Miami Lyft Accident Lawyer

In Miami, residents and tourists alike make liberal use of ridesharing services like Lyft. Although these transportation services offer simple and affordable travel options, their drivers are just as prone to accidents as anyone else. If you have been in an accident with a Lyft driver, you could seek compensation for your injuries, but determining which insurance coverage applies can be difficult. 

A Miami rideshare accident lawyer can help you fight for the fair financial compensation you deserve if you suffered serious injuries in an accident involving a rideshare service. The legal team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine assists clients who sustained injuries in Lyft crashes in Miami. Our Miami Lyft accident lawyers can help you pursue a financial settlement for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Call us today for a free consultation.

How Much Is Your Lyft Accident Claim Worth?

You likely have the right to pursue a financial settlement for your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. You may also have a valid basis to seek fair compensation for any ongoing medical care you will require and future lost wages. Your economic and noneconomic damages could also include: 

• Lost work bonuses and benefits
• Reduced earning ability
• Lost commissions or sales
• Diminished quality of life
• Car repair or replacement
• Other property losses
• Loss of enjoyment of life

You may have other unique losses that we can include in your claim or lawsuit. Our team of Miami personal injury lawyers offers a personalized approach to our clients, both in determining eligible damages and pursuing them. 

How Does Our Rideshare Collision Attorney Calculate A Claim?

To calculate the dollar value of the injuries listed in your claim, we will assemble the following: 

• Medical bills you have accrued
• Receipts for out-of-pocket expenses
• Testimony from experts

We will compile information related to any of your treatments to date. We will also document your lost wages using information from your employer, pay stubs, and other relevant supporting documents.

We Also Account For Your Future Losses

To document your projected future costs as well as determine other damages you could receive, we will collect information from your doctors and medical providers and potentially obtain testimony from medical experts. For instance, a psychologist can illustrate how your symptoms are consistent with a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis, warranting further financial and medical support for you in the future. 

If you cannot return to work for some time or if you developed a long-term or permanent disability, we will calculate the value of your future lost wages and opportunities. Again, experts, including economists and actuaries, can testify for you in this area. Finally, we will calculate your pain and suffering and evaluate any physical or functional losses you sustained

How Insurance Coverage Is Handled For Lyft Accidents

After any car accident in Florida, you must file a claim with your personal injury protection (PIP) policy. Florida Statutes § 627.736 mandates PIP policies provide at least $10,000 in coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, and death benefits. If you suffered minor injuries, your PIP policy will provide compensation regardless of who was at fault for the crash. 

However, $10,000 is a relatively low amount. After all, Healthcare.gov reports that a few days in the hospital could cost $30,000. 

Serious Injury Threshold

The reason you go through your insurance’s PIP coverage is, in theory, to allow you to access the compensation you need quickly. Unfortunately, those same laws restrict access to certain damages, such as pain and suffering. 

However, if you meet the state’s serious injury threshold, you can seek additional compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Outlined in Florida Statute § 627.737, serious injuries are ones that cause: 

• Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
• Permanent injury
• Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
• Death 

Examples of serious injuries include: 

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Amputations
• Loss of sense, such as sight or vision
• Broken bones

If you suffered serious injuries in a rideshare crash in Miami, having one of our personal injury attorneys on your team can bolster your defenses against such attacks. Furthermore, our accident attorneys don’t just fight against your case being undervalued but also argue for you to receive the appropriate level of damages.

The Driver’s Status Affects Lyft’s Insurance Policy

Lyft’s drivers are considered independent contractors and must carry their own insurance policies. However, Lyft’s insurance coverage takes effect depending on the driver’s status on the app:

• When the Lyft driver is off the app, the driver’s insurance will cover any accident.
• When the Lyft driver is on the app looking for a rider, Lyft provides a third-party policy of $50,000/$100,000 per person/accident in bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage.
• When the Lyft driver is on the app and either en route to a rider or carrying a rider, Lyft provides $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage

There are additional coverage options that our Miami Lyft accident lawyer can review with you. 

Pursuing a fair settlement for your injuries can become a complex proposition in these cases. Lyft itself employs several tactics to avoid being held accountable, pushing liability on its drivers. For that reason, you should consider seeking assistance from an attorney. 

We offer comprehensive legal assistance for victims of injury accidents involving rideshare companies like Lyft. If you suffered serious injuries in your crash, we can identify the at-fault party and pursue a financial settlement on your behalf.

Multiple Parties May Be Liable In Your Rideshare Case

It’s possible that your collision involved more factors than just you and the rideshare driver. For instance, was there road construction? Did it seem like some equipment failed in your vehicle or the other party’s vehicle? Were other drivers involved?

We consider these variables in your case to identify other possible liable parties. Managing such a situation can be especially stressful if your expenses are high, Lyft avoids responsibility, and the negligent driver’s insurance coverage is limited. In these cases, we can file a claim or lawsuit with multiple parties, such as an auto parts manufacturer who made faulty equipment or a government entity that failed to maintain a roadway. 

