Lyft Accidents

Lyft and other rideshare services have dramatically altered the landscape of transportation in upstate New York. Many people do not realize that Lyft drivers are not professional drivers. Taking a rideshare may be very unsafe. A particular driver’s abilities and experience, along with shifting road conditions, can have a big impact. If you are injured in a rideshare accident, you may be able to obtain compensation for your losses. However, there may be several insurance policies that should be examined to determine coverage Lyft accidents can be complicated, involving multiple insurers, responsible parties, and applicable laws and insurance contracts. At DeFrancisco and Falgiatano, our experienced Syracuse Lyft accident attorneys may be able to represent you in a lawsuit for damages. When multiple parties are injured in a rideshare accident, they may all be making claims against the same insurance policies. Policy limits can affect your recovery.

Our Syracuse lawyers carefully investigate after a crash involving rideshare drivers. We may need to send an expert to the crash-site to figure out why it happened and who might be at fault. Sometimes Lyft drivers are responsible because they were speeding, distractedly checking the app for the next passenger, driving under the influence, weaving through traffic, or otherwise failing to use reasonable care. In other cases, another driver is responsible for the accident. Once we figure out potential contributing causes, we will pursue compensation from all potentially responsible parties and their insurers. There may be several insurance companies that have a duty to defend, as well as indemnify.

If you are injured in a Syracuse Lyft accident, you will first need to turn to your own personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to pay for a portion of your medical expenses and lost income. However, if you sustain serious injuries, you may be able to hold an at-fault driver responsible. In that case, our attorneys will need to show the at-fault driver owed you a duty to use reasonable care, yet failed to do so, causing your serious injuries. For instance, if you suffered traumatic brain injury while riding as a passenger in a Lyft driven by a drunk driver, you may be able to hold the drunk Lyft driver accountable by establishing his negligence.

You should be aware that rideshare companies are required to obtain insurance coverage for their drivers while their drivers are logged onto the app accepting passengers or transporting passengers. New York law requires Lyft to abide by certain requirements with regard to insurance. While you would first turn to your own PIP coverage and then to an at-fault driver’s insurance, Lyft has an insurance policy that becomes effective as soon as its driver accepts a ride request. This coverage is secondary to its driver’s personal insurance coverage.

If you are in a collision with Lyft and the driver wasn't picking up a passenger or transporting passenger, Lyft's coverage for that accident should be at least $150,000 for bodily injury.

On the other hand, if a Lyft driver was in the process of picking up or transporting a passenger at the time of the accident that caused your injuries, Lyft's insurance should cover at least $1,250,000 of bodily injury and property damage.

If our attorneys can establish someone else’s fault for Lyft accident, we may be able to recover compensatory damages on your behalf. In most cases, these must be recovered from one or more insurers. In most cases, you will only be able to recover damages in the event that the at-fault driver has insurance. It is rare for a Lyft driver or other driver to have significant assets to pay compensation directly to a catastrophically injured person, without insurer involvement. Compensatory damages that may be recovered through Lyft’s or another’s insurance include medical expenses, loss of wages, replacement services, loss of enjoyment, and pain-and-suffering that arise as a result of an accident.

If you are concerned about insurance claims for Lyft accidents in Upstate New York, the seasoned Syracuse rideshare accident lawyers of DeFrancisco & Falgiatano may be able to help you. We represent accident victims in Ithaca, Cooperstown, Elmira, Lowville, Rochester, Binghamton, Auburn, Watertown, Utica, Herkimer, Oswego, Lyons, Canandaigua, Oneida and Wampsville. Fill out our online form or call us at 315-479-9000.