Questions About Lyft Accidents And Fault

When you ride in a Lyft, you anticipate getting to your destination safely. However, due to negligence on behalf of the driver or rideshare company, an accident can happen. If your Lyft driver is part of a collision and you got hurt as a passenger, you have rights by law to file a claim for monetary compensation. Keep in mind that rideshare companies, such as Lyft, have legal teams who work hard to avoid liability when accidents do occur. Without a legal team who understands this and can intervene accordingly, you may find that Lyft the company is anything but cooperative and empathetic. 

How should I respond if my Lyft was in an accident?

If your Lyft driver was part of an accident, and you were riding as a paying customer, what you do next will be important. Make sure that everyone is okay. You must call 911 so an ambulance and firetruck can arrive to assist at the scene, and an officer can write an official report. Even if the Lyft accident was minor, it’s possible that you sustained injury, so seeking medical attention is always recommended. A copy of the officer’s report can be requested at the law enforcement office for the city where the incident happened. If you aren’t sure where to get this report, which can be used as evidence for your claim, ask your lawyer to help you get this document.

What if someone was killed in the Lyft accident?

If someone lost their life in the Lyft accident, then it becomes a potential wrongful death case, which means that a person lost their life due to the recklessness or negligence of another. Family members of the deceased may be permitted to file a wrongful death claim in honor of their lost loved one. Examples of family members who may file a case are the spouse, children, parents, and sometimes other relatives. Surviving family members may receive compensation for:

• Funeral costs
• Loss of deceased’s financial contributions
• Medical care costs that were provided prior to death
• Pain and suffering the victim experienced before passing
• Loss of consortium
• Non-economic damages

Is it possible my Lyft driver was not responsible?

There is always a chance that your Lyft driver was not the person at-fault for the accident. Another driver could have been speeding, running a red light, distractedly on their phone, tailgating, failing to yield to a right-of-way, or otherwise engaging in risky behavior moments before the crash. What a legal team can do, such as a Lyft accident lawyer San Fernando Valley CA residents trust from Barry P. Goldberg, is perform an investigation to identify who is potentially responsible. You may assume your Lyft driver or another was at-fault, but it could have been influencing factors you hadn’t thought of, such as a defective part made by a manufacturer or a county agency who failed to fix a pothole or road hazard. 

If you are in need of legal help after a serious personal injury accident, like a Lyft accident, then we advise reaching out to our team today for immediate counsel on what to do next.