Houston Lyft Accident Attorney
Were you recently involved in a Lyft accident in Houston, TX? Contact Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers for immediate legal advice and assistance. You could be entitled to compensation for your injuries and suffering. Our experienced Houston Lyft accident attorneys will help you fight to secure the money you deserve.
We offer a free initial case evaluation, so contact us today at (713) 500-5000 to arrange yours today.
Table of Contents
How Will a Personal Injury Lawyer Help Me After a Lyft Accident?
Lyft and other rideshare companies have spent a lot of time and money on making sure that its drivers are classified as independent contractors – not employees. So, if you’re involved in an accident with a Lyft vehicle, this means that you won’t be able to hold the rideshare service financially accountable for your injuries. Sure, Lyft has an insurance policy that might apply, but the company itself will likely be able to throw up its hands and avoid responsibility.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t recover damages after your Lyft accident. However, it does mean that Lyft accident cases can be more challenging than other car accident matters. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the process alone. Hiring a seasoned lawyer to help you pursue compensation can make a massive difference in how your case unfolds.
For years, Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers has been advocating on behalf of injury victims after an accident involving a Lyft driver. As we navigate your case, we will:
- Conduct an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident
- Determine who, other than the Lyft driver, might have caused the crash
- Seek compensation from all liable parties, including the Lyft driver, their insurance provider, Lyft’s insurance provider, and other negligent parties
- Work with experts as we navigate the valuation process, and
- Handle negotiations and fight to secure a substantial monetary award on your behalf.
We’re here to help you in any way that we can. Contact our Houston personal injury law firm a call today to set up your free consultation. Our team is always standing by to take your call, so don’t hesitate, and call us today at (713) 500-5000.
We Handle All Types of Lyft Accident Cases in Houston
Lyft vehicles share the road with everyone else. So, Lyft accidents often affect more than just the people inside of the Lyft. If you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident that involves a Lyft, Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers will be here to help. We represent clients who have been injured in Lyft accidents including:
- Pedestrians and bicyclists struck by Lyft vehicles
- Single-vehicle Lyft accidents, and
- Collisions between Lyfts and other vehicles, including passenger cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks.
Our Houston Lyft accident lawyers will work diligently to get you the compensation you need and deserve. Your first consultation is free, so call now.
Leading Causes of Houston Lyft Accidents
Taking a Lyft might seem like a safe alternative to driving. Many times, it can be. However, Lyft vehicles are involved in many motor vehicle accidents in and around Houston. Here are a few factors that tend to play a role in these collisions.
Inexperienced Drivers: Lyft drivers aren’t professionals. They don’t have to take a special driving course or demonstrate exemplary driving skills. They’re just everyday people trying to earn a living. So, there’s no guarantee that Lyft drivers are experienced behind the wheel or have a safe driving record.
Distracted Driving: Rideshare drivers tend to be distracted behind the wheel. It’s a necessary evil of the job. Sometimes one eye is on the road while the other is glued to the app. Other times, they’re scouring the crowd searching for a passenger, rather than paying attention to surrounding traffic. When there’s a passenger in the car, conversations can take their focus off of the road. Distractions are incredibly dangerous and contribute to thousands of fatal and injury-causing accidents every year.
Fatigued Driving: The more a Lyft driver works, the more money they can make. So, many drivers are logging a ton of hours behind the wheel at once. There’s a reason why truck drivers are subject to certain restrictions – including time spent driving. Spending long hours on the road can lead to fatigue and drowsiness, which are almost as dangerous as drunk or distracted driving.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving: The more rides a Lyft driver can complete, the more money they can potentially make. So, there’s an incentive to speed things up. This leads to dangerous behaviors, including speeding and racing through intersections. Speed is associated with an increased risk of accidents.
Stopping Improperly: Lyft drivers often stop in locations that create a hazard for other traffic on the road – whether at an intersection or in a bike lane.
How to Recover Compensation After a Lyft Accident in Houston
So, while you might not be able to file a lawsuit against Lyft after an accident, you can still potentially recover compensation for your injuries. There are several possible courses of action, including personal injury lawsuits and insurance claims. Here’s a brief overview of how to recover compensation after your ridesharing accident.
The Lyft Driver’s Insurance Policy: Anyone who owns a car in Texas has to make sure that it’s insured. This includes Lyft drivers. If you’ve been injured in an accident because of a negligent Lyft driver, you can submit a claim to recover benefits from the driver’s personal insurance policy. This is true, whether or not they were driving for Lyft at the time.
The Lyft Driver: If a Lyft driver contributes to an accident, they can be held personally responsible for the consequences. You can file a lawsuit directly against the driver and seek compensation. This, however, is typically only done once insurance company benefits are exhausted or a provider has denied a claim.
Lyft’s Insurance Company: Lyft might not be civilly liable for accidents involving its drivers, but you could still potentially recover benefits from one of the company’s two insurance policies. How? Lyft’s insurance coverage is triggered whenever a Lyft driver is actively awaiting a ride request or has accepted a ride request. In fact, once a Lyft driver has accepted a request, Lyft’s insurance policy covers up to $1 million in damages. However, these policies are secondary. This means that you’ll have to exhaust your other options first. If your damages exceed what the Lyft driver’s insurer will pay you can file a claim against Lyft’s policy.
Other Negligent Parties: Lyft accidents aren’t always caused by Lyft drivers. Sometimes other parties are partly or completely to blame. In Texas, you can demand compensation from anyone who contributes to your accident. This might include:
- Drivers of other passenger vehicles
- Bicyclists
- Pedestrians
- Motorcyclists
- Employers of negligent parties
- Truck drivers
- Trucking companies
- Transit agencies
- Vehicle manufacturers
- Mechanics, or
- Government agencies.
Note that you can also potentially file a claim against insurance policies held by negligent or strictly liable parties.
Damages Available Following a Lyft Accident
The costs of a Lyft accident can be high. This is true, whether you’re injured while walking down the street or riding in the back of the Lyft. If you’ve been injured because a Lyft driver or another party was negligent, Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers will help you demand the compensation you deserve. We’ll seek all available damages, which can include money for:
- Hospitalization and other medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Lost income and wages
- Disability
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life, and more.
Don’t let insurance companies bully you or scare you into accepting less money than your case is worth. Let Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers advocate on your behalf and fight to get you every dollar you deserve.
Our team will bring in experts – including doctors, psychologists, and vocational specialists – to help us understand your injuries and how your life will be affected. Taking the time to do this can make a huge difference in how much money you are ultimately awarded for your injuries.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Houston Lyft Accident Lawyers
Following a Lyft accident in Houston, Texas, you could be entitled to compensation. However, you’ll only have a short period of time to assert your rights and demand the money you deserve. Typically, the statute of limitations for Lyft accident lawsuits is two years. You can lose the right to recover any money, at all, if you wait too long. So, it can be critical to reach out and ask for help as soon as you can after you get hurt.
At Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers, our Houston car accident lawyers understand how important your personal injury claim is. We know how much is at stake. We appreciate what a difference a financial recovery can make as you get back on your feet. So, give our team a call to arrange a free consultation to find out how we might be able to help you during this difficult time. Let us put our decades of experience to work for you.