Lyft is a convenient way to get around busy cities in Texas, but it’s not necessarily the safest option for travel. When a car accident involves a Lyft rideshare vehicle, determining liability can be a challenge. Liability doesn’t just hinge on who’s at fault; it also depends on the Lyft driver’s status at the time of a crash.
This is why it’s important to work with an experienced Austin Lyft accident attorney to ensure that you’re able to recover full compensation for your crash-related injuries, costs, and suffering.
How Is Liability Determined For a Texas Lyft Accident?
In Texas, anyone who contributes to a Lyft car accident can be financially responsible or liable for resulting damages. Most often, liability comes down to negligence. Negligence refers to a failure to take reasonable steps that, in turn, cause an avoidable injury or death.
Anyone whose negligence causes a Lyft car accident can be liable, including a Lyft driver, the driver of another vehicle on the road, a government agency, or an auto manufacturer. There are even times when a negligent party’s employer can be vicariously liable for damages – unless the employer is Lyft.
Lyft has worked hard to classify its employees as independent contractors. When a Lyft driver causes an accident, Lyft isn’t personally responsible for crash-related damages. However, Lyft maintains insurance policies to help victims of Lyft rideshare accidents.
A Lyft accident lawyer understands the nuances of Lyft’s liability limitations and can help you identify all potentially responsible parties.
When Does Lyft’s Insurance Coverage Apply After a Car Accident in Texas?
Lyft’s insurance policies are only effective when a Lyft driver is logged into the app and waiting for work or after they’ve accepted a ride request.
There are two different policies:
- $50,000 per person in bodily injury benefits and $25,000 in property damage when a Lyft driver is logged into the app and waiting for a customer request, and
- $1 million in liability coverage when a Lyft driver has accepted a ride request in the app.
If a Lyft driver’s app is off, no corporate insurance coverage applies. Lyft’s policies are secondary in nature. Other benefits, typically those available from the Lyft driver’s personal car insurance policy, have to be exhausted before Lyft’s insurer will pay a dime.
Lyft App Data Can Be Important Evidence When Establishing Liability
After a collision, Lyft and its insurer may argue that a Lyft driver was not working or seeking work at the time of a collision to avoid paying benefits to a crash victim. When a driver’s status is disputed, it’ll be important to gather evidence to demonstrate that they were, in fact, looking for work or engaged in a ride.
Lyft app data can be instrumental in proving a driver’s status. It can show a driver’s activity and provide important timestamps that may or may not correspond to an accident. Fortunately, app information can be subpoenaed in a personal injury case and used to show that Lyft’s insurance policies are fair game and should be paid to a crash victim with severe injuries.
An experienced Lyft accident attorney knows how to obtain and analyze this critical data to support your claim.
Reach Out to a Lyft Accident Lawyer After Experiencing a Serious Car Accident
Don’t hesitate to call Dow Law Firm for help after a Lyft rideshare accident in Texas. Our Austin car accident attorneys can help you navigate complex liability issues, fight to recover all available benefits, and navigate additional legal claims at trial, if necessary, to get you the compensation you deserve.
Our Austin Lyft accident lawyers have extensive experience battling with Lyft’s insurance company and know the tactics they use to deny or minimize claims. Your first consultation is free, so contact our dedicated Lyft car accident attorneys in Austin at (512) 240-9951 for support today.