Were you involved in an accident involving Lyft in Miami, Florida? You may be entitled to damages, but these cases can be highly complex. A Miami Lyft accident lawyer at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Our legal team has been helping accident victims in South Florida since we opened our doors in 2007. We’ve already recovered tens of millions of dollars in compensation.
We’re ready to help you maximize your financial award. Call (305) 937-0191 or contact our law offices in Miami, Florida, to schedule a free consultation today to learn more.
Table of Contents
How Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Lyft Accident in Miami
If you’re injured in a rideshare accident, you won’t be able to hold Uber or Lyft directly liable. Lyft is required to purchase commercial car insurance for its drivers. When these high-dollar commercial policies are at stake, insurance companies fight much harder to avoid paying what’s fair.
Hiring an experienced Miami injury attorney to help you fight back can make a huge difference in the value of your settlement or verdict.
For example, hiring Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers means that you’ll have a lawyer who will:
- Locate the evidence needed to establish liability and identify all responsible parties
- Demand fair compensation from the insurance companies
- Work with experts to put a fair dollar value on your injury claim
- Handle negotiations with the insurance company and defense lawyers
Our Miami personal injury attorneys want to help you recover the most money possible if you were hurt. We have the skills to win–including over 100 years of experience as a group.
Our Florida board-certified civil trial lawyers are ready to help in any way we can. To learn more about the benefits of an attorney client relationship, call for a free case review.
What is My Miami Lyft Accident Case Worth?
The value of a Lyft accident claim can depend on many factors, including:
- The type of injury involved
- The cost of medical treatment
- Your lost wages and income
- Your expected recovery time and prognosis
- The pain and suffering you’ve endured, both physical and mental
Nearly every car accident claim involves insurance companies. The value of your settlement often depends upon how much insurance coverage is available.
Insurance is also important in accident cases involving rideshare services. Uber and Lyft drivers are independent contractors. That means their own personal insurance companies can deny coverage after an accident if the driver was operating the vehicle for commercial purposes.
Fortunately, Florida law requires Lyft to purchase additional commercial insurance coverage. That coverage goes above and beyond the personal injury protection (PIP) coverage that most drivers purchase under Florida no-fault insurance laws.
The insurance coverage limits vary depending upon the Lyft driver’s status at the time of the crash. That creates an added complication. You’ll often have to prove what the Lyft driver was doing at the time of the crash before you can file an insurance claim.
Lyft App is Turned Off
Anytime the Lyft app is turned off, the driver’s own personal insurance coverage will apply. These cases work like any other motor vehicle accident.
Waiting for a Ride Request
If the Lyft app is turned on and the driver is available to accept rides, the following coverage is available:
- $50,000 per person in bodily injury coverage
- $100,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage
- $25,000 per accident for property damage
This third-party liability coverage applies when the Lyft driver’s personal insurance policy doesn’t cover damages.
Picking Up Passengers and During Rides
The moment the Lyft driver accepts a passenger request, a different insurance policy kicks in. That policy covers:
- $1 million in third-party liability
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
- Contingent collision coverage up to the cash value of the damaged car
These increased policy limits apply until the ride ends in the Lyft app.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Lyft Accident Victims?
Accident victims can demand compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages under Florida personal injury laws. Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers can help you pursue the full range of damages available in your case.
Examples of the compensatory damages you may be entitled to receive in Miami-Dade County include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Mental anguish, anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Damages for wrongful death and loss of consortium
Insurance companies often try to downplay the extent of your damages. Our lawyers in Miami are here to protect your legal rights. We’ll help you seek the maximum compensation you deserve so that you can move on with your life.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Lyft Accident in Florida?
Shared fault may not be an issue if you were a passenger in the Lyft vehicle. However, you may be entitled to damages anytime your accident involves a Lyft driver. Commercial insurance carriers are especially likely to fight back using Florida shared fault laws.
Florida is a modified comparative fault state. You can recover damages if you’re 50% or less responsible for the accident. Those damages will be reduced in proportion to your share of the blame. If your share of fault is over 50%, you cannot recover any compensation.
Don’t panic if you’re being blamed for the accident. Our Miami Lyft accident attorneys see cases like this all the time. We know how to help you fight back and minimize your role in the crash. To learn more about how we can help, call for a free case evaluation.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Lyft Accident Injuries
Lyft vehicles are ordinary passenger vehicles. Occupants have no special protection in an accident. That means they’re just as prone to serious injuries as any other auto accident victim.
At Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we often represent clients who have sustained:
- Whiplash injuries
- Concussions
- Brain injuries
- Burns
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Broken bones
- Sprains, strains, and soft tissue damage
- Nerve injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
Lyft accidents also have the potential to be fatal. If you lost a family member, our attorneys can help you seek compensation for the wrongful death of a loved one.
What Causes Most Lyft Accidents in Miami, Florida?
Many people use Lyft because it seems like a safer option than driving. However, many of the same factors that cause car accidents can also contribute to a Lyft accident.
Some of the most common causes of Lyft accidents in Miami and West Palm Beach include:
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Inexperienced drivers
- Stopping in unsafe locations to unload passengers
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Speeding and other traffic violations
- Aggressive driving
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Improper vehicle maintenance
- Vehicle defects
Some Lyft drivers are unfamiliar with the neighborhood and traffic patterns. These drivers often stop in unsafe locations to pick passengers up or drop them off. These and other factors can increase the risk of rideshare accidents.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Lyft Accident in Florida?
Although rideshare companies are required to purchase car insurance, you’ll still have to prove who was liable after the accident. The answer isn’t always simple. In Lyft accident cases, multiple parties may be involved. Someone other than the rideshare driver may be liable.
You may be able to file a claim against:
- The Lyft driver’s insurance policy
- Lyft’s commercial insurance policy
- The Lyft driver
- A negligent third party, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and other motorists
Regardless, the victim must prove that someone else’s negligence caused the accident to recover damages. Someone is negligent when they fail to exercise reasonable caution under the circumstances.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Lyft Accident in Florida?
Like all other states, Florida limits the amount of time you have to take legal action after an accident. This statute of limitations is two years in most Uber and Lyft accident cases. You’ll have two years from the date of the Lyft crash to file a personal injury lawsuit.
State law historically gave accident victims four years to file legal claims. However, the law was changed on March 24, 2023. If your Miami Lyft accident occurred after 3/24/23, you need to take action within two years.
Two years sounds like a long time, but it takes time to build a strong case. That’s why we highly recommend calling an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.
Contact a Miami Lyft Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Your financial recovery can make a world of difference after a serious accident. If you or a loved one were injured, reach out for legal advice today. An experienced Miami Lyft accident lawyer at Shaked Law Personal Injury Lawyers is ready to help you understand your legal rights and options. Best of all, your consultation is 100% free of charge.
Our personal injury law firm in Miami, FL also provides:
- Car Accident Attorneys in Miami, FL
- Child Injury Lawyer in Miami
- Dog Bite Attorneys in Miami
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Miami
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Miami
- Sexual Assault Lawyers in Miami
- Taxi Accident Lawyer in Miami
- Truck Accident Lawyer in Miami
- Uber Accident Attorney in Miami, FL
- Workplace Accident Attorneys in Miami
- Wrongful Death Lawyer in Miami, FL