You may initially think that the door-to-door service offered by a Lyft driver is a safer transportation option if you do not have your own vehicle. That is, safer than taking public transportation, walking alone, or otherwise. However, you may not take into account the very real possibility that your assigned Lyft driver may drive negligently, enter a car accident, and injure you as a result. If this unfortunately occurs, then you must do everything in your power to seek out monetary compensation to recover your injuries and damages. Read on to discover whether your injuries will be financially covered after a Lyft accident and how a seasoned Tampa Uber/Lyft accident lawyer at Merricks Law Group, P.A. can help you retrieve the money you are entitled to.
What are the Lyft accident statistics in the state of Florida?
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were a reported 388,961 auto accidents statewide in 2022. This statistic includes all types of vehicles, including ride-share vehicles. Specifically, approximately 11,669 of these reported auto accidents may have involved a ride-share vehicle, such as a Lyft.
In an additional study published by Forbes, fatal auto accidents have been reported to spike in correlation to the ride-share services spike in popularity. That is, it used to be that two percent of auto accidents resulted in fatalities each year, but now this percentage is at approximately four percent. Unfortunately, these statistics reign true regardless of what these ride-share companies do to impose safety measures on their elected drivers.
As a passenger, are my injuries covered after a Lyft accident?
Evidently, as a passenger, your Lyft accident was due to no fault of your own. But you must understand that you may be unable to recover financial compensation traditionally, via the driver’s Personal Injury Protection insurance coverage. Instead, the Lyft company has its own insurance system you may have to go through.
Specifically, you may be covered in its Period 3 insurance coverage. This is because Period 3 is when a Lyft driver gets into an auto accident while you, the passenger, are present in their car. With this, Lyft may offer you, the injured party, up to $1 million in liability coverage. However, obtaining this payout may be easier said than done. This is because, just like any other insurance provider, they may try to minimize the amount they claim you are entitled to. So, we strongly advise that you not speak with a Lyft representative before acquiring a legal representative of your own.
In conclusion, if you believe you need a nudge in the right direction, you should feel comfortable turning to a competent Tampa auto accident lawyer for aid. With that being said, do not hesitate to contact Merricks Law Group, P.A.
