Lyft Auto Accident Claims

If you have been injured in an accident involving a Lyft rideshare vehicle, you need the Lyft accident lawyers at Miller & Zois. Our rideshare accident attorneys understand how Lyft claims are handled, how the available insurance changes during different stages of a ride, and how to pursue the most compensation available for a serious Lyft accident case.

Lyft Auto Accident Attorneys

Lyft is one of the largest commercial rideshare transportation companies in the United States. Rideshare companies have taken over much of the private transportation market that was once dominated by taxi services. Lyft operates through a network of drivers and riders who connect through the Lyft app.

At this point, most people are familiar with how Lyft works. Riders download the app, create an account, and connect a payment method. A rider requests a trip through the app, and the request is transmitted to nearby Lyft drivers. Once a driver accepts the request, the app identifies the driver and vehicle and tracks the driver’s progress to the pickup location. Payment is processed electronically when the trip is completed.

Commercial rideshare networks have grown enormously over the last decade. Uber has the largest share of the United States rideshare market. Lyft is its primary competitor and accounts for roughly one quarter of the market. Lyft is headquartered in San Francisco and follows the same basic business model as Uber.

Lyft Auto Accident Cases

As Lyft and other rideshare companies continue to grow in Maryland, the number of Lyft drivers active on Maryland roadways continues to rise. More Lyft drivers on the road inevitably means more auto accidents involving rideshare vehicles.

A Lyft accident claim can arise in several ways. You may have a claim if:

• You were a passenger in a Lyft vehicle that crashed.
• A Lyft driver struck your vehicle.
• You were a pedestrian or bicyclist hit by a Lyft driver.
• Another driver caused a crash while you were riding in a Lyft vehicle.
• A family member was killed in an accident involving a Lyft driver.

Lyft drivers are generally classified as independent contractors. That classification means Lyft is not automatically responsible for every negligent act committed by every driver. Lyft may still face direct liability under certain circumstances, and its commercial insurance may cover an accident even when Lyft disputes direct legal responsibility.

The driver’s status at the exact time of the collision is usually one of the first coverage questions. The available insurance may depend on whether the driver’s app was off, whether the driver was waiting for a request, or whether the driver had accepted a ride and was traveling to collect or transport a passenger.

Lyft Insurance Coverage

The chart below provides a general summary of Lyft’s publicly described insurance structure. The actual coverage available in a Maryland case depends on the policy in effect, the driver’s app status, the facts of the crash, and any personal or commercial insurance covering the vehicles involved.

Insurance coverage and legal liability are separate questions. Lyft and its insurers may still contest who caused the collision, whether the driver was using the app, whether the injuries resulted from the crash, and the amount of the damages.

Maryland law requires transportation network companies and their drivers to maintain insurance while transportation network services are being provided. The law also requires the company and potentially responsible insurers to cooperate in a coverage investigation by providing information about the precise times the driver was logged into the network before and after the accident.

That electronic app information can decide which insurance period applies. Our lawyers seek the trip record, acceptance time, pickup information, GPS data, driver status, and applicable insurance policies rather than relying solely on the driver’s recollection.

Lyft accident claims may be handled by different insurers and claims administrators depending on the state, policy period, and coverage involved. The responsible company should be identified from the insurance documents and claim correspondence in the individual case.

Lyft’s Liability in Rideshare Accidents

Several people or companies may be responsible for a Lyft accident. Potential defendants and sources of insurance include:

• The Lyft driver who caused the crash
• Another negligent driver
• Lyft under a direct negligence or agency theory supported by the evidence
• The owner of another vehicle involved in the collision
• An employer whose employee caused the accident while working
• A company responsible for defective vehicle parts or negligent maintenance
• A government entity responsible for a dangerous road condition

Lyft’s independent contractor defense does not prevent every claim against the company. Courts have allowed plaintiffs to pursue claims based on agency, apparent agency, negligent screening, negligent retention, and Lyft’s own corporate conduct when the alleged facts support those theories.

In an influential California case involving an alleged assault by an Uber driver, the federal court refused to dismiss certain agency related claims at the pleading stage. The ruling allowed the plaintiff to continue trying to prove that the company exercised enough control over the driver, or created the appearance of an agency relationship, to support liability. The decision did not conclusively classify every rideshare driver as an employee, but it showed that the independent contractor label does not automatically resolve the liability question.

Evidence Can Disappear After a Lyft Accident

A Lyft claim often depends on electronic information that does not appear in an ordinary police report. If you were injured, save your Lyft receipt, screenshots, driver information, text messages, photographs, and every communication with Lyft or an insurance adjuster.

