Were you or a family member recently injured in an accident involving Lyft or a rideshare service in Fort Walton Beach, FL? Recovering fair compensation after a rideshare accident can be difficult. An experienced Fort Walton Beach Lyft accident lawyer at Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Our lawyers have over 60 years of experience between us. In that time, weโve handled countless complex personal injury cases and helped our injured clients recover millions of dollars in compensation.
We would be proud to stand up for your rights. To learn more, contact our law offices in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, to schedule a free consultation today at (850) 863-5297.
How Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Lyft Accident in Fort Walton Beach
Most Lyft passengers use a ridesharing service to get home safely. However, Lyft canโt guarantee a safe ride. Lyft drivers are only humanโand they can cause an accident like anyone else.
Unfortunately, the detailed insurance laws that apply in Lyft accident cases can sometimes make it more difficult for injured parties to recover fair compensation. Lyftโs commercial insurance policy may be involved. When that happens, the insurance companies tend to fight harder to avoid paying whatโs fair.
An experienced Fort Walton Beach car accident lawyer at Brannon & Brannon Personal Injury Lawyers can protect you in these cases. Our lawyers have recovered millions on behalf of injured clients in Northwest Florida. Our legal team includes an AV-Preeminent rated attorney and a certified circuit civil mediator.
Hiring us means we will:
- Handle the investigation into your accident
- Gather and analyze all available evidence
- Retain experts and specialists when needed
- Calculate the value of your personal injury claim
- Stand up for you if youโre blamed for causing the crash
- Negotiate with the insurance companies to secure the fair compensation you need
Our Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorneys know that every dollar counts if you were injured. To learn more about our experience, call for a free consultation today.
How Common Are Lyft Accidents in Fort Walton Beach?
Uber and Lyft are private companies that arenโt required to publish accident reports. That can make it difficult to determine whether Lyft accidents are common.
Private entities have studied the impact of rideshare companies on traffic accidents in recent years. These studies have found that rideshare services have increased the number of traffic accidents by between 2% and 3% since they were introduced.
What Is My Fort Walton Beach Lyft Accident Case Worth?
Like any other personal injury claim, your Lyft accident case value depends on a number of factors that are unique to your situation.
Relevant factors tend to include:
- The severity and nature of your injuries
- Your prognosis and whether youโre expected to recover fully
- Whether you miss time at work during recovery
- Whether youโll be able to return to work at the same earnings level
- The cost of your medical treatment
- The expenses you incur because of the accident
- Your emotional and physical pain and suffering
Available insurance coverage will also impact how much your personal injury case is worth.
How Can Lyft Insurance Coverage Requirements Impact My Case Value?
Lyft insurance coverage requirements can work in your favor after an auto accident. The insurance laws can also make an Uber or Lyft accident case more complicated than a typical car accident claim.
Under Florida law, employers can be liable when their employees are negligent, and someone gets hurt. However, rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors. That means Lyft usually canโt be responsible for damages if a Lyft driver causes an accident. The Lyft driverโs personal insurance company can also avoid liability if the driver was using the vehicle to make a profit.
Because of these factors, Florida changed its insurance law so that Lyft is required to provide commercial insurance coverage. The Lyft insurance policy kicks in to protect accident victims in situations where no other insurance coverage is available.
The amount of insurance coverage depends on the Lyft driverโs status at the time of the accident.
When the driver is using the vehicle for personal purposes and isnโt logged into the app, only the driverโs personal insurance policy is available.
Insurance Coverage Requirements for On-Duty Lyft Drivers
When the Lyft driver is signed into the app and available to accept a ride, the following limits apply:
- $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per person
- $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident
- $25,000 in property damage coverage per accident
Once the driver has accepted a passenger ride request, the following coverage is available:
- $1 million in third-party liability coverage
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage
- Contingent collision coverage up to the total value of the vehicle with a $2,500 deductible
The $1 million coverage limit applies until the passenger exits the Lyft vehicle.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Lyft Accident Victims?
Compensatory damages are grouped according to whether they compensate a victim for economic damages or non-economic damages.
Under Florida personal injury laws, you may be entitled to compensation for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
Lost future earning potential - Physical therapy
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Loss of consortium
If the at-fault partyโs acts were intentional or particularly shocking, courts might also award punitive damages to punish the defendant for those actions.
Can I Recover Damages If Iโm Being Blamed for a Lyft Accident in Florida?
Under Floridaโs comparative fault laws, liability for damages is divided between all parties who share blame for causing an accident. In cases where multiple parties share the blame, each party is assigned a percentage of fault. Everyone is ultimately liable for their percentage of liability.
Fault can also be assigned to injured parties. While you wonโt lose your right to compensation unless you were mostly responsible, shared fault rules can impact the amount of money you take home.
For example, if you were 20% liable, youโre liable for 20% of the damages. You can take home 80% of your settlement or verdictโand youโll also be liable for 20% of the damages if someone else was hurt.
Our Fort Walton Beach Lyft Accident Lawyers Will Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
At Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers, our Fort Walton Beach Lyft accident attorneys will fight to recover fair compensation for all of your injuries, including:
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Other head and neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Crushing injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
If you were injured, call our law firm in Fort Walton Beach to schedule your free initial consultation today.
What Causes Most Lyft Accidents in Fort Walton Beach, Florida?
Are you wondering why motor vehicle accidents involving Lyft are so common?
Some of the most common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents are:
- Speeding to maximize the number of Lyft rides per day
- Drivers who are distracted by GPS and smartphones
- Stopping to pick up or drop off passengers in unsafe places
- Other forms of distracted driving
- Drowsy driving
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Traffic violations
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Failure to maintain the Lyft vehicle
Lyft passengers, third-party motorists, and even pedestrians can also contribute to the cause of an accident. Often, more than one factor plays a role in causing an accident. When that happens, multiple people can be held liable for damages.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Lyft Accident in Florida?
Accidents tend to happen because someone was careless. Most of the time, youโll have to prove negligence to recover damages.
That means you must establish:
- The at-fault party owed you a duty of care
- A breach of duty occurred
- The breach caused the accident
- You suffered damages
Although negligence claims are common, it can still be tough to find proof to support your caseโespecially if you were injured. Our lawyers will gather police reports, speak with witnesses and locate any video footage that can help with your case. In especially complex cases, we may even hire experts in accident reconstruction to offer their opinions about what happened.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Lyft Accident in Florida?
In Florida, the statute of limitations gives accident victims two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. There could be exceptions that affect the timeline.
Two years might seem like a long time. However, your case will be much stronger if our lawyers can begin building your case and negotiating with the insurance companies much sooner.
Contact a Fort Walton Beach Lyft Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
Do you have questions about your right to compensation after a Lyft accident in Okaloosa County? A Fort Walton Beach Lyft accident lawyer can help you fight to maximize your settlement or verdict. Just call Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers to learn more about how our team can help.
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Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Fort Walton Beach, FL
Brannon & Brannon Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyers
975 Marwalt Dr, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547
(850) 863-5297