Hempstead Lyft Accident Attorney

Today, fewer people use city buses, and instead, they rely on the comfort and privacy of Lyft rides for local transportation, including in Hempstead. Fortunately, most Lyft rides end in a safe arrival at the passenger’s destination, but it only takes a single accident to cause serious injuries with temporary or permanent adverse consequences, like medical expenses, lost income, pain, and suffering. While a car accident claim allows an injury victim to recover compensation for their losses, Lyft accident claims come with unique challenges and often additional distress.

Call a NYC car accident attorney at The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel to learn how an attorney can help with this type of claim — call today.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle

Why Choose The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel?

At the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel, we have over 25 years of experience advocating for injury victims under New York law, the insurance system, and the civil courts. With an attorney from Jay S. Knispel on your side, you’ll have the following benefits in your claim:

An individualized strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case, with our goal always to seek the largest possible settlement for your damages
Open communication and availability, so you are involved and included throughout every step of the process, while you’re also free from the anxiety of the legal system, allowing you to focus on healing
An AV Preeminent rating by Martindale-Hubbell and a rating as a National Trial Lawyer’s top 100 puts a powerful voice behind your Lyft accident claim

The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel does not charge up-front fees to injury victims. Instead, we offer a free evaluation of your case and use a contingency-based fee structure, so you pay nothing until we’ve recovered compensation for you.

What Causes Lyft Accidents In Hempstead?

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have changed the way New York residents and visitors ride. Unfortunately, a University of Chicago Study shows that accidents have increased by about 3% since the rise of the rideshare industry, as more individual vehicles have replaced public transportation use, resulting in heavier traffic. In addition, a Lyft vehicle may be more likely to be involved in an accident due to the following causes:

Speeding to accomplish as many rides as possible per shift
Aggressive driving
Distracted driving, due to using the Lyft app and GPS navigation while driving
Unsafe passing
Failure to yield the right of way
Unsafe lane changes
Tailgating
Improper merging
Fatigued driving
Inexperienced driving
Impaired driving

Lyft drivers often work full-time jobs and then use their Lyft contracts to earn a secondary income after hours. Many drivers are college students who work between classes. These conditions may mean tired, stressed drivers transport passengers.

What Types of Injuries are Caused by Lyft Vehicles?

Injuries in Lyft accidents can occur to a passenger inside the vehicle, in another car during a collision with a Lyft car, or to pedestrians hit by Lyft drivers. Common injuries in Lyft accident claims in Hempstead and elsewhere include the following:

Fractures
Lacerations, contusions, and abrasions
Soft-tissue injuries, like sprains, strains, tendon damage, or torn ligaments
Neck injuries
Back injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Internal organ injuries
External head, facial, and dental trauma
Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic amputations
Burns
Crush injuries

Injuries can be mild and fully recoverable, with few damages other than an emergency room bill and a few days of lost income, or they could be life-altering, leaving the injury victim facing disability and an uncertain future. When a Lyft accident victim suffers injuries with damages, they have the right to seek compensation through an accident claim; however, Lyft accident claims are particularly complex due to the unique insurance structure for Lyft vehicles.

Liability and Insurance In Hempstead Lyft Accident Claims

Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft shield themselves against direct liability by using independent contractors as drivers rather than employees. In most cases, an injury victim cannot recover the compensation they deserve after a Lyft accident by filing a lawsuit against Lyft. Instead, individual drivers carry special rideshare insurance. The amount of coverage available depends on the stage of the rideshare, with the following structure:

When a Lyft driver uses their vehicle privately, their personal auto insurance coverage is in effect
Once a Lyft driver turns on their app to seek a booking, the lower-tiered rideshare coverage takes effect with $25,000 in property damage, $50,000 per person in bodily liability, or $100,000 total injury coverage per accident
Once the driver has a passenger, during the drive to pick up the passenger, and throughout the rideshare journey with the passenger, the top-tiered policy takes effect with up to $1 million in coverage per accident

Unfortunately, this complex structure sometimes leads insurers to point the finger at other policies, or to delay or unfairly deny claims.

Depending on the unique circumstances of the accident, other entities may be at fault, such as another driver or a negligent road maintenance agency. A Hempstead Lyft accident lawyer will navigate your claim and pursue all available avenues for compensation to maximize your chances of a favorable recovery for your accident-related damages.

What Damages Can I Recover In a Lyft Accident Claim?

Serious injuries require expensive medical treatment, may also need physical therapy for full recovery. Some injuries leave permanent disability. These consequences become the damages in a Lyft accident claim. Common damages recovered in successful claims include the following:

Reimbursement for medical expenses
Future medical expenses
Out-of-pocket injury costs
Lost wages
Future income loss
Compensation for pain and suffering
Compensation for catastrophic injuries such as loss of limb, permanent scarring or disfigurement, the loss of one of the senses, vision or hearing loss, or diminished quality of life due to disability

If a loved one died in a Lyft accident, a wrongful death lawyer in NYC could recover compensation for a close surviving family member.

Call a Hempstead Lyft Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel

An accident is a traumatic and terrifying experience. When it involves a Lyft vehicle, the claim process may extend the distress and anxiety. Instead of navigating a claim alone and taking a chance on not recovering the full amount available to you, reach out to the Law Offices of Jay S. Knispel for prompt action in your Lyft accident case by an attorney who represents your best interests throughout the process.