Why Should You Hire a Lyft Accident Attorney in California?

Why Should You Hire a Lyft Accident Attorney in California?

Lyft accident attorney

With about 35,000 fatal car accidents per year, safety when on the road should be a priority for everyone. With the rise in rideshare services, you need to also be vigilant when you take a trip.

If you’re a Lyft passenger in an accident, you need to know your rights and how to respond to the situation.

Here are some tips that will teach you what to do when you’re in a Lyft accident, in addition to info on why you should hire a lawyer to represent you.

 

Know What to Do When You’re in a Lyft Accident

If you’re a passenger in a rideshare accident, you may not immediately know what to do. Taking the correct steps and acting quickly can help you recover compensation that can help with injuries and other losses and damage.

Make sure that these are your first three steps:

Exchange Contact Information

When you’re a passenger, you’ll need to get the contact information of everyone involved in the accident. This includes the driver, other rideshare passengers, and any other drivers involved with the wreck. Get their insurance information, both for their personal policy and the policy that covers them as an independent contractor.

It might not be immediately clear who is at fault, so you also don’t know whose insurance policy will ultimately be responsible. Having everyone’s contact and insurance information will help your lawyer during the discovery and fact-finding period.

Get Medical Care

Act diligently to get a medical examination. Getting a medical checkup will help diagnose any injuries that you have. Depending on the speed of travel and the way that the accident occurred, you may suffer injuries like broken bones, concussion, lacerations, or chronic pain.

Take an ambulance if you immediately know you’re hurt. Otherwise, visit the emergency or an urgent care facility within 24 hours of the accident to make sure your injuries are correctly diagnosed.

Hire a Lyft Accident Attorney

Retain the help of the best Lyft accident lawyer you can find. These professionals are skilled at civil litigation and also negotiate settlements.

You should hire an attorney whose history of practicing licensed law is verified by the American Bar Association (ABA). Requesting a consultation with a Lyft accident attorney gives them the chance to hear the details of the accident, and the two of you can decide whether to move forward.

 

Why You Should Hire a Lyft Accident Attorney

You now know that hiring a Lyft accident lawyer is a necessity, but what benefits do you gain? Working with these lawyers should be considered non-negotiable if you have suffered damages in a car accident case.

These tips explain how a Lyft car accident lawyer can help:

Proving Fault in a Rideshare Accident Can Be Complex

As a passenger, you’re a third party in a car accident who may have witnessed the wreck, but you didn’t likely cause it. You’ll also need to find out which insurance company will accept fault.

Because of these multiple variables, you shouldn’t proceed with such a case without legal representation. Rideshare lawyers are familiar with this specific area of personal injury law, which can provide context to your lawsuit.

Car Accident Injuries Can Get Expensive

You should also hire a personal injury law firm because so much is at stake. Even suffering a few minor injuries can accrue thousands of dollars in medical bills. In the event that your injuries are significant, you may even require surgery.

Many passengers hurt in rideshare accidents have to be transported to the hospital with a potential overnight stay. Injuries that take extensive care and long healing times often also require the help of a personal injury lawyer.

All of these matters add up to a tally of costs that a skilled personal injury lawyer can calculate accurately. They can also help you claim and prove other damages, such as payment for any time off from work, damage to your personal property, or non-economic damages from pain and suffering or emotional trauma.

Rideshare Attorneys Can Negotiate Settlements

Finally, rideshare attorneys are helpful because they understand how to negotiate on your behalf. Negotiation is particularly important if you’d prefer to avoid court and potentially get paid sooner. The lawyer will make sure out-of-court settlement discussions are productive and that you’re getting however much money you need to take care of your damages.

A California Lyft accident attorney who knows how to negotiate is also helpful because most personal injury cases are settled. Your lawyer will consider your long-term care when factoring in your personal injury settlement, so make sure to stay up-to-date with your prognosis, physical therapy, and rehabilitation schedule.

Lyft Provides Limited Liability Coverage

Pursuing a case is important because Lyft provides limited liability coverage. The company provides a $1 million policy for each accident. This coverage is active when the driver has the Lyft app on and is en route to pick up passengers. This $1 million policy is also active during rides. It’s in place to cover passengers’ injuries and any property damage during the wreck.

This policy would come into play after the driver’s insurance policy has been exhausted. However, with multiple parties involved, the claims process gets complicated quickly. Insurance companies are motivated by their bottom line and consequently will try to pay out low settlements. A Lyft attorney can help you hold the responsible parties liable and recover the maximum compensation available.

 

Find an Attorney to Handle Your Case

Working with a Lyft accident attorney can help you bring a resolution to your case that suits you. The tips in this article show you now only how to respond to a rideshare accident, but also why hiring a lawyer is so important.

To hire a personal injury attorney, you should research their references and reviews, and talk to a handful of lawyers you’d want to speak to in a consultation.

Booking these consultations gives you a chance to ask all your questions and then hire the lawyer you’d like to represent you.

Commonwealth Accident Attorneys can help you with any legal matter that you’re dealing with. Use our contact form to request a free consultation, or give us a call at (714) 872-8432.

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