You may not even have the full information about your crash yet, especially if you are entangled in a back-and-forth with Lyft, a Lyft driver, or an insurance representative. Our legal team can take over this part of the investigation while you recover from your injuries.

How Can A Lyft Accident Lawyer In Miami Help

We will protect your legal rights and pursue the financial compensation you deserve for your injuries. We will make sure you get the medical care and treatment you need, putting you on the road to healing and getting back to work.

Our legal team will:

• Gather relevant evidence and testimony
• Assemble your insurance claim 
• Submit it to the insurance company
• Negotiate on your behalf to obtain a fair settlement offer
• Explain all the terms and options available to you

If the insurance company fails to offer a reasonable settlement, we can file a personal injury lawsuit with the Miami-Dade County courthouse to resolve your case.

The Insurance Company Is Not On Your Side

It is important to remember that the insurance company and its lawyers may not have your best interests at heart. Instead, many insurers endeavor to minimize the claims they must pay out. The insurer in your case may attempt to get you to sign a waiver or try to deny your car accident claim.

Our legal team will protect you from these attempts, but it is critical that you do not give a statement or sign any documents without first talking to us.

We Will Prove Fault In Your Miami Car Accident

Establishing liability for a Lyft accident requires an in-depth knowledge of the Florida statutes and careful documentation of the incident. As with any personal injury claim, we must demonstrate that your case involved the four legal elements of negligence to establish fault and liability:

• Duty of care
• Breach of duty
• Causation
• Damages

For example, a Lyft driver owes a duty of care to passengers and the public. This requires that they obey traffic laws and always operate their vehicle safely. If a driver fails to heed the speed limit or texts behind the wheel, they breach that duty of care. If they cause an accident because of this breach, they are liable for any damages they cause.

The final element we must prove is actual damages. We will assemble and provide documentation regarding your treatment costs, lost wages, future care costs and income losses, and pain and suffering.

There Are No Upfront Fees From You

Our legal team will handle your case on a contingency basis. This means you don’t have to pay us upfront for our services. In fact, we don’t get paid unless we recover financial compensation for you. When we win your case, our agreed-upon fee will be a percentage of your award. This arrangement allows us to start on your case right away.

It is important to pursue your Miami Lyft accident as soon as possible. As part of our investigation, we will review the evidence and speak with accident witnesses who can confirm your version of events. As mentioned earlier, we may consult expert witnesses who can give a professional opinion that supports your case, as well. 

Florida Limits The Time You Have To Sue After A Miami Lyft Accident

We want to give your case the time and attention it deserves. However, if we must sue for damages, Florida law puts your case filing on a timetable.

Per Florida Statutes § 95.11, we have two years from the accident date to pursue legal action against the liable party. If you are filing a wrongful death action, it is also two years. Missing your case’s deadline means you will risk losing your right to seek compensation for your Miami Lyft accident. 

Moreover, the statute of limitations isn’t just a deadline, but time we can use productively. The following are all the parts of your case that we can handle before even considering a lawsuit:

• Preserving crucial physical evidence
• Talking to witnesses while their memories are fresh
• Investigating the circumstances of your accident
• Identifying other possible liable parties
• Understanding the full extent of your injuries 
• Determining how your injuries will affect you in the future
• Reviewing and negotiating settlement offers

Our Miami Lyft accident attorneys will advise you of the timeline and whether any exceptions to the law apply to your case. Generally, the sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we can start working for you. 

Hear What Others Say About Working With Us

Our legal team aims to help every client recover as fully as possible after suffering injuries and losses in an accident. We care about the people we serve, and our attorneys are proud of the sentiments past clients have shared with us. Here’s a sampling of what past clients have said about our services:

• “Anidjar & Levine is a great law firm. They gave us a free consultation over the phone and we were able to resolve our case easily. Evans was most friendly, honest and sincere with our case and I would highly recommend this law firm to those struggling with finding the right law firm. Keep up the good work guys!” — Kharmen W.
• “What unbelievable professionalism. If you have to hire an attorney to represent you during a difficult time, there is no other choice than Anidjar and Levine. Everyone I dealt with was great. Special thanks to Jonathan Holtz.” — Charles L.

Take Steps For Your Health And Your Claim

If you have been in a car accident, the most important things you can do is:

• Call 9-1-1 so the police can make a report
• See a doctor and follow their orders
• Take pictures of the accident scene and your injuries
• Exchange information with the other driver and witnesses

And then, call us. 

Consult With A Lyft Accident Lawyer In Miami Today At No Cost

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine understand how frightening and confusing it can be to deal with an injury accident. When your crash involves the complicated legal aspects of ridesharing, it can become overwhelming. We will take care of everything for you. Our team will update you regularly throughout your case, and you will even get your attorney’s phone number so that you can reach us at any time.

We offer free case evaluations for clients who sustained injuries in an accident. Contact us to learn how our Miami Lyft accident lawyers can assist you in getting the financial compensation you deserve for your injuries.