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Chicago Lyft Accident Lawyer
Lyft tries to play itself as the underdog to Uber. In many ways, it differs in how it offers itself to the public. There are actual functional differences and there are marketing gimmicks. Yet, one thing stays the same: their rideshare passengers suffer harm when their drivers are negligent.
This can take many forms. Some ridesharing passengers endure serious injuries from auto accidents; others sustain sexual assaults and some even experience privacy violations. When this happens, you can take steps to right the wrong and recover full and fair compensation under Illinois law with a personal injury lawsuit.
Our Chicago car accident lawyers work with victims involved in Lyft incidents across Illinois.
We help them use the legal system to get help and the compensation that the law entitles them to. Many automobile accident victims need surgery, miss work, and lose valuable items. This cannot be replaced unless you make a case and file a claim.
Let Our Legal Team File a Ridesharing Injury Claim for You or a Loved One
Our rideshare accident attorneys can bring a claim against Uber or Lyft for you at no cost. We handle Lyft accidents on a contingency fee basis where we only receive a fee when we are successful in getting a financial recovery for you.
To learn about what that financial recovery might be after a Chicago Lyft accident, contact our legal team for a free consultation.
The material on this page is dedicated to giving you a flavor of the types of suits people are allowed to bring under the law after an accident involving a Lyft vehicle.
It is also intended to give you a flavor as to how these cases are evaluated from a settlement perspective. The truth is that very few injury and wrongful death lawsuit settlements involving Lyft are reported as many of these have confidentiality clauses that prevent the disclosure of specific figures.
Nonetheless, an experienced Chicago Lyft accident lawyer at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has organized this information to help you in evaluating your case.
Causes of Chicago Lyft Auto Accidents
Ridesharing drivers owe you a duty of care while you ride in their vehicles across Chicago, IL.
They must operate their cars in a safe and reasonable manner to ensure they do not get involved in a traffic accident and injure you.
However, as our experienced Chicago ridesharing lawyers constantly discover, that duty is often breached. Rideshare passengers are routinely injured in accidents just like these.
- Intoxicated driving accidents: Lyft passengers are not immune from the general problem of intoxicated drivers on the streets of Chicago and across Illinois. If your intoxicated ridesharing driver gets into a crash of any kind, then they were by definition negligent and you may have a claim against them. This is why it is important to have the Uber or Lyft driver checked after any accident to ensure that alcohol or drugs did not play a part.
- Excessive speed accidents: Drivers may speed in an attempt to secure more business and make more money. This recklessness can cause problems with accidents of all sorts. The speed and manner of driving may be judged in the circumstances to be the source of your crash and injuries.
- Fatigue-Related accidents: Even though Lyft makes attempts to limit hours can work to avoid these kinds of driver fatigue accidents, it does prohibit drivers from working other jobs. Consequently, the person driving your vehicle may be asleep at the wheel. If they are and they crash, you need to make sure they compensate you for your damages.
These are just some of the kinds of accidents we see with Uber and Lyft. There may be others that you are involved with if you order a ride, such as distracted driving with a cell phone.
The important thing to determine is whether or not the Lyft driver's negligence was a cause of the accident. If they do not and that leads to a car accident, you might need to file a claim for your injuries with a Chicago Lyft accident attorney at our law firm.
Chicago Ridesharing Laws Applicable to Uber and Lyft
In recent years, the City of Chicago has passed some laws specific to ride-share companies like Lyft and Uber to keep passengers and other drivers safe.
The Chicago Municipal Code regulates Uber and Lyft driver fitness, taxes, and background checks.
An Uber or Lyft driver must adhere to while driving you around the streets of Chicago:
- Take a yearly test online.
- Obtain a chauffeur's license.
- Display a 311 sign for complaint reporting.
- Drive a vehicle that is no more than 6 years old unless it is tested twice a year.
- Submit to drug-testing and physical-exams if a customer submits a complaint.
There are other relevant Lyft rules for Chicago but these are some of the most important ones applicable to an injured party. Every Uber or Lyft driver must maintain a driver's personal insurance coverage including liability coverage.