Our lawyers may also seek:

• The exact time the driver logged into the Lyft platform
• The time the ride was requested and accepted
• The pickup and destination information
• GPS and route data
• Driver account and deactivation records
• Dash camera or nearby surveillance video
• Vehicle inspection and maintenance records
• Cellphone records when distracted driving is suspected
• Prior complaints involving the driver when Lyft’s own conduct is at issue

Settlements in Lyft Auto Accident Cases

Lyft does not want serious accident cases going to trial. The company understands that a public trial creates litigation expense, uncertainty, and the risk of damaging publicity. Lawyers handling Lyft cases need to account for those pressures when making a settlement demand. You should not make the same demand against Lyft that you would make against an ordinary individual driver insured by a conventional carrier such as State Farm.

In our experience, Lyft may pay substantially more to settle the same injury claim. The larger insurance policy, corporate exposure, defense costs, and publicity concerns can change the settlement calculus. A lawyer who treats the case like a routine personal auto claim may leave significant money on the table.

Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits

Women across the country have filed civil lawsuits against Lyft alleging that they were sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers and that the company failed to take reasonable steps to protect them. Many of these cases have been filed in California, where Lyft is headquartered, although claims have been brought in courts throughout the country.

The allegations follow a recurring pattern. A driver picks up a woman, often late at night or when she is traveling alone, and subjects her to unwanted sexual touching, assault, or rape. Plaintiffs allege that Lyft failed to screen the driver properly, ignored warning signs, failed to respond to earlier complaints, or allowed a dangerous driver to remain on the platform.

Rideshare companies have obligations to take reasonable steps to protect their passengers. Those steps may include meaningful background screening, prompt investigation of complaints, suspension or removal of accused drivers, preservation of complaint records, and safety features that allow passengers to obtain help quickly.

Some plaintiffs also argue that operating camera systems could prevent assaults, discourage misconduct, and preserve evidence. Lyft does not generally require every driver to operate a camera during every ride.

How Often Do Lyft Driver Sexual Assaults Occur?

Lyft’s first safety report covered incidents reported from 2017 through 2019. The company recorded 4,158 reports of sexual assault during that three year period. The annual total increased from 1,096 reports in 2017 to 1,807 reports in 2019.

More than half of the 2019 sexual assault reports were categorized as nonconsensual touching of a sexual body part. Lyft separately reported 156 incidents of nonconsensual sexual penetration in 2019. The report also identified ten fatal physical assaults from 2017 through 2019. Those fatal assaults were reported as a separate safety category and should not be confused with the sexual assault total.

These figures are historical and reflect incidents reported to Lyft. They do not necessarily capture every assault because many survivors never report what happened to the company or police.

Examples of Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits

The sexual assault lawsuits filed against Lyft include claims involving unwanted touching, assault, rape, kidnapping, and other serious misconduct by drivers. Examples of allegations made in filed cases include:

• A group of 19 women in New York alleged that Lyft failed to implement basic safety measures that could have prevented sexual assaults by drivers.
• A Colorado passenger alleged that her Lyft driver sexually assaulted her inside his vehicle at night instead of taking her safely to her destination.

These are allegations from civil complaints. Each plaintiff must prove what occurred, connect Lyft’s conduct to the assault, and establish her individual damages.

Settlement Compensation for a Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuit

The settlement value of a sexual assault civil lawsuit against Lyft will depend heavily on the strength of the negligence claim against the company. If Lyft failed to screen a driver with a known history of sexual misconduct, ignored an earlier complaint, or allowed an accused driver to remain active, that evidence can significantly increase the value of the case.

In cases with a strong negligence theory against Lyft, our lawyers believe the potential settlement value could range from $400,000 to $1 million or even higher, depending on the severity of the assault and the harm suffered by the plaintiff.

Claims involving rape, kidnapping, physical violence, diagnosed post traumatic stress disorder, substantial mental health treatment, lost income, or permanent psychological injury may have a higher value. The available evidence concerning Lyft’s prior knowledge of the driver can also have a major effect on settlement compensation.

Deadline for Filing a Maryland Lyft Accident Lawsuit

Maryland generally gives an injured person three years from the date a personal injury claim accrues to file a lawsuit. A wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within three years after the death.

There can be exceptions and shorter notice requirements. Claims involving a government vehicle or dangerous public road condition may require formal notice long before the ordinary three year filing deadline. Claims involving a minor, a sexual assault, or injuries discovered later require their own legal analysis.

You should not wait until the deadline approaches. App records, surveillance footage, witness memories, driver records, and electronic communications can disappear much sooner.

Hire a Lyft Accident Lawyer in Maryland

Miller & Zois handles major auto accident and rideshare cases throughout Maryland and the surrounding areas. If you have an accident claim against Lyft, Uber, or another rideshare company, contact our accident lawyers for a free consultation.

Call us at 800-553-8082 or request a case evaluation online.