Rich in history and culture, New Port Richey pulls out all the stops for its festivals and parades. Even when it is not time for an annual event, the city is alive with sports and recreational opportunities and shopping, and fine dining. These activities can require those who wish to attend to secure transportation in and around town.
When planning to make alcohol part of the celebration or even avoid the stress of traffic congestion during the city’s busy times, many people choose to catch a Lyft rideshare rather than use their vehicles.
While Lyft provides reliable and safe transportation for New Port Richey’s visitors and residents in most circumstances, taking a rideshare is not a risk-free endeavor. Each year, rideshares injure and kill hundreds of passengers due to negligent rideshare drivers or other roadway users.
Suppose a Lyft accident injured you. In that case, an experienced car accident attorney from LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys, can help you understand the process of seeking compensation for your injury’s financial and emotional costs.
If you or someone you know was involved in a Lyft accident in New Port Richey, contact LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys today.
At LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys, our clients always come first. Since our founding in 2000, our legal team has put the needs of our clients above all else, representing the injured and oppressed in our relentless pursuit of justice. We have experience negotiating with and fighting against big insurance firms and feel comfortable taking claims to litigation if necessary.
With an emphasis on health and injury law, our partners are known for their compassion and their resourcefulness. We aim to level the playing field so you get the compensation you deserve after an accident. Proudly serving Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus Counties, LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys, is dedicated to serving the community with which we are so deeply connected.
When you speak to a personal injury attorney about your claim, one of the first pieces of information they will want to know is how the accident occurred. This matters for several reasons, with likely the most important one being determining who is legally responsible for compensating you and how.
Most Lyft accidents in New Port Richey involve one of these two scenarios:
Suppose the accident resulted from a negligent driver in another vehicle. In that case, you can seek compensation for injuries that meet the state’s serious injury threshold through the at-fault party’s auto liability insurance provider. What happens, however, if the accident was the fault of the Lyft driver? This, it turns out, is where the complexity of Lyft accidents begins.
Lyft, like Uber, has a $1 million third-party liability insurance policy that can compensate for the injuries to Lyft passengers and other roadway users if a negligent Lyft driver causes an accident in certain situations.
Here is a look at the tiered insurance coverage the company provides.
Drivers who register their vehicles in Florida must purchase personal injury protection (PIP) policy to provide partial coverage of medical expenses and wage loss related to injuries they incurred, regardless of who was at fault for causing the accident.
This coverage extends to the insured’s household. The policy can also cover expenses and income loss related to injuries the policyholder and their family members incurred while being injured as a pedestrian or bicyclist, and will cover the expenses of individuals riding in the insured’s vehicle when an accident occurs.
New Port Richey Lyft drivers are required to meet the minimum insurance requirements in Florida, including the provision of PIP coverage. However, this coverage would likely not extend to the driver’s Lyft passengers in an accident unless the driver made their insurance company aware of their rideshare activities. A personal injury claim is the most likely avenue for obtaining compensation if you were a Lyft passenger injured in an accident.
After determining liability, the personal injury claims process essentially works the same in a Lyft accident case as in other traffic accident claims. Here are some of the steps to that process.
Many people hesitate to hire an attorney after a traffic accident because they feel that they cannot afford one or that an attorney will “take” all of their money. In actuality, you will pay our Lyft accident lawyers a contingent fee.
Instead of requiring a large retainer or billing a client by the hour for services, the attorney enters into a contingent fee agreement when they begin working together on the claim. This agreement allows the claimant to withhold payment for their lawyer’s services until a negotiated settlement or award has a positive outcome in the claim.
Having an attorney to help you provides needed experience in this complex type of claim and a deep understanding of the process. Your attorney’s job is to provide both services and guidance to help you navigate the process and make important decisions about your claim.
As explained in the first half of this article, liability is a complex issue in Lyft accident claims. Your attorney will investigate the details of your case to determine all sources of liability and their available insurance resources, as insurance pays most personal injury claims.
Another essential service your attorney will provide for your Lyft accident claim is a determination of how much the claim is worth.
This is not based solely on the expenses you incurred but rather a consideration of several factors, including:
Once your New Port Richey Lyft accident attorney has determined liability and insurance resources and has helped you establish a value to your claim, they will generally send a demand to the at-fault party’s or third party’s insurance provider. This demand contains details of the accident, documentation of expenses, and a request for payment of the claim’s full value.
