June 20, 2023 Lyft is a rideshare service that allows people to pay for rides from people who sign-up for the driver service with their own vehicles. These drivers are human and can make errors that can expose a passenger or a driver of another car to harm.
A Lyft accident can result from negligent driving behavior, such as distracted driving, speeding, and running red lights. Defective car parts, poor vehicle maintenance, and road debris can also cause Lyft accidents in New York.
New York Lyft accident victims can suffer significant economic and non-economic damages, such as medical bills, lost earning potential, and pain and suffering, that their insurance will likely not cover fully. The best chance for them to recover compensatory damage is by filing a New York Lyft accident claim with the at-fault party, which is likely the Lyft driver whose negligent actions caused the accident.
Why Choose Cellino Law to Help With Your New York Lyft Accident Claim?
To recover compensation for damages in a New York Lyft accident claim, you will need someone with significant legal and personal injury claim experience. The Lyft accident lawyers at Cellino Law have a proven track record of assisting victims of Lyft accidents across New York and can use that experience to help you recover compensatory damages.
Rideshare drivers owe it to their passengers and other drivers on the road to operate their vehicles safely to reduce the risk of harm. Failing to do so can leave them liable for damages, and our Lyft accident lawyers want to offer the experience and expertise to help you pursue compensation for damages.
Our rideshare lawyers have helped victims across New York in places like Brooklyn, Garden City, and Manhattan. If you were involved in a New York Lyft accident, contact Cellino Law today for a free consultation to learn how we can help you hold the at-fault party accountable and recover fair compensation for damages.
Common Causes of New York Lyft Accidents
Lyft accidents in New York are caused by the same issues other car accidents are in the state: negligent driving behavior. Lyft drivers owe it to their passengers and other drivers to behave safely behind the wheel to mitigate the chances of a car accident. Failing to do so can cause a car accident, resulting in serious injuries.
Negligent driving behavior can be hazardous in New York locations with highly congested traffic, such as Manhattan, Brooklyn, and The Bronx. One wrong move can bring a Lyft driver into dangerous contact with another driver, exposing everyone involved to harm that can cause significant damages.
The following are some common causes of New York Lyft accidents:
- Distracted driving: This is when manual, visual, auditory, or cognitive distractions take a Lyft driver’s attention away from the road. They can stop looking at the road in front of them or lose focus, leading to them losing control of the car and crashing into another vehicle.
- Speeding: Drivers must obey the speed limit to ensure they do not go too fast on a given street. Driving above the speed limit can make stopping difficult, cause them to miss drivers changing into their lane, or lead to them string a pedestrian at an intersection.
- Drunk driving: This is when a driver operates a vehicle after consuming alcohol, drugs, or heavy medication that can affect their cognitive abilities. Driving while inebriated can lead to a Lyft accident because the driver has poor vision, judgment, and decision-making.
- Drowsy driving: After driving for many hours, a Lyft driver may become exhausted. This can affect their driving skills and lead to errors that can cause a Lyft accident.
- Running red lights: If a Lyft driver wants to finish a ride quickly to get to their next ride, they may run through red lights at intersections. This is incredibly dangerous, as other cars can cross the intersection simultaneously. The Lyft driver can cause a high-speed collision in the middle of an intersection, exposing all other drivers going through the intersection to car accident impact.
Car part manufacturers can also be held liable for Lyft accidents caused by defective car parts. Manufacturing and design defects can render a car part useless, lead to a Lyft driver losing control of the vehicle, and can cause a Lyft accident.
What Injuries Can Result from New York Lyft Accidents?
The impact of a New York Lyft accident can expose drivers and passengers to severe injury risk. Everyone involved can experience blunt force trauma from a direct blow from a vehicle or a hard object inside the car, causing damage to bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and other parts of the body. If these body parts take too much pressure and damage, they become injured.
Lyft accidents can also expose victims to penetrating trauma when sharp objects, such as shattered glass and broken light poles, pierce the skin. This type of trauma can cause internal injuries like internal bleeding, broken ribs, and ruptured spleen.
The following are some common injuries caused by New York Lyft accidents:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
- Cuts, scrapes, and abrasions
- Burn injuries
What is the Statute of Limitations for a New York Lyft Accident?
Those that suffer severe injuries from a Lyft accident can experience long-term pain and suffering and negative effects on their quality of life. The victim’s health insurance will likely not cover the full cost of their damages, but they can file a New York Lyft accident claim to pursue compensation for damages.
All personal injury victims only have a certain amount of time they have to file their claim to pursue compensation for damages. This is called the statute of limitations. How long a personal injury victim has to file their claim to pursue compensatory damages depends on what accident they were a victim of.
Car accident victims have three years from the date of the accident to file their claim or lawsuit. If you were involved in a New York Lyft accident, you have three years to contact a rideshare lawyer and file your claim to pursue compensation for damages.
Can Lyft Drivers Be Held Liable for Causing a New York Lyft Accident?
