Las Vegas Lyft Accident Lawyer

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

If you were hurt in auto accident, you need to seek medical attention. Even if you do not require emergency assistance, you should still get yourself to a professional for a comprehensive evaluation. Beyond protecting your health and safety, you will only be able to bring a personal injury claim against Lyft if you have medical documentation that supports your injuries.

• 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

If you were hurt in a Lyft accident in Nevada, you are entitled to full and fair compensation for your damages. Unfortunately, Lyft and its insurers are notorious for undervaluing accident claims, at times rejecting valid claims altogether. Our Las Vegas car accident attorneys can help you hold these large companies accountable. We will make sure that you are able to maximize your compensation, including recovery for:

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

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.

 

I don’t know if my Lyft driver was “on the clock.” How do I find out?

It is usually pretty easy to request this information from Lyft. However, an injured victim shouldn’t worry about how to get information but should focus on recovering their physical and emotional injuries. Let your Las Vegas Lyft accidents lawyer worry about figuring out whether the driver was on the clock or not.

Can I make a claim if I was driving another vehicle which was hit by a Lyft?

Yes. If the Lyft driver was negligent, then he or she is responsible for the accident and your injuries. You will also make a claim with the driver’s insurance, just as a passenger would if they were injured while riding in the Lyft. The question is whether the Lyft driver was at fault. For example, they might have run a red light or backed up without using their mirrors. Some Lyft drivers are also distracted behind the wheel.

The Lyft driver claims I was to blame for the crash. What should I do?

Questions about liability, or “fault,” arise all the time in car accident cases, and collisions involving rideshare vehicles are no different. It is important not to say anything at the scene of the accident that might later be used against you. Even something as innocent as, “I didn’t even see you!” could later be used to claim you were not paying adequate attention while driving.

As experienced attorneys, we understand what evidence is helpful at establishing fault. For example, we can take down witness statements and analyze the police report. We can also carefully record your own memories of what happened. Sometimes other evidence is helpful, such as surveillance video or dashcam footage that might have captured the accident.

I was a Lyft passenger, but another driver was to blame for our accident. Can I get compensation?

Yes. If another motorist was at fault for the accident that injured you, then you can make a claim on their insurance. Sometimes a Lyft driver and another motorist share blame, as when both are going through a red light at the same time.

Determining fault is often very complicated, and injured victims should focus on recovery. Let your attorney do the heavy lifting to allocate fault and protect your rights to compensation.

If your Lyft driver is responsible but another driver is, then you make a claim on that driver’s insurance. Helpfully, Lyft carries uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that can cover losses after another driver’s insurance is exhausted, which is a big help. Nevada only requires that motorists carry $25,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per injured person, which is not much money to cover medical care and other financial losses.

What are common Lyft accident injuries?

We tend to see the same types of injuries that we see in other car accident cases. However, most Lyft passengers ride in the back seat of the vehicle, and there are slightly different injuries that show up again and again when people ride in the back. For example, one study found that women seated in the back of a vehicle were at higher risk of suffering neck and head injuries. Back seat occupants also do not benefit from air bags, so they can suffer serious facial injuries.

My loved one died in a Lyft accident. Can I get compensation?

You might be able to bring a case for wrongful death. In many ways, these are no different than regular car accident cases except the victim has passed, so the case is brought on behalf of certain surviving family members. These family members “step into the shoes” of their loved one and need to show that the Lyft driver (or another person) was responsible for the death. If so, they can receive compensation. Talk to our wrongful death attorney for more information.

Lyft’s insurer is calling me to take a statement, what should I do?

There is no reason for an injured accident victim to give a recorded statement or to sign anything without first meeting with an attorney. Even if money is tight, you would be better off using the services of an experienced lawyer to help you negotiate fair compensation with Lyft. In many situations, insurers reach out for recorded statements because they want to get you to say something that minimizes your claim or that lets the Lyft driver off the hook for the accident. Rather than speak with the insurer, give Ladah Law Firm a call at 702-252-0055