These days, you can get just about anywhere, anytime without a personal vehicle. Not around public transit? No problem, there are several ride-hailing services that you probably already have apps for on your phone. They are convenient. However, these are just average people driving, not trained chauffeurs with a commercial driver’s license to protect. There are numerous stories about drivers rolling up to the stop with smoke pouring out of the car, drivers who don’t slow down for dips or potholes and send their passengers into the roof and the extremely jittery drivers who appear to be on meth. While those are only a fraction of the perfectly nice trips most people have on the app-driven services, it still causes you to think: how do you file an injury claim after an accident with Lyft?
At the Scene
First things first: you’ll want to get the appropriate people involved quickly and you’ll want to have all the information you need at hand. You’ll want the police involved to take statements and to document the accident. If there are any injuries or if you notice anyone acting confused or having trouble breathing, call 911. After that, make sure you get pictures, insurance information and contact Lyft.
- Call the police
- Call 911 if there are any potentially serious injuries
- Get license numbers and names
- Take pictures
- Get insurance info from all involved drivers – for the Lyft driver, you’ll want both his personal and his Lyft insurance info
- Contact Lyft
After the Fact
Keep all of your information that you acquired in a safe place. Make sure to get a copy of the accident report from the police. If you already know who was at fault, you can contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company for information about how to pay for medical bills. Lyft Insurance covers both liability and medical for the drivers and passengers if their driver is at fault while in driver mode. If the driver mode is not on and the Lyft driver is at fault, their personal insurance coverage is in effect. If the responsible driver is unknown, Lyft has uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance that pays up to $1 million for passenger injuries.
When all else fails and you are stuck, it’s time to get help. Whether you are in administrative hell with insurance companies giving you the run-around or caught in a “he said/she said” finger-pointing game, an experienced car accident lawyer will be able to advise you on your rights and get your losses paid.
Source: Car Accident Lawyer Indianapolis, IN, Ward & Ward Law Firm