Requesting a ride with Lyft or Uber is a popular way to get around in Las Vegas. While Vegas has long been a city dominated by traditional taxi cabs, the ridesharing companies Lyft and Uber were granted authority to operate in our region in late 2015. Since then, ridesharing has been expanding rapidly in Southern Nevada. On September 7th, 2017, Lyft announced that it was expanding its services beyond the Vegas city limits to include all of Clark County as well as Pahrump in nearby Rye County.

Unfortunately, ridesharing is not always as safe as it should be. Dangerous streets & intersections exist & accidents happen. Due to the nature of Lyft’s business model, these types of accident claims are notoriously confusing and complex. At Ladah Law Firm, our Las Vegas Lyft accident attorneys have extensive experience representing clients in cases against Lyft drivers. If you were hurt in a Lyft accident, please contact our legal team for immediate assistance with your case.

Three Things You Need to Do After a Clark County, NV Lyft Accident

  • Seek Medical Attention
  • Report Your Accident to the Police

All Lyft accidents should be reported to the appropriate law enforcement officials. Too often, Lyft passengers fail to make sure that their accident is properly reported. This same issue is common when taking a Vegas taxi that gets into an accident too. Passengers should give an official statement to the responding officers so that their side of the story gets into the official police report.

  • Report Your Accident to Lyft

Finally, your accident should be reported to Lyft as soon as possible. Lyft has put in place a process with which you can report accidents to their critical response team, either through your ridesharing app itself or through the company’s website. If you have any trouble reporting your Lyft accident to the company, please contact our Las Vegas car accident lawyers for immediate assistance. We will help you.

Understanding Lyft’s Insurance System

More than other car accidents, Lyft accidents are complicated because the company has a three-step insurance structure. Under their current business model, Lyft drivers operate as independent contractors. As such, Lyft crash victims need to get an attorney by their side immediately. An attorney will be able to start investigating your claim to determine who exactly bears liability for your crash. It may be the individual Lyft driver, the company or a third party. The three most common scenarios of Lyft accidents are as follows:

  • The Lyft driver was off the clock: This scenario occurs when a Lyft driver is involved in an accident with another vehicle or with a pedestrian, but the driver was not actually picking up passengers for the company when the crash happened. As such, the individual driver’s personal insurance would be liable.
  • The Lyft driver was picking up passengers, but did not have any in the car yet: When a Lyft driving is ‘on the clock’, meaning their Lyft app is engaged, but they do not actually have any passengers in their vehicle, they are covered by Lyft’s contingent insurance policy.
  • There were passengers in the Lyft: When passengers are in the car, the Lyft car becomes a commercial vehicle. Any accident that occurs at this time is covered by Lyft’s official commercial insurance policy. Even if you were not actually a passenger in the car, you can still bring a claim against Lyft’s commercial policy.

Compensation Available to Lyft Accident Victims

  • Emergency hospital bills;
  • All other medical expenses;
  • Lost wages,
  • Long-term disability;
  • Pain and suffering;
  • Emotional distress; and
  • Wrongful death damages.

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Were You Injured in a Lyft Accident in Las Vegas?

We can help. At Ladah Law Firm, our top-rated auto accident lawyers have the skills and legal experience needed to bring your Lyft accident claim. If you were hurt in a Lyft accident, whether as a passenger, an occupant of another vehicle or as a pedestrian, please call us now at (702) 570-1264 to get a free case evaluation. We represent injured victims in Las Vegas and throughout Southern Nevada.