Have you been injured in a Lyft rideshare accident in Freehold, New Jersey? Don’t hesitate to call the award-winning litigators at Noonan & McMahon, LLC for help today. You may be entitled to a monetary award for your medical bills, loss of income, and emotional distress. Our Freehold Lyft accident lawyers can offer the experience, support, and resources needed to earn the financial award you need and deserve.
With decades of combined legal experience, the attