Rideshare companies like Lyft are providing Louisville residents with fast and convenient transportation. People are choosing Lyft’s technology-driven service over more traditional forms of transportation like public buses or taxi cabs. Even with the benefits of a more personalized ride and easy pick-up and drop-off solutions, there’s no guarantee the ride will go as planned. If you’ve been in a rideshare accident, a Louisville Lyft accident lawyer can help you recover.
Navigating a personal injury claim when Lyft’s policies are involved can be confusing. Your best bet at receiving the compensation you need to recover is to enlist the help of an experienced lawyer from Thomas Law Offices. We’ll help you understand your rights and build a claim that proves you were wrongfully injured.
How Is a Rideshare Accident Different?
When you’re the driver involved in a car accident, there’s an established procedure to follow. You evaluate yourself and others for injuries, call the necessary emergency services, trade contact and insurance information with the other driver, and file a claim. When you’re the passenger in a rideshare accident, however, it can be confusing when trying to decide what steps to take next.
While evaluating injuries and contacting the police are still necessary steps, you may run into issues with collecting insurance information. One of the biggest issues with resolving a rideshare accident is determining which insurance policy will cover the damages. Because Lyft drivers are independent contractors, as opposed to employees, the company may deny injury claims. You’ll need to work with an experienced lawyer to determine how to receive the compensation you need.
Common Causes of Lyft Accidents in Louisville
Just like with any traffic accident, there are a number of causes of rideshare crashes. If you’ve been in a wreck, understanding why it happened is a crucial part of building a solid claim that proves you deserve compensation. Some of the most common causes our cases deal with include the following:
- Distracted Driving. There are a number of distractions to deal with when working for Lyft. Drivers may need to frequently glance at their navigation system to ensure they’re on the proper route to drop off passengers. They may also get distracted if they’re having conversations with the people they pick up. It only takes a split second for distracted driving to cause a crash.
- Failing to Maintain Vehicle. While Lyft drivers are supposed to ensure their vehicles are in proper working order, this doesn’t always happen. After a driver is hired and their vehicle is inspected, no additional inspections are completed. If someone has been working for Lyft for a while, there’s no way to know if they have worn tires or brakes, engine issues, or poor general maintenance.
- Fatigue. Some rideshare drivers provide services late into the night. If they’re not used to staying awake during those a.m. hours, they may become tired behind the wheel. Additionally, many Lyft drivers have additional fulltime jobs. If they’ve already worked a full day somewhere else and are continuing to work, the possibility of fatigue increases.
- Reckless or Aggressive Driving. Reckless driving refers to actions that ignore traffic laws. Common ones include failing to yield or running a red light or stop sign. Aggressive driving happens when a rideshare operator drives in a dangerous manner. Actions often include accelerating quickly, making abrupt lane changes, or tailgating others.
- Speeding. Speed limits are in place to ensure the safety of all motorists. When rideshare drivers speed to make it to pick-up and drop-off locations faster, they’re putting others at risk for an accident. Because rideshare drivers make more money the more passengers they serve, it’s easy to see why this is a common cause of crashes in Louisville.
While the causes listed above are the most common when it comes to Lyft wrecks, the list is not exhaustive. If you believe your crash occurred for another reason, you may still have grounds to file a car accident claim. Our Lyft attorneys can examine your situation and help you determine how to proceed.
Damages You May Be Eligible For
When you’re injured in an accident, the consequences may be more than just physical. In Kentucky, accident victims are entitled to economic and noneconomic damages. Understanding the difference is an important part of determining how much compensation to seek for your losses.
Economic damages are those that can be calculated directly. The most common include past medical bills, future medical care, past and future lost wages, and property damage. Your lawyer will keep track of all your accident-related expenses and ensure they are included when totaling your compensation request.
Noneconomic damages are harder to determine because there’s no way to calculate them outright. Common non-economic losses include pain and suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life. Depending on the severity of non-economic loss, our attorney may work with an economic expert to determine a fair amount to seek.
Legal Representation from Thomas Law Offices
Our Louisville Lyft accident lawyers understand how traumatizing an accident can be, especially when you had no control over the situation. We believe holding negligent drivers accountable for their actions is important, and we recognize the challenges of going up against a rideshare company. With our lawyers’ combined knowledge and experience, we’ll be sure to work to get you a full and fair settlement offer.
We’re not afraid of the difficult conversations. We’re prepared to face them head-on. To learn more about your legal rights and options after a rideshare accident, contact our office to schedule a free consultation.
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