The ridesharing company liability insurance pays for any damage to property, bodily injury, wrongful death, or uninsured motorist in the event the driver is involved in an Uber or Lyft accident.
Passenger Rights in a Ridesharing Accident
It might be the case that your crash had nothing to do with the Lyft driver. Rather, another driver, trucker, motorcyclist, bicyclist, pedestrian, or something else may very well be the source of your automobile injuries and losses.
If that's the case, our Chicago Lyft accident lawyers can quickly find out who is responsible, their background and employer (if any), and what you are entitled to in a potential personal injury claim.
Our law firm comes in after the following kinds of Chicago car accidents:
Obviously, there are a million different ways you can get into a car accident. However, it is important to remember that you can still recover if you are injured while riding in a Lyft vehicle even if your driver was not responsible for the incident. To understand more about this topic, talk to one of our Lyft accident lawyers today.
Sexual Assaults in Lyft Vehicles
More and more stories are emerging about various forms of sexual assault by rideshare drivers for Uber and Lyft in their vehicles.
The forms of assault and abuse can vary but typically include some form of the following:
- Physical
- Sexual
- Mental
- Emotional
Remember, any of these incidents can come from the driver or another passenger.
The latter is especially important to keep in mind if you ever take a pool ride through Lyft. In either respect, liability may fall on the ridesharing company for failing to screen their agents or keep passengers safe.
Speak with our Chicago Lyft accident lawyer about the kinds of accidents commonly encountered with rideshare passengers. Discuss your case today in a free consultation with an experienced attorney.
What Should I do After I am Involved in a Lyft Car Accident?
Our rideshare accident attorneys try and prep people in the unfortunate case that they are involved in a Lyft car accident in the Chicago, IL
area. There are some things that you need to do and there are some things that you should definitely not do.
Following these tips will ensure that you do not squander the recovery you are guaranteed under Illinois law. Without delay, let's get to them right now.
What Should I Do:- Seek medical attention.
- Contact law enforcement authorities and have them prepare a police report documenting the crash.
- Write down everything you remember about the incident, people involved, weather, and road conditions.
- Contact an experienced car accident attorney.
- Admit fault.
- Talk to an insurance company or the other party’s lawyer by yourself.
- Go back to work before seeing a doctor.
Compensation Available Under Illinois Law to People Injured in an MVA Involving Rideshare Services
If you can show that a Lyft driver caused your accident, then you might be able to obtain compensation from their insurance companies via a settlement or a lawsuit filed in court.
In order to be successful in pursuing a claim for personal injuries you have the burden of proving liability and damages. Liability essentially means that you can prove that your driver's negligence caused the collision.
Damages refers to your injuries and resulting expenses. Some of the most common forms of those include medical bills for all past and future medical care. This includes ER bills, surgical expenses, physical therapy. This also includes lost income from missed work, long-term pain and suffering, and even lost property.
If one of your family members dies in a Lyft accident, then you may pursue a wrongful death lawsuit for your loss under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act. This can cover funeral expenses, burial costs, lost support, and companionship as well as the grief that follows.
To understand exactly what recovery you may be entitled to after a rideshare accident in Illinois, speak to an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer at our law firm.
Are Chicago Lyft Drivers Insured?
Yes, every Lyft driver in Chicago must carry insurance. If they were not, it would be against the law. In fact, every state has explicit rules requiring that Lyft drivers must display their information so that passengers know they are in compliance with auto insurance coverage laws.
But what kind of insurance do they have?
Lyft drivers are typically independent contractors and have a personal auto insurance policy covering the car when it is not being used for commercial purposes.
Lyft also has a corporate insurance policy that every car be insured when the car is used for commercial purposes including the times when the driver has the app off and is not transporting a passenger, when the app is on but when there is no passenger in the vehicle, and, finally, when the app is on and there is a passenger.
In the latter case, Lyft insures up to $1 million for a passenger's personal and property damage if the Lyft driver was at fault.
