How Long Does it Take Lyft to Investigate an Accident?
Lyft is a rideshare company similar to Uber that was founded by Logan Green and John Zimmer in San Francisco. It grew quickly, and it is now one of the most popular rideshare options. Not only does Lyft provide a service to those who need transportation, the company also allows drivers to earn extra income. Unfortunately, because Lyft is a form of transportation, you could be involved in an accident as either a driver or a passenger.
Lyft carries insurance that is designed to cover both the driver and the passenger, but they will still want to investigate the claims to confirm that they are liable for any injuries. This is what you need to know if you are involved in an accident in a Lyft vehicle.
What to Do If You Are Involved in a Lyft Accident
According to the Lyft website, if you are involved in an accident while driving or riding in a Lyft car, you should first call 911 to alert emergency services. The Lyft app actually has a Safety Center that you can click to report an accident. Lyft defines an accident as a vehicle collision, an object stricken, such as a curb or tree, or damaged third-party property.
If you use the in-app emergency assistance feature, Lyft will also be notified of the accident. They will then provide you with the documentation you need to submit any claim for injuries.
Claim Process
Before Lyft will offer any type of settlement, they will need to investigate the accident. The company will obtain copies of the police report. It will be your responsibility to submit documentation of your injuries in the form of medical records, hospital documents, and receipts. Lyft has a Trust and Safety Team who may reach out to you with additional information after the accident. It is recommended that you document as much information as you can at the time of the crash. You will want to note:
- Driver’s name, address and phone number
- Location of the accident
- Other driver’s name, address and phone number
- Personal insurance information from both drivers
- Road conditions
- Time of day
- Vehicle information, including registration number, make, model, license plate number, etc., for both cars
- Witness name, address and phone numbers
If possible, take photos of any damage and the seat where you were sitting at the time of the crash.
Insurance Plans
It will take some time for Lyft to investigate the accident. One of the reasons for this is that you may be dealing with three different insurance plans. The insurance plans may include the Lyft driver’s personal insurance, the other driver’s insurance and Lyft’s policy. Lyft provides up to $1 million per accident and $50,000 per person for personal injury.
If this amount of coverage is not adequate to cover the cost of your injuries or if the accident was caused by the other driver, their insurance policy may be used to cover the difference or may be required to cover the entire cost of your injuries.
Despite Lyft’s zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policy, there have been cases where their drivers were drunk. If the Lyft driver was negligent in some way, such as driving under the influence or driving recklessly, their personal insurance may have to cover your injuries as Lyft may not provide coverage when one of their drivers is negligent.
If you have been injured in a Lyft accident, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver, Lyft and the other driver. You can follow this link to speak with lawyers that fight for you and have experience helping people just like you get the compensation they are entitled to under the law. You can arrange for a no obligation consultation to see what rights you have regarding a personal injury in a Lyft ride.