In most cases, the Lyft driver will be held liable for damages in a New York Lyft accident claim. Who the liable party is depends on who caused the accident. If the Lyft driver’s negligent driving behavior resulted in the Lyft accident, you could file a claim with their insurance company to pursue compensation for damages.
Who you can hold accountable for your damages also depends on whether you were a passenger in a Lyft or a driver of another car. If you were in another car and struck by a Lyft driver, any litigation to do with the accident will have to do with the Lyft driver. If you were in the Lyft when the accident occurred, the Lyft driver would also share liability. However, some cases can involve the company Lyft also sharing liability.
Can Lyft Share Liability for a New York Lyft Accident?
Lyft offers insurance for passengers injured in accidents while taking a ride with Lyft. Victims of Lyft accidents can receive $100,000 in bodily injury coverage, but this likely will not cover the full cost of severe injuries. It’s possible for Lyft to be held liable for the full cost of an accident victim’s damages, but trying to hold them liable to pay for damages can be complicated.
A company can only have vicarious liability for an employee. This means they can be held liable for the unlawful actions of an employee. For example, trucking companies can share liability for accidents caused by an employee’s negligence. However, Lyft does not classify its drivers as employees.
Instead, they are independent contractors, which a company is not vicariously liable for. While you could attempt to include Lyft in a Lyft accident claim, they can credibly prove they do not share liability for the Lyft accident. You could recover compensation from the insurance they offer to passengers, but that will likely be the extent of it.
What Should You Do After a New York Lyft Accident?
Following a Lyft accident, there are certain steps you must take to address your health and ability to recover compensation for damages. Lyft accident victims must take both seriously in the aftermath of an accident and take the necessary steps to ensure they can recover physically and monetarily.
What you do after a Lyft accident can differ from a car accident in your own vehicle, as Lyft has its own protocols for handling car accidents with its drivers. Make sure you consult Lyft’s policies regarding car accidents to determine what steps you should take to access compensation from the insurance Lyft offers to passengers that receive damages.
The following are some of the things you should do after a Lyft accident:
- Check yourself for injuries
- Collect evidence at the scene of the accident
- Exchange contact information with everyone involved
- Contact the police to file a report
- Go to the hospital for medical treatment
- Write down everything you remember from the Lyft accident
- Report the accident with Lyft
- Hire a Lyft accident lawyer
Damages in a New York Lyft Accident
Lyft accident victims can experience damages, which are economic and non-economic losses that stem from the Lyft accident. These damages can affect a person’s physical health, financial situation, and quality of life.
Economic damages are financial losses that result from a Lyft accident and have to do with medical treatment, wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages are intangible losses that have to do with psychological fallout, trauma, and reduced quality of life. A rideshare accident attorney can help you calculate the full cost of your damages and help you pursue compensation from the at-fault party’s insurance company.
The following are some damages that result from a Lyft accident:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Property damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
Why Should You Hire a Lyft Accident Lawyer to Help With Your New York Lyft Accident Claim?
Victims of Lyft accidents in New York should hire a lawyer to help them file a Lyft accident claim. Rideshare lawyers will know what steps to take to put you in the best position to recover compensation for your Lyft accident damages.
If you do not have someone in your corner with extensive experience handling these types of claims, you could commit errors that could affect your ability to recover fair compensation. Hire a Lyft accident attorney to help put yourself in the best position to recover compensatory damages.
The following are some ways a Lyft accident lawyer can help with your claim:
- Calculate the cost of your Lyft accident damages
- Explain New York laws regarding Lyft accidents
- Determine who can be held liable for your Lyft accident damages
- File the necessary paperwork to begin the Lyft accident claims process
- Speak to eyewitnesses and expert witnesses
- Gather tangible evidence to help prove the at-fault party’s liability
- Contact insurance providers to receive coverage for damages
- Negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Represent you in court if a settlement cannot be reached
Contact Cellino Law for Help With Your New York Lyft Accident Claim
At Cellino Law, our rideshare accident lawyers have helped those that suffered severe injuries from car accidents involving Lyft and Uber drivers. Whether you were a passenger or a driver of another car, we can help you hold a negligent Lyft driver accountable for their driving errors that exposed you to injury risk.
Our rideshare accident lawyers will collaborate with you to determine the best step to take to pursue compensation for damages. Their goal is to represent you properly, so they will constantly communicate with you to keep you updated on the claim process and ensure you’re content with how things are progressing.
Contact Cellino Law today for a free New York Lyft accident case evaluation by calling us at 888-888-8888 or leaving a message on our online contact page.
Content checked by the personal injury attorney Ross Cellino. As a family man and a trial attorney, I pride myself on winning cases and serving the community. With over 35 years of experience, I understand the function of a jury, how juries arrive at conclusions, and the role that the jury plays in administering justice. I know how to win cases. You can find us in Manhattan, Buffalo, Melville, Rochester, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and other locations throughout New York.