Rideshare companies like Lyft present themselves as a safe, convenient travel option. When the unfortunate happens, it can be challenging to know how to recover the compensation you deserve. If you have suffered injuries due to a Lyft accident, working with our rideshare accident lawyers in New Jersey can help protect your claim.
Unfortunately, insurance companies don’t prioritize victims. At Seigel Law, our clients are always the top priority. Our mission is to get you justice. Connect with a Lyft accident attorney in New Jersey today.
Navigating Lyft Injury Claims in New Jersey
The aftermath of a Lyft accident brings more complications than a crash between vehicles used for non-commercial purposes. While details matter in any accident claim, Lyft accidents involve additional factors. The exact timing of the accident affects insurance coverage amounts. Your status as a victim, Lyft driver, or passenger does too.
These accidents involve multiple insurance companies, giving each company the incentive to point the finger at another, all while you suffer and wait for a resolution. Seigel Law knows how Lyft accidents work. We know how to find answers and discover the details that matter.
We are not intimidated by insurance-company strategies. After a Lyft accident, your job is recovering. Our job is to manage the legalities and insurance considerations, and get you the compensation you deserve.
Lyft’s 3-Tier Insurance Coverage Structure in New Jersey
Like all New Jersey drivers, those operating vehicles as rideshare drivers must carry auto insurance. Lyft provides additional insurance coverage for accidents involving its rideshare vehicles, passengers, or other victims. How that coverage applies depends on when the accident occurs. For accidents that occur while drivers are offline and not active on the app, the driver’s own auto insurance applies.
The Lyft Official Insurance Policy Guidelines present three tiers of coverage. The first represents the time when drivers are on the app but waiting to accept a client request. For accidents during this time, Lyft provides $ 50,000/$100,000 in third-party liability per person/per accident and $25,000 for property damage.
Tiers two and three represent the times when a driver is en route to a confirmed pickup or transporting passengers, respectively. Coverage for these periods includes a minimum of $1,000,000 in third-party liability per accident and, depending on the State and the Lyft driver’s auto insurance policy, some first-party coverage for injuries and property damage. New Jersey imposes specific mandates regarding coverage for tiers two and three.
Lyft Insurance Coverage Limits in New Jersey
New Jersey regulates all elements of Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), including insurance requirements. The State’s Transportation Network Company Act (TNCA) (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-1) mandates that Lyft provide $1.5,000,000 for liability and the same amount in underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage (UIM/UM) for tiers two and three. Additionally, Lyft must provide $10,000 in medical-payments benefits for rideshare drivers injured during the tier two and three timeframes.
What Steps to Take After a Lyft Collision in New Jersey
Following a Lyft accident, there are steps you can take to protect your well-being and the success of your potential injury claim.
Get Medical Attention
Safety takes priority after a crash. If you are too injured to move without causing further harm, stay put until emergency services arrive. If you can leave the scene on your own strength, getting to a doctor quickly remains critical. Your injuries could be more significant than you immediately realize. Some effects take time to appear.
Delaying diagnosis and treatment can worsen your condition and undermine your claim. The other side could claim you “invented” your complaints after the fact, or that you caused your own debilitation by putting off care. They could also claim your injuries could not be as severe as you say if they did not demand immediate attention.
Take Action at the Scene
You can take actions to strengthen your accident claim at the scene of the crash:
- Call law enforcement to the scene to make an official accident report.
- Take photos and video of the site, capturing the vehicles and damage, license plates, traffic signals and conditions, road patterns and conditions, mounted cameras, and any other relevant details.
- Photograph the license, insurance, and registration information of the Lyft driver and any other vehicle operators involved in the crash.
- Take down contact details from witnesses, and ask them to email or text you an account of what they saw right away.
When speaking to others involved in the crash, keep your comments limited. Avoid saying anything that could be twisted into an admission of fault.
Report the Crash
You also need to watch your words when you report the accident to Lyft. The company has an online portal to report accidents. You may report a Lyft passenger accident claim in NJ or identify yourself as the Lyft driver or other party, and answer follow-up questions. An NJ Lyft injury lawyer can help you submit responses without compromising your claim.
It is important to remember that Lyft is not truly on your side after an accident. The company’s goal is to protect the company’s bottom line. They might look for ways to use your accident description and question responses to deny coverage. A Lyft accident attorney in New Jersey can help you avoid making claim-harming mistakes.
Determining Fault in a New Jersey Lyft Crash
Finding the cause of a crash and identifying the negligent party or parties is a critical initial step in a successful injury claim. Things are not always as they seem on the surface, so it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive investigation. An experienced NJ Lyft injury lawyer can carry out that effort. A variety of parties could be to blame.
The Lyft Driver
Lyft drivers often work long hours. Fatigue can slow their reaction time and reduce alertness. They also have constant distractions. Their clients are strangers, so it’s natural for drivers to keep an eye on them as they drive. They also have to follow navigation systems or manage in-app work. The New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety highlights the dangers of distracted driving.
Pedestrians face increased risk of collisions with rideshare drivers. A study on
Ridesharing and Motor Vehicle Crashes found in the CDC stacks shows pedestrians face particular danger at rideshare pickup and drop-off sites. Drivers are busy looking for passengers or for exit sites.
