A Lyft accident lawyer did not even need to exist 10 years ago. Now, the landscape of transportation has changed forever. In New York City, this is especially true. While ride-share cases are similar to regular car accidents, they are not exactly the same. It is important to have an attorney that knows the difference between the two and can maximize your recover.
Who Pays for Your Settlement or Verdict
In almost every car accident case, an insurance company pays the settlement. This is true, even if a jury does not ever know about it. In fact, the law does not allow a Lyft accident lawyer to tell a jury that an insurance company pays for the verdict. That means that a jury may think that they are forcing an individual to pay money, when that is not the case at all. This is a disadvantage for the plaintiff. It can be hard for juries to give fair verdicts when they are worried about potentially bankrupting a private individual. Keeping this realty from the jury is one more way the insurance lobby has stacked the deck against the plaintiffs.
In a Lyft case, your Lyft accident lawyer should explain to you that insurance will be the main entity that pays for your settlement. In 2018 New York has passed a specific law to make sure that these vehicles have coverage in the case of an accident. New York passed Article 44-B Section 1693. This law requires that rideshare companies like Lyft must have a minimum of $50,000 insurance if they injure a person while engaging in ridesharing. The law also says that Lyft must provide $100,000 per occurrence. These policies are in effect while the driver is logged into the network, but not actually participating in a rideshare.
What is a Prearranged Trip
However, when a driver is engaged in what the law calls a “prearranged trip” the policy is different. A prearranged trip is what we are all used to when we use these services. The prearranged trip begins when the driver accepts the trip. Naturally, it ends when the driver drops off the passenger. If the ride-share driver injures someone in these circumstances the company must have an insurance policy of at least $1,000,000.
How Can a Lyft Accident Lawyer Help Me in New York City
The big caveat in these policies is that they do not apply to Lyft cases which originate in New York City. However, that does not mean that no parts of the insurance policies apply. The law requires Lyft to have active no-fault insurance. No-fault insurance will pay for medical expenses following the accident. In addition to medical expenses, no-fault will pay for lost wages as well as transportation to and from your medical appointments.
While all of these benefits have limitations, it is important to know how or if they will apply to your case. It is important to work these issues out early. If the wrong entity pays your early bills, it can result in a lien in your lawsuit later on in the case. While some liens are resolvable, it will impact your recovery. As you can see, an accident in a Lyft brings up a number of legal issues. Handling them properly it important. If you have questions about this process please do not hesitate to call The Platta Law Firm.
