Were You Injured In A Lyft Accident?
A Lyft accident lawyer is rarely idle these days. Lyft and a new wave of other ridesharing companies have made life easier for urban and suburban residents in Louisiana and nationwide. However, cars are still cars and drivers are still drivers; accidents involving these vehicles happen all the time. Even so, the job of a Lyft accident attorney here at the Russell Law Firm is somewhat different from those involved in other types of cases.
What a Good Lyft Accident Attorney Knows
Lyft is now ubiquitous in most American cities and it remains a rapidly growing billion dollar public company. As such, it has enormous assets to protect. Lyft ensures that its drivers are covered for $1 million in liability. At the same time, Lyft and its insurers nevertheless want to pay out as little as possible- that’s where the Russell Law Firm enters the picture.The large amount of insurance carried by Lyft drivers is many times what a typical motorist without much property may carry. This makes a significant difference for accident victims in the following categories:
- Lyft passengers who were harmed in an accident where the rideshare driver is at fault.
- Drivers of other cars and their passengers who were injured in an accident caused by an on-duty Lyft driver.
- Pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorcyclists who have been harmed in a collision involving an on-duty Lyft driver.
- On-duty Lyft drivers injured in an accident where a second party is at fault.
If you or a loved one falls into one of these categories, then the odds of obtaining a truly fair judgment or settlement increase significantly. However, Lyft and its insurers employ highly skilled lawyers and adjusters who are paid to keep payments to a minimum. As your Lyft car accident lawyer, the Russell Law Firm is here to be your advocate in obtaining a settlement that is genuinely commensurate with the loss of income, expense, and heartache you have experienced as the result of another driver’s negligence.
Have a Good Case? You Can Afford an Outstanding Lyft Accident Attorney!
Most people understand that lawyers can be extremely useful when it comes to protecting their rights, but they often wrongly assume they can’t afford good representation. At the Russell Law Firm, we work on a contingency fee basis on personal injury cases. What that means is that our pay only comes after we have produced a successful outcome for our client in the form of a settlement or a court’s judgment. Until that point, we don’t earn a penny.
Our years of experience in this area of the law has made us extremely good judges of which cases are likely to produce the kinds of outcomes that make legal representation worthwhile. Once we take your case, we have a great deal of confidence in our ability to produce a beneficial outcome, and that’s good for everyone involved.
Free, No Obligation Consultations
We offer free consultations with no obligations to every prospective personal injury client we meet with. The Russell Law Firm understands that the aftermath of an accident involving a Lyft driver, or anyone else, is one of the most stressful times in the lives of most victims, and we don’t want to add to it. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident where a Lyft driver or some other party may be involved, we encourage you to contact us sooner rather than later.
A Lyft Car Accident Lawyer Who Understands
People become lawyers for a lot of reasons, but our chief attorney was inspired by his personal experience of what happens when accident victims don’t have the benefit of a knowledgeable advocate on their side. As a sophomore in college, Danny Russell was involved in a car accident. While the physical injuries weren’t overly serious, there were medical expenses and his car was totaled. He accepted what seemed to him like a generous settlement from an insurance adjuster. Not long after, however, he found out that the actual amount he should have been entitled to was a great deal larger.
The Russell Law Firm’s personal injury practice begins at a place of understanding and sympathy for the concerns and pressures faced by accident victims or their survivors. We are here to make sure that our clients are treated with respect and fully compensated for their financial hardship as well as their pain and suffering.
Don’t Wait to Get in Touch with the Russell Law Firm
If you or a loved one may need the services of a Lyft accident attorney or have been involved in any type of personal injury case where another party was at fault, then reach out to the team of legal professionals who will take your fight where it needs to go. Contact our Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers today at (225) 307-0088 or through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions for Lyft Accidents in Louisiana
With the increase in rideshare usage, there has also been a rise in Lyft accidents. If you’re unfortunate enough to be involved in a Lyft accident, knowing what steps to take can be crucial for your safety, health, and potential compensation. This guide will walk you through the immediate steps and considerations following a Lyft accident
- Safety First: Immediately after your involvement in a Lyft accident, safety should be your priority. Move to a safe location then assess your physical condition and the condition of others involved in the accident.If anyone has been injured, call 911 or your local Emergency Medical Service (EMS), but do not move anyone who is unconscious or in pain unless some impending danger makes it necessary.
Even if you think you’re not seriously hurt, it’s still important to seek medical attention. It is typical for one to experience an adrenaline rush and release of other “feel-good” chemicals that can mask the symptoms of an injury. By seeking medical help, you ensure any potential injuries are promptly diagnosed and treated, and you also establish a medical record that could be important later to evidence your injuries and pain and suffering.
- Report the Lyft Accident: Once everyone’s immediate safety is ensured, it’s time to report the Lyft accident. Contact local law enforcement to file a police report. An officer will likely appear at the Lyft accident scene to investigate the cause of the accident, which often includes taking witness statements for attachment to the crash report. Make sure that you obtain the “incident number” from the officer before either of you leave the scene, as you’ll later need that number to obtain the police report and witness statements.
- Information Exchange: Before leaving the Lyft accident scene, be sure to exchange contact, identification (driver’s license info), and insurance information with all parties and/or witnesses to the Lyft collision.
