Encino Lyft Accident Lawyer

You’re the designated driver for tonight’s festivities in downtown Encino, mostly bar hopping along Ventura Blvd. (Cokes and ginger ale for you). So it was a bit of irony when you were abruptly cut off at the intersection by a Lyft driver—you recognized some inebriated bar patrons in the back of her car—and spun out. Your car hit another, causing a small pileup and a few injuries. The Lyft driver’s careless driving was the cause of this mess and now you have some serious cuts, a broken orbital bone, and perhaps a head injury.

You followed the law and did everything in your power to ensure your friends made it back home safely. But now you’re recovering from your injuries and figuring out how to pay your medical bills after missing a week of work. California’s expensive and you’re not made of money but you’ve heard that rideshare claims can be complicated.

First of all, yes, they can be complicated. And while the cost of hiring an attorney may seem out of reach, we don’t charge you a penny until we get you paid and can also help with medical bills now if that is what you need.. We’ll discuss the basics of filing a claim for a Lyft-related accident, how liability is established, and the importance of working with an Encino Lyft accident lawyer at Walch Law.

With all of the vehicles involved, not to mention the injuries, it’s a real mess. Luckily, your friends are able to put your car into neutral and move it to the side of the road. They also call for emergency medical help and notify the police for an accident report. The first step is always to administer first aid to those who need it, careful not to move someone who may have a spinal injury. Since there are multiple witnesses, your friends are able to connect with a few of them who are willing to give a statement of what they saw.

After any automobile accident, it’s important that you gather the following information:

• Names and contact information of any drivers involved in the accident
• License plate numbers and descriptions of all vehicles involved
• Insurance information

As a motorist who was hit by a Lyft driver, you’ll also want to check the following (this will help your Encino Lyft accident lawyer with your claim):

• Is the driver logged into their Lyft app (when a Lyft driver is off duty, they’re covered solely by their own personal insurance policy)?
• In the event the app is in driver mode but the car doesn’t have passengers, Lyft provides contingency coverage of $50,000 per injury, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage (in case the driver’s own policy denies coverage).
• Lyft also provides up to $1 million in liability coverage per accident for passengers.
• Remember to report your accident with Lyft.

Regardless of which insurer ultimately pays for your losses, they certainly aren’t motivated to pay top dollar. They’re businesses after all and may try to lowball you with an early settlement. But when it involves a rideshare service, it’s even trickier. While they do provide contingency coverage for their drivers, there are countless horror stories of claim denials and hassles.

Some of the reported difficulties with Lyft claims include the following:

• Claim is denied, suggesting it wasn’t the Lyft driver’s fault)
• Failure to reply to claims or questions about claims
• Low settlement offers
• Claiming your injury was a “pre-existing condition” and not in fact caused by the accident

As with any automobile accident, your claim for damages (the monetary claims pertaining to your injuries) will require you to demonstrate another party’s liability. This usually is based on negligence, where they breached their duty of care. This means they failed to act in a reasonable manner that resulted in an accident and your injuries.

To prevail in a negligence claim, you’ll need to prove these elements:

• Defendant (at-fault driver) owed a duty of care to the plaintiff (injured party)
• Defendant breached that duty
• Plaintiff’s injuries were in fact caused by this breach
• Defendant’s actions were the proximate cause of the injury(ies), which means the plaintiff wouldn’t have suffered those injuries if not for the defendant’s breach
• Plaintiff has suffered actual damages (legally recognized injuries), such as bodily injury

Obtaining a fair compensation for your injuries when someone else is at fault is never guaranteed and often requires the skill and experience of an attorney. But don’t work with just any lawyer, call the legal professionals at the Law Offices of Gary K. Walch, a Law Corporation and get your life back on track. While rideshare accidents are a fairly new thing- we know how to win them and get you the most for your injuries. How much is your case worth? Give us a call today for a free case evaluation.