The exact number of Lyft drivers isn’t disclosed, but Business News Daily believes there are more than 1.4 million drivers spread across the US and Canada. As the popularity of ridesharing continues to grow, the number of Lyft drivers is expected to rise, which is putting other road users at risk because the nature of driving for the likes of Lyft comes with added pressures to be fast. Under these circumstances, drivers let go of good practices and begin following a reckless path, which can lead to horrific accidents.
Is There an Average Lyft Settlement Amount?
You won’t find a database of past Lyft settlement amounts, so it’s impossible to tell you what the average cost would be. After all, even if there was such a record, it wouldn’t take into consideration the unique factors in each case. However, we can tell you that the average personal injury settlement sits anywhere between $300,000 and $1 million.
Influential Factors in Lyft Settlements
The amount Lyft accident victims can receive through a settlement depends on a number of critical factors. To start with, you have to provide evidence of injuries including the duration, prognosis, and extent. Additionally, your ability to live life as you did before the crash plays an important part. For example, were you left disabled and unable to resume employment or did you make a full recovery? To pass the threshold for filing a claim for financial loss and pain and suffering, we have to prove that your injuries left you incapable of leading a normal life.
The extent of injuries makes up some of the most important factors in a Lyft accident settlement but there are plenty of others to consider, including:
- The limit of coverage detailed by the defense attorney, adjuster, and insurance company.
- Past, present, and future medical requirements including injury type, recovery timeline, and any impairments.
- Whether medical bills amount to excessive costs.
- Coverage limits in your underinsured or uninsured motorist insurance policy.
- Coverage details in the at-fault driver’s liability insurance.
To ensure each factor is met with evidence, our team of expert Lyft accident attorneys will launch a thorough investigation, which will include speaking to witnesses, analyzing medical records, checking maintenance logs, and liaising with various crash reconstruction experts.
The final element that will influence your settlement is the experience of your attorney. If they have a reputation with insurance companies for taking cases to court and winning, you’re more likely to get a higher settlement and much faster. By working with us, we can guarantee we’ll take your case all the way to the courtroom if need be.
Lyft Settlement Components
Aside from claiming for medical expenses and loss of earnings, you may be eligible to file for pain and suffering. However, this depends on whether we can prove that your injuries amount to a ‘serious impairment of bodily function’.
Pain and suffering can be broken down into the following six parts:
- Pain and suffering in a physical sense.
- A loss of quality and enjoyment in life.
- Shock and fear from the trauma.
- Mental pain, depression, and anxiety.
- Mental distress.
- Mortification, embarrassment, and humiliation.
These are the types of damages that can’t be seen on the surface, so we’ll need to dig a little deeper to find evidence. With this in mind, we recommend that all of our clients keep a daily journal detailing the extent of injuries including pictures, pain, and insights on feelings. To corroborate your journal, we will speak to medical experts and other relevant professionals to testify.
Your insurance policy will have a PIP (Personal Injury Protection) element designed to cover medical expenses—this may be written as no-fault insurance. If the cost of medical care exceeds the amount of PIP detailed in your policy, your Lyft settlement will cover anything over this.
Your contract of employment will likely have a ‘no-fault’ clause, which means you’ll be paid for a set period if you must take time off work through no fault of your own. If recovery doesn’t allow you to return to work when the no-fault payments end, you’ll have solid grounds to build a compensation claim.
How Much Can You Expect to Receive from a Lyft Settlement?
After building evidence during our investigation, there’s still one more factor that will influence how much you can expect to receive from a settlement: the amount of liability coverage the Lyft driver has and whether they were on duty or not.
In the majority of states, the amount payable in a settlement depends on the at-fault driver’s availability when the accident took place. If the Lyft driver is available to take passengers but doesn’t have any at the time, the minimum liability is:
- $50,000 per person for injury or death
- $100,000 per accident for bodily injury
- $25,000 for property damage
If the Lyft driver is in transit with passengers, the available compensation transitions to a total single threshold of $1 million for both property damage and bodily injuries.
What is the Typical Lyft Settlement Timeline?
How long a Lyft settlement takes is nearly impossible to answer because it changes depending on unique circumstances. However, we can tell you that the statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits is two years in most cases. The quicker you are to make contact with our firm, the quicker we’ll be able to get started with our investigation. A settlement can be paid out during any of the three points in the timeline:
- Before the lawsuit: The best-case scenario is if the settlement is agreed upon and paid before considering court action.
- After the lawsuit is filed: Often, representatives for the at-fault Lyft driver will agree to a settlement after being pressured by a lawsuit.
- During a trial: If an agreement isn’t met, we’ll fight for you in court and your settlement will be paid here.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a Lyft driver accident that wasn’t your fault, visit Daniel T. Pagliarini: Attorney at Law at 700 Bishop St, Ste 2100, Honolulu, HI, 96813.
Or call us today for a free consultation on (808) 745-1592.