At this point, ridesharing services like Lyft, Uber and Juno are now a normal part of everyday life for many people. On a daily basis, there are millions of people who rely on these services for a ride to get to and from the destination of their choosing. Since 2009, when Uber first came along the scene, people were more than happy to give ridesharing services a shot due to the benefits they offered.
Ridesharing Services and Their Popularity Have Exploded
Uber was the first ridesharing service to make its presence felt in the transportation industry. Chances are high that you know at least one person, possibly even more, who uses Lyft, Uber, Juno or another ridesharing company’s service to get from one place to another.
After Uber’s appearance on the scene in 2009, public transportation has dramatically changed. While at one time, people were required to stand on the street to hail a traditional taxi cab, thanks to ridesharing services, those days are long gone for many. Getting your own personal ride is as simple as downloading an app to your smartphone, opening that app and requesting a ride from the ridesharing company.
In addition to that nice convenience benefit, Lyft and other ridesharing services are much cheaper than the rates of regular taxi cabs whose meters increase by the minute. With ridesharing services, you know exactly how much your ride is going to cost upfront.
At this point in time, there are around 3 million ridesharing drivers around the world. Those drivers have given around 4 billion rides to millions of passengers across 65 countries. This means there are a whopping 15 million rides given by ridesharing services on a daily basis.
As a result of those incredibly high numbers, there are many ridesharing vehicles occupying the roads everywhere every single day. Obviously, due to such a huge volume, it should be expected that there will be accidents occurring. There are also many Lyft and Uber Law Firms that offer legal services in case of an accident.
Getting Into an Accident With a Lyft or Other Ridesharing Vehicles
If you are a passenger in a Lyft vehicle that gets into an accident, you should be able to recover compensation if you are injured. Obviously, the accident is not your fault, so this should not be a problem. Ridesharing companies also hold insurance policies of $1 million just for this very reason. The company makes sure to cover any potential accidents that might result in personal injury or property damage.
Basic Steps to Take After a Ridesharing Accident
When you are involved in an accident with a ridesharing vehicle or any vehicle, in general, there are necessary steps you should take. These are important and can help you if you plan on filing a personal injury claim with a Los Angeles Lyft accident attorney. The steps include the following:
• Check on yourself and all other parties to ensure safety.
• Call 911 immediately. If the accident is serious enough that there are injuries or significant damage to a vehicle or other property, the police need to come to the scene of the crash and make an accident report. An ambulance with emergency medical personnel should also come to the scene to check on everyone for injuries. Additionally, if anyone is seriously injured or even thinks they have suffered a minor injury, they should later go to the hospital for further examination.
• Take several detailed pictures of the accident scene. Make sure they are clear and show the damage to the vehicles, skid marks on the road, conditions of the road, the weather and anything else that relates to the accident.
• Get the names, contact information, license plate and driver’s license numbers and insurance information of all other parties.
• Get the names and contact information of witnesses and record their statements with your smartphone’s video recording feature.
• Contact your insurance company to apprise them of the situation. Keep the details to a minimum.
• Write down your own thoughts and account of the accident immediately after it occurs. This is important as it comes in helpful for the future and shows what happened when it happened. It can help to avoid confusion or a lapse in memory.
• Remain calm at all times even if it is difficult. Panicking can only escalate the situation.
A full list of important tips can be found here, https://westcoasttriallawyers.com/ca/los-angeles-uber-and-lyft-accidents-lawyer/
What Do You Do as a Passenger in a Lyft Vehicle?
If you are in a Lyft or other ridesharing vehicle on your way to work or on
your way home from work and the vehicle gets into an accident, it is fair to
wonder what happens next. If you suffer injuries, you have the right to take
advantage of the ridesharing company’s $1 million policy. It provides $50,000
up to a maximum of $100,000 to cover injuries, so this should not be any
problem.
Not all victims of accidents involving ridesharing vehicles are passengers in
the vehicle. Sometimes, a bystander who is crossing the street may be hit
during an accident and suffer injuries. However, if you are a pedestrian who
files a personal injury claim after such an accident, it isn’t always black and
white. Depending on the circumstances, you may or may not be able to recover
compensation from the ridesharing company through its $1 million insurance
policy. There are four different periods involving the Lyft or other
ridesharing driver. If the driver is off-duty, for example, you would have to
fall back on their own insurance policy and possibly your own uninsured or
underinsured motorist coverage to pick up the slack.
If the driver has the ridesharing company’s app open on their phone and is on
duty, you would be able to recover compensation from the ridesharing company’s
insurance policy. Regardless, it is best to err on the side of caution and
speak with the best ridesharing accident lawyer you can find to protect your
rights.
How Long Does it Take for Lyft to Settle a Claim?
Unfortunately, even if you have exceptional evidence backing up your claim and
an excellent attorney on your side, it can take as long as six months or even
longer for Lyft to settle a personal injury claim. In many cases, the
negotiation process may take a long time and your attorney may not
automatically accept an offer from the insurance company. This is actually a
positive sign because it gives you a better chance of getting a higher
settlement that is more than fair to cover your damages.
If you have been injured while riding a Lyft or other ridesharing vehicle or as
a pedestrian when the vehicle crashed, you need West Coast Trial Lawyers on
your side. The best ridesharing accident lawyer in the area will work hard to
ensure that you are compensated for your medical expenses and other damages.
Contact West Coast Trial Lawyers at your earliest convenience to discuss your
case with an experienced Los Angeles Lyft accident attorney.