Were you recently injured in a Lyft rideshare accident in Tampa, FL? Now is the time to explore your legal rights and options. You may be entitled to compensation, including money to help you pay for medical care, offset lost wages, and cope with the stress of your accident. The experienced Tampa Lyft accident lawyers at Apex Law Firm, PLLC are ready to help you fight to maximize your recovery.
Apex Law Firm, PLLC offers compassionate, powerful legal representation to crash victims and families in Tampa and throughout the state of Florida. Collectively, our award-winning trial attorneys have 26+ years of experience taking on insurance companies and other bad actors. We’ve recovered more than $30 million for our clients.
Now, we’re ready to help you take a stand against formidable insurance companies after a Lyft accident. Contact our law office in Tampa at (813) 444-5212 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Apex Law Firm, PLLC Can Help You After a Lyft Accident in Tampa, FL
While you may be entitled to compensation after your Lyft accident in Tampa, Florida, the claims process can certainly be overwhelming. It can be hard, too, when the insurance company (or insurance companies) do everything they can to deny your claim and limit your financial recovery in Tampa, Florida.
You need to show them that you’re not going to let them dictate the terms of your car accident claim or manipulate you into taking a lowball settlement by hiring an experienced Tampa personal injury lawyer at Apex Law Firm, PLLC to represent you. We’re committed to people-centered advocacy and building claims that force powerful corporations to do the right thing when our clients have been harmed.
We can handle the details of your Lyft injury claim, allowing you to focus on getting better.
Our Tampa car accident lawyers will:
- Investigate your Lyft accident
- Gather important evidence during the discovery process, including medical records, cell phone records, Lyft app data, accident reports, and property damage assessments
- Bring in expert witnesses to collaborate with our legal team
- Depose eyewitnesses and other important parties to your case
- Assess the severity of your injuries and calculate what your Lyft car accident claim is worth
- File your legal claim with the insurance company and/or Hillsborough County court clerk
- Keep you updated on the status of your claim and be available to answer any questions you might have
- Empower you with the information and knowledge you’ll need to make smart decisions when it’s time to reject or accept a settlement offer
- Bring your Lyft accident lawsuit to trial if the defense refuses to make things right
Our Tampa personal injury attorneys will take your case on a contingent fee basis, so you won’t have to worry about the cost of hiring an attorney until we’ve won compensation for you.
Call our law office today to learn more. Your initial case review is free of charge.
Can I File a Lawsuit Against Lyft After an Accident With One of Its Rideshare Drivers?
Typically, no. Lyft drivers are independent contractors. In Florida, vicarious liability only applies when a company’s employee is negligent and causes harm. Since Lyft drivers aren’t legally employees of the company, Lyft sidesteps liability when there’s a car accident with one of its vehicles.
However, Lyft does maintain two separate insurance policies to protect its drivers, passengers, and anyone else who might suffer injuries or damage if a Lyft is involved in a crash.
The first type of policy is available when a Lyft driver is waiting for a ride request. If the Lyft driver is involved in a crash, the policy will cover up to $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident in bodily injury damages and $25,000 per accident in property damage.
The second type of policy is available when a Lyft driver accepts a ride request in the Lyft app. This coverage, which includes up to one million in benefits, is active until the passenger is dropped off and the ride is marked as completed in the app.
Both of Lyft’s insurance policies are secondary policies. Simply put, you’ll have to exhaust any benefits available to you through the Lyft driver’s personal car insurance policy before recovering benefits from Lyft’s insurance carrier.
Who’s Liable For My Lyft Accident Injuries?
Taking a Lyft can be an easy and convenient way to navigate a busy city like Tampa, especially if you’re going to have a few drinks or aren’t really familiar with the area. However, it’s important to consider that Lyft drivers aren’t experts. They don’t have to get a commercial driver’s license or pass special tests to drive for Lyft.
Rideshare drivers are also more likely to be distracted than other drivers and suffer from fatigue. For many, driving for Lyft is a second source of income, so there’s an incentive to speed and get rides done as quickly as possible to make their shift worthwhile.
Needless to say, many Lyft accidents are caused by negligent Lyft drivers.
However, Lyft drivers aren’t always to blame for accidents involving their rideshare vehicles. Pursuant to Florida law, anyone who plays a part in a rideshare accident can share liability, including the following:
- Vehicle passenger
- Driver of another vehicle on the road
- Commercial motorist
- Transportation service
- Government agency within the city of Tampa, Hillsborough County, or the State of Florida
- Property owner
- Vehicle manufacturer
- Bicyclist or pedestrian
You’ll be able to count on our car accident lawyers in Tampa to evaluate the circumstances of your crash, assess the cause(s), and determine who’s at fault. Once the cause is clear, we’ll work hard to help you recover compensation from all liable parties.
What Damages Can I Get If I Win My Lyft Accident Case?
Whether you’re a passenger in a Lyft rideshare vehicle, a bystander, a pedestrian, or the occupant of another car, you’ll be able to recover both economic and non-economic damages after a crash.
Our Lyft accident attorneys in Tampa, FL, will help you fight to get money for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages and disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement
- Chronic physical pain
- Reduced quality of life
Should your Lyft accident lawsuit get to trial, a Hillsborough County jury can award punitive damages, too. These aren’t paid to make you whole. Rather, they’re paid to punish the defendant for conduct that was clearly malicious or grossly negligent.
What Are Common Lyft Car Accident Injuries?
Apex Law Firm, PLLC wants to help you fight to get compensation for all of your Lyft accident injuries, including:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Nerve damage
- Leg injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Eye injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Make sure you report your Lyft accident in the app and to the local police. Then, get to the closest emergency room in Tampa for a thorough medical evaluation. Even low-impact collisions can do a lot of damage. Delaying medical care can do more damage to your health and the strength of your legal claim than good.
Can Florida’s Comparative Fault Law Affect My Lyft Accident Settlement?
Yes. Pursuant to Florida’s modified comparative negligence law, you cannot recover compensation from a third party if you’re primarily responsible for causing a Lyft rideshare accident.
You can receive a reduced financial award if you’re partly to blame. Any damages awarded will be reduced in direct relation to your role in the accident. So, you should expect to recover 60 percent of the value of your personal injury claim if you were assigned 40 percent of the blame for your Lyft accident.
How Long Will I Have to Seek Compensation After a Lyft Accident in Florida?
You’ll have up to two years from the date of your Lyft car accident in Tampa, FL, to seek compensation. The two-year statute of limitations has few exceptions. Once the filing deadline comes and goes, you’ll have lost the opportunity to demand compensation from an at-fault party or their insurance carrier.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Tampa Lyft Accident Lawyer
You got hurt because a Lyft driver in Tampa was distracted, speeding, too aggressive at the wheel, or otherwise impaired. Now, you’re struggling with debilitating injuries and have to cope with the trauma of a crash. Trust Apex Law Firm, PLLC to help you fight for a top-dollar financial award.
Our Tampa Lyft accident lawyers have 30+ years of experience and a proven ability to make a difference in the lives of the people we represent. Our case results include tens of millions in monetary awards. We’re prepared to be your biggest legal advocate for justice, too.
There’s no charge for an initial case evaluation, so call our Tampa law office for help today.