Another Driver
A third-party driver could cause the crash. They could drive while impaired, fatigued, or distracted. They could violate traffic laws, drive recklessly, or just make a devastating, careless error.
The Lyft Company
By hiring its drivers as independent contractors, the Lyft company protects itself from accident liability. Still, there are situations that could put culpability on the company. Company negligence includes failing to conduct driver background checks, provide proper training, or take dangerous drivers off the road.
Other Possibilities
A vehicle defect or malfunction could cause a crash. The vehicle manufacturer or mechanic could bear fault. If a broken traffic signal, inadequate street lighting, or road maintenance contributed to the accident, the responsible government agency could be to blame.
A recently published survey shows one in three rideshare drivers have been in a crash while working. Whatever your role in the crash, driver, passenger, or pedestrian, a Lyft accident attorney in New Jersey is here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Types of Compensation Available to Lyft Accident Victims in NJ
You may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages after a Lyft accident. The financial losses you experience comprise economic damages and typically include:
- Medical costs, including ongoing expenses for permanent injuries and related care
- Lost wages, including future lost earnings and benefits if you cannot return to the workforce
- Property repairs or replacements
- Additional costs incurred by the accident’s consequences
Non-economic damages provide financial acknowledgment of your physical pain and emotional trauma. A compassionate, knowledgeable Lyft accident attorney in New Jersey can value your damages for pain and suffering, demanding the amount you deserve.
How Insurance Companies Fighting Lyft Claims Try to Reduce Payouts
Insurance companies are businesses, and like any business, they want to keep their assets. Although they operate on the premise of protecting clients in the event of an accident or disaster, they focus on protecting their own interests first. In a Lyft accident, several insurance companies could be involved. Each will likely try to deflect responsibility.
For example, you could file a Lyft passenger accident claim in NJ, stating the accident occurred as you entered the vehicle. Lyft insurance coverage limits in New Jersey include $1.5 million for “during ride” accidents, but less when the driver is en route to a pickup. Lyft could argue that your ride had not officially started, and that lower insurance amounts apply.
Insurance companies may challenge your injury claim. They may dispute your description of how the accident has affected your quality of life. They may stall discussions, attempting to wear you down so you accept whatever lowball offer they make. A NJ injury lawyer from Seigel Law has seen these tactics before and knows how to fight back.
How Seigel Law Fights for Maximum Recovery in Rideshare Injury Cases
Our team has been fighting for injury victims in New Jersey since 1976. We bring this experience, along with our collective knowledge and energy, to every claim. Count on us to compile convincing, thorough evidence to support your claim, leaving no details unexplored. Evidence often includes:
- Physical evidence from the vehicles and accident scene
- Investigations into the Lyft driver’s history, background, and training
- The vehicle’s maintenance history
- Witness statements
- Analysis from accident reconstruction engineers or other relevant experts
- Video footage from nearby traffic or security cameras
- Medical documentation of your injuries, treatment, and prognosis
- Proof of your earning capacity
- Testimony from caregivers regarding how the accident has changed your life
Our team knows how New Jersey’s negligence laws work, and understands how the TNCA and Lyft insurance coverage limits in New Jersey apply to your claim. We will also recognize the true value of your claim. The other side will try to deny you justice. We will be prepared to challenge every one of their attempts and fight for maximum recovery in your rideshare injury case.
We Stand With You and Fight for You
Seigel Law does not back down to any opponent. We stand up for clients and fight to get them the justice they deserve. After a Lyft accident, contact us to schedule a free case consultation. We are ready to get to work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Reach out if you don’t see your question answered here. We are ready to take your call and address your concerns.
Does Lyft cover injuries if another driver caused the accident?
Yes, but you may have to seek coverage through other sources first. New Jersey is a no-fault state. Whether you are filing a Lyft passenger accident claim in NJ or filing as a Lyft driver, you first seek medical coverage through your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance.
If you do not have PIP or your injuries exceed coverage limits, you can sue the at-fault driver’s insurance. If they do not have enough or any insurance, you can collect through Lyft’s TNC coverage. A NJ Lyft injury lawyer can manage this complicated territory for you.
What should I do if the Lyft app was off during the accident?
When the app is off, accidents are not considered “Lyft” accidents and therefore not covered by Lyft insurance. Clearly, this lapse can affect the amount of compensation available. If the accident did occur during your Lyft ride, Seigel Law can investigate what happened. We can look for digital evidence to verify the ride. The app could have glitched, and we will look for evidence to support that occurrence.
Can I collect compensation if I was a pedestrian struck by a Lyft driver?
You can collect compensation. Our team can determine what happened and build a negligence case against the at-fault party. We will fight to maximize your economic and non-economic damages.
What is the statute of limitations for filing a Lyft accident claim in NJ?
For most car accidents in New Jersey, the statute of limitations is two years. The deadline expands to six years if you only sustained property damage. On the other hand, it reduces to 90 days if your claim is against a government entity.
Rather than risk missing the deadline, connect with our New Jersey motor vehicle accident lawyer quickly. If you think you are too late, call anyway. We can see if extensions apply during our free consultation.