, seek immediate medical attention. You don’t want to give the insurance company a reason to deny your claim. If you don’t seek medical attention immediately they may claim your injuries weren’t that serious or that they occurred on another date.
- Contact an experienced Lyft accident attorney. By working with an attorney from the get-go, you save yourself from accidentally damaging your case by speaking with the insurance company or Lyft by yourself.
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