Navigating the aftermath of a Lyft accident may be challenging, and our lawyers can ensure you take the right steps to protect your access to compensation.
Your first step after a Lyft accident should be to call 911. Getting law enforcement involved can make collecting information much easier for victims, leading to a crash report our attorneys can refer to when building claims. While at the scene, preserve evidence by photographing it. This includes any debris or property damage you see and visible injuries you sustained. After speaking with the police, go straight to the emergency room. Delaying medical care for any reason could cause issues with your claim, particularly connecting your injuries to the Lyft driver’s negligence. Though accepting settlement offers immediately might appeal to victims who need fast compensation, taking claims to court could lead to greater jury awards that include compensation for victims’ pain and suffering and their economic damages.
Call the Philadelphia Lyft accident lawyers at The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940 to schedule a free case assessment.
Reporting Procedures to Follow Immediately After Lyft Accidents
Start by calling 911 to report the accident. Do not worry about notifying Lyft through the app immediately; our attorneys can help handle that after the fact. Your first priority should be calling the police, as they can help you process the site and collect important information.
Law enforcement does this using a crash report, which our attorneys can help you obtain and review following the incident. Though states have differing laws regarding the admissibility of these reports in lawsuits, we can still use them to pin down the basic facts of your case, like the accident’s date, location, and time. Officers might talk to eyewitnesses and write down what they say in reports. While those statements might be inadmissible, our Lyft accident lawyers can use them to identify eyewitnesses and collect their statements ourselves.
The police may note if you sustained injuries during the accident and whether you accepted care from paramedics at the scene, so be sure to get any on-site medical care. Though you may not know the extent of your injuries right away, tell officers if you are hurt and need assistance.
Many states require police reporting for accidents that cause injury or property damage. Following these reporting requirements is crucial, as not doing so could lead to a lack of documentation that the accident occurred.
What Could Happen if You Don’t Get Medical Care Immediately After a Lyft Accident?
Suppose you do not visit the emergency room immediately after a Lyft accident. In that case, you might not have enough medical records to prove your injuries exist or that you have incurred financial damages, making this an all-important step for rideshare accident victims.
The minutes and hours after a crash are crucial for injury documentation. When your medical records align with the accident’s date and circumstances, our attorneys can more easily prove causation in your case. Waiting to get medical care not only has consequences for victims’ claims but also for their overall health, as their injuries could worsen if they do not seek treatment.
Not only do you need medical records of your injuries from right after the accident, but you also need records showing your ongoing treatment. Car accident injuries that warrant litigation are often costly, potentially requiring several surgeries, prescription medications, physical therapy, or other specialized treatments. Throughout your physical recovery, our attorneys can organize medical records and bills corresponding with your treatments so that we have sufficient evidence to present during your lawsuit.
Evidence to Preserve Immediately After Lyft Accidents
First, make sure to save or record any information about the ride and the driver in the Lyft app. The app typically saves this information automatically, though you can take screenshots on your phone or use other means to document it and ensure its preservation.
Then, use your phone to take pictures of the scene, your injuries, and any debris you notice. Photographic evidence can go a long way in proving an accident’s cause. For example, photos of the point of impact may indicate whether or not the Lyft driver was speeding at the time, making them negligent.
Since victims of Lyft accidents are often hurt as passengers, they do not always have strong memories of the accident. When sitting in the backseat of a rideshare car, you might not be paying attention to the road, so you might not recall how the driver was negligent. This is where other evidence, like eyewitness statements and surveillance footage, can be especially useful. We can quickly identify and interview eyewitnesses and locate potential sources of security footage immediately after the accident to preserve and use it to your benefit.
Should You Accept Lyft Accident Settlement Offers Immediately?
Lyft drivers are independent contractors, meaning Lyft cannot be vicariously liable for their negligence. Lyft does have third-party liability insurance in case of accidents, but accepting settlements too soon might leave victims uncompensated for all their damages.
Lyft’s third-party liability coverage limits depend on the circumstances of an accident. For example, if the app is on and a ride is in progress, more compensation is available versus if the app is on and the driver is waiting to accept a ride. Accident injuries are often much more expensive than what settlements with Lyft’s third-party liability insurance can provide, and this route notably does not cover victims’ pain and suffering.
While Lyft cannot be sued for car accidents, individual drivers can. This could lead to greater damages, including compensation for victims’ intangible losses, particularly when victims go to trial instead of accepting lowball settlement offers right out of the gate.
Call Our Lawyers to Talk About Your Lyft Accident Case
Call (215) 709-6940 to discuss your case for free with The Reiff Law Firm’s Pennsylvania Lyft accident lawyers.