Note, the last condition (that the Lyft driver is responsible), because it is very important. Also, while $1 million may sound like a lot, it may pale in comparison to your actual damages from a Lyft accident claim.
In that case, it is important to consider your legal options to recover additional forms of compensation from the responsible parties.
Lyft Car Accident FAQs
Sample Chicago Personal Injury Lawsuits Involving Lyft Drivers
MAN SUES LYFT AFTER DUI ACCIDENT IN HUMBOLDT PARK, CHICAGO, IL (Cook County, Illinois).
The man that brought this Lyft lawsuit was in a car crash in the early morning hours of June 2018. He was a passenger in a vehicle operated by a Lyft driver. Another car crossed the median and slammed into them head-on. That driver was driving under the influence.
The Lyft driver was not. The plaintiff sustained several injuries, but none of them were life-threatening. The other passenger died. The attorney in the injury case claimed that Lyft and both drivers were contributorily negligent and responsible for his harms. Those damages included physical, mental, and financial losses. A jury awaits this accident case absent a settlement.
FAMILY SUES LYFT DRIVER AFTER TRAGIC CHICAGO MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT Chicago, IL (Cook County, Illinois).
The family of a man who passed away in a motorcycle accident brought suit against Lyft and one of its drivers. The case was filed in late 2018. The crash happened in the Pilsen area of Chicago. The man was riding his bike along Cermak Road.
Without warning, the negligent driver made a left turn into his lane and struck him. Emergency responders brought him to Stroger Hospital. He did not make it long. He died that day. The family sued both the company and the driver. Their complaint argues their combined negligence caused his death and their damages. They complain that the driver did not yield or slow down.
Also, police reports showed that the Chicago Uber driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident. They ask for more than $50,000 as compensation for their damages paid for by the lift driver's car insurance liability policy.
FAMILY BRINGS CASE AGAINST LYFT AFTER THEIR GREAT GRANDMOTHER IS INJURED IN CRASH Chicago, IL (Cook County, Illinois).
The victim here was escorting children across the street. She volunteered as a crossing guard in the Edgewater area of Chicago. At the time of the incident, she was wearing a sign and holding up a stop sign. That did not stop a Lyft driver from running into her.
That person was not paying attention to the road at all. Even the Lyft passenger could attest to that same fact. The victim was badly injured. She had to be taken to a nearby hospital. Then, she slipped into a coma.
Doctors described her situation as critical. She has many children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her loved ones all eagerly hope for her health to return. In the meantime, they have brought suit.
They seek damages for the costs, pain, and suffering that the crash caused. The lawsuit targets both the driver and the ridesharing service.
MAN SUES LYFT AFTER DANGEROUS RIDE.
Two men hopped in a Lyft car in the summer of 2017. The boys were in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago.
They did not get out at the destination they thought they would. Some arguments started between the driver and the riders. Apparently, the driver pulled a gun on them. She also used homophobic slurs and other taunts. She forced them to exit the vehicle prematurely. They brought suit for this assault.
Despite the intentional nature of the affair, the men also sued Lyft itself. Their complaint contends that the company promises a safe ride, free of discrimination. This is not what they got.
Further, the plaintiffs questioned what the steps Lyft took to deliver on that promise and secure the safety of its riders. For these faults, the plaintiffs seek compensation in Illinois court in excess of $50,000.
Contact Our Chicago Auto Accident Lawyers After a Lyft Incident to Learn About Your Legal Rights
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC has represented people seriously injured in auto accidents involving rideshare services companies as big and powerful as Lyft and Uber.
We realize the steps businesses like this take to marginalize the stories and injuries of victims. We step up when this happens. We make sure that they get their day in court.
After a free case consultation, we can discuss the steps you need to take in order to receive financial compensation. This can help pay for things like hospital bills, wage losses, and other personal items that come from an accident. Yet, you do not have forever. Illinois puts a strict 2-year limit on most actions.
Contact us today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation. Our personal injury attorneys follow social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).
Further Reading and Sources