An insurance adjuster who works for the insurance company will evaluate claims and determine how much compensation (if any) it should pay. Make no mistake: the insurance adjuster does not work for you or on your behalf. They work for the insurance company, and their interests in the case are opposed to yours. Even a third-party insurance provider’s adjuster for Lyft will usually look for ways to reduce or eliminate the claim.
When your New Port Richey Lyft crash attorney determines liability, available insurance resources, and the value of your claim, they will typically send a demand to the at-fault party’s or third party’s insurance provider. This demand includes details about the accident, documentation of expenses incurred, and a request for payment of the claim’s full value.
An insurance adjuster employed by the insurance company will evaluate the claim and determine the amount of compensation (if any) to be paid. It is important to understand that the insurance adjuster does not work for you or on your behalf; they work for the insurance company, and their interests in the case are opposed to yours. Even a third-party insurance provider’s adjuster for Lyft will often seek ways to reduce or eliminate the claim.
After evaluating a claim, insurance adjusters have three options:
When an insurer decides to offer a settlement, the initial offer is usually significantly lower than the claim’s value, often less than half. In such cases, your attorney can negotiate with the insurer to secure a better offer. While your attorney does not decide whether an offer is fair (as that decision is solely yours to make), they can provide guidance on how the claim is valued, enabling you to make a well-informed decision.
Insurance adjusters have three options available to them after evaluating a claim.
Usually, when an insurer decides to offer a settlement, the initial offer is far below the claim’s value—often, less than half. When this happens, your attorney can negotiate with the insurer to get them to make a better offer. Your attorney does not decide whether the offer is fair, as that decision is solely yours to make. However, they can guide how the claim is valued so that you can make a well-informed decision.
If the insurance company fails to provide fair compensation for your Lyft accident injuries, you and your attorney may consider filing a personal injury lawsuit in civil court. While filing a lawsuit does not end the settlement negotiation process, it often accelerates negotiations as insurance companies generally prefer to avoid the uncertainties and expenses associated with litigation.
In Florida, plaintiffs must file most personal injury lawsuits within four years of the accident date. Although this may seem like a lengthy period compared to many other states, time can pass quickly. Failing to file your claim within the statute of limitations will result in losing the ability to seek compensation through the court system, so it is crucial to be mindful of deadlines related to your case.
While the vast majority of personal injury claims in the U.S. (up to 96%) are resolved through out-of-court settlements, and a settlement is the likely outcome when seeking compensation for a New Port Richey Lyft accident, there are no guarantees. Litigation can be costly and time-consuming for all parties involved. However, the option to place the matter before the court can sometimes motivate an at-fault party or insurance provider to offer sufficient compensation to fairly compensate you for your losses.
Up to 96 percent of personal injury claims in the U.S. resolve through out-of-court settlements. If you seek compensation for a New Port Richey Lyft collision, settlement negotiations will probably produce it. However, while that is the likely outcome, there are no guarantees. While litigation is expensive and time-consuming for both parties, the option to place the issue in the hands of the court can get an at-fault party or insurance provider to offer enough compensation to fairly compensate you.
Whether your case resolves through settlement negotiations or a court decision, your attorney will receive your compensation. They will deduct the percentage you agreed to pay them in the contingent fee agreement, satisfy any other responsibilities in that agreement, and then disburse the remainder of the award to you.
With tourism traffic and a wide variety of dining and drinking establishments, there are many valid reasons to catch a Lyft in New Port Richey. However, while ridesharing can provide you with stress-free transportation around the city, the same cannot be said about being involved in a ridesharing accident.
The experienced legal team at LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys, is dedicated to aggressively fighting for our clients’ rights to compensation for their injuries, particularly when they are up against high-powered insurance attorneys such as those that administer third-party policies for Lyft. We are comfortable with litigation and are prepared to take cases to trial.
Let our skilled personal injury lawyer explore your legal options for seeking compensation for your injury’s financial and emotional costs.
For a free case evaluation after a Lyft accident in New Port Richey, contact us online or call (727) 761-4731. Reach out to LMD Injury Lawyers, Accident Injury Attorneys today.
NEW PORT RICHEY
Liberty Professional Building
8606 Government Drive
New Port Richey, FL 34654
Phone: 727.761.4731
727-849-5353