- Photograph Evidence: To gather crucial evidence for your Lyft accident case, take photographs of the accident scene from a safe location. Be sure to capture all vehicles involved in the collision, any traffic signals and signs, and debris or markings left on the roadway. Additionally, document the damage, license plates, and make/model of all vehicles involved in the Lyft accident.
It is also important to photograph any visible injuries you sustained during the Lyft collision. This photographic evidence can play a significant role in proving the cause of the Lyft accident and the extent of your injuries.
- Informing Your Insurance Company: Even if you weren’t at the wheel during the Lyft accident, it remains critical to report the incident to your own insurance company, preferably through legal counsel you’ve engaged.
Reporting the accident promptly to your insurer is essential in safeguarding your entitlements under your policy. This may prove necessary should you require coverage for medical expenses or if the driver at fault is either uninsured or underinsured, and cannot fully compensate for your damages. Many insurance policies require the injured party to report any covered occurrence within a specified timeframe, often within 30 days following the accident. Failure to comply could potentially lead to a forfeiture or loss of your coverage. It’s thus crucial to act promptly after a Lyft accident to protect your rights and interests.
- Consult an Attorney: Upon being given permission to leave the scene and/or after receiving initial medical attention, contact our skilled Baton Rouge Lyft accident attorneys. Our team is well-versed and experienced in handling Lyft accident cases.
We relieve our clients of the headache of dealing with insurance companies. As soon as we are hired, we send a letter to the insurance company, notifying it of our representation of you and requesting all insurance documents. We also contact the insurance adjusters to set up your personal injury claims and handle all negotiations and communications with the insurance companies on your behalf until the end of your case.
We can also assist clients with scheduling medical treatment and paying for medical expenses, from the client’s first medical appointment until his/her full discharge by his/her medical providers.
The type of financial recovery pursued by our Baton Rouge Lyft accident attorneys on your behalf will be dependent on the extent of your injuries. However, here are some types of damages commonly sought for recovery in personal injury cases, including those arising from Lyft accidents:
- Medical bills and expenses: You can seek compensation for the medical bills and expenses you incurred as a result of the Lyft accident, including hospitalization, surgeries, medication, and physical therapy.
- Lost wages: If you missed work due to the injuries you sustained in the Lyft accident, you may be able to recover the wages and income you lost during your recovery period.
- Loss of Earning Capacity: Loss of earning capacity refers to the decrease in a person’s ability to earn income as a result of injuries sustained. These are considered future damages, as they aim to compensate the injured party for income they would have earned in the future if not for the injury and Lyft accident.
In Louisiana, as with most other jurisdictions, loss of earning capacity is calculated based on several factors:
- The injured person’s age, life expectancy, health, and habits.
- Their occupation, past earnings, and ability to work.
- The severity of the injury and the length of time the person is expected to be incapacitated.
- The amount of money the person would have likely earned in the future had the injury not occurred.
These calculations often require expert testimony to establish, such as from economists or vocational rehabilitation specialists, as they are based on hypothetical future events and government charts and data.
- Pain and suffering: You can also pursue compensation for the pain and suffering you’ve experienced as a result of a Lyft accident. In personal injury cases, “documentary” evidence, such as medical records, along with testimonial evidence from medical experts, serves as evidence of a person’s pain and suffering claims. It’s crucial to communicate thoroughly with your doctor about all the pain and limitations you’ve been experiencing since the Lyft accident. By doing this, your doctor will be able to incorporate this information into their medical report, further substantiating your claim of pain and suffering.
- Property damage: If your vehicle or other personal property was damaged in the Lyft accident, you may be entitled to compensation for the cost of repairs or replacement.
- Punitive damages: In addition to other damages, you may be awarded punitive damages as a form of penalty against the at-fault party. This is possible if you can demonstrate that your injuries resulted from the other party’s wanton or reckless disregard for the rights and safety of others, or from their operation of a vehicle while intoxicated during the Lyft accident.
It’s not mandatory to hire a Baton Rouge car accident attorney after sustaining injuries in a Lyft accident while riding with a Lyft driver in Louisiana. However, if the Lyft driver was on duty for the company at the time of the accident, they’re likely to promptly involve their corporate attorneys and insurance representatives. Their primary aim will be to avoid paying your claim or, at the very least, significantly undervalue your damages. Collaborating with a skilled Louisiana Lyft accident and injury attorney after your involvement in a Lyft accident, can offer the legal support, knowledge, and resources you need to pursue a fair resolution.
When negligence is a factor on Louisiana roadways, there is no limit to the number of people who can be hurt or killed. When it comes to Lyft accidents, the statistics reflect the victims in these crashes were 21% rideshare drivers, 21% rideshare riders, and 58% third-party drivers or passengers who were not inside of or associated with the Lyft vehicle at the time of the crash.
Absolutely. Negligence on the roadway takes many forms, like motorists driving while impaired, distracted, or reckless; driving at excessive speeds; and completely disregarding traffic signs and signals. This can lead to collisions with Lyft drivers who are simply doing their job.
If you’ve been injured by another while driving for Lyft, we’re here to help you with all aspects of Lyft accident claims, including helping you get back on the road again.