Lyft Insurance Explained

If you are injured while driving for a rideshare company, understand your right to compensation

If you have a motor vehicle and a driver’s license, you are probably eligible to become a Lyft driver. Over one million drivers work full or part-time as Lyft drivers. If you have decided to take to the road, then you must be sure to get the right insurance coverage.

As a Lyft driver, you will be covered by the company’s liability and collision policies. These policies leave coverage gaps, and the last thing you want is to be held financially responsible for damage or injury if you are ever in an accident.

The priority of Lyft is to make money. The company will not go out of its way to offset your expenses if you collide with a person or another vehicle. Even if the accident was the fault of another, you may still be faced with large bills that you cannot pay. It is better to have an insurance policy that will cover all contingencies so that an accident does not lead to your financial ruin.

How Insurers Cover Rideshare Drivers

The rideshare industry has grown so large that there is an entire subsegment of the insurance industry dedicated to it. Insurance companies divide rideshare driving into 3 stages:

1. Stage 1

You are logged into the Lyft app and are awaiting a ride request.

2. Stage 2

You have received a passenger request and are on your way to pick them up.

3. Stage 3

Your passenger is in the car and you are taking them to their destination.

Your Lyft insurance offers very little coverage during stage 1. The company’s contingent comprehensive and collision insurance covers you during stages 2 and 3.

Stage 1 coverage is limited to $50,000 per person for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. For stages 2 and 3, you can expect up to $1 million in third party liability coverage. This latter coverage includes a $2,500 deductible, which you will have to pay yourself before the Lyft insurance kicks in.

The Best Way to Protect Yourself

Even though there are gaps in Lyft insurance policies, relying on your personal auto insurance is not the best solution. Such auto insurance policies do not cover vehicles that are used for commercial purposes, and your insurer will put your work for Lyft into this category. It is possible to get rideshare standalone coverage, which is separate from your personal auto policy and will cover the gaps left by Lyft.

Here are some of the other types of coverage you should consider:

1. Liability

This will cover injuries to another person and damage to their property. However, it will not protect your own vehicle or cover your medical costs.

2. Comprehensive and collision coverage

This will cover the cost of the repair to your vehicle or its replacement, regardless of fault.

3. Uninsured and underinsured motorist

This will cover the cost of your medical bills if the driver you collided with was at fault but does not have insurance or does not have adequate insurance.

4. Medical payments insurance

This will cover your medical expenses owing to the car accident and your health insurance deductible.

Time for a Lawyer?

There are circumstances and situations that require you to take legal action. If you have purchased insurance that is meant to cover the gaps left by Lyft and your insurer refuses to settle your claim, then you should hire a Lyft car wreck lawyer in Los Angeles.

If you were in an accident that caused you injuries, you may need to go through medical procedures and a period of rehabilitation and recovery that will be expensive. You will also be unable to work and receive income during such a period, which may leave you financially strained. Your insurance is meant to relieve such pressures. But if they have not come through, then you should hire a Los Angeles-based injury lawyer. A Los Angeles personal injury attorney can get you the money you deserve from your insurance company.

A Lyft crash lawyer in Los Angeles can also force the rideshare company you work for to honor its commitments. Injuries that result from an accident can cause all kinds of setbacks and complications in your life. The main aim of your traffic accident lawyer in Los Angeles will be to maximize the amount of money you receive from Lyft insurers and your own.

If your claim is refused by the insurer, your rideshare accident injury attorney in Los Angeles will go to work to build a case against them.

One of the first things you will need to demonstrate is the cause of the accident. To do so, your ridesharing accident attorney in Los Angeles will have private investigation professionals go to the scene. They will review any traffic footage of the area and track down and interview people who witnessed it.

Your attorney will also subpoena insurance company documents, including emails and paperwork related to your case. If your claim has been unjustly denied, the people who schemed to do it probably left a paper trail. Your lawyer will also depose everyone involved with your case to determine if there was any wrongdoing.

If you were seriously injured in the accident, your lawyer will bring in an independent medical expert to review your case. They will determine the nature and extent of your injuries and will offer a prognosis on your recovery. Your attorney will also speak to your family to get a sense of how the accident has impacted them. It may be possible to get money for your pain and suffering and for the emotional strain and stress your family has had to endure. This is an option if the accident was caused by another person.

A lawsuit against an insurance company does not need to go to trial. Lawyers for Uber/Lyft drivers know how to negotiate with the other side to settle matters out of court, which can save you court fees in the long run. In fact, the insurance company will want to do this as well rather than risk a jury trial that could go against them.

If you have been treated unfairly by insurance companies, lawyers who support rideshare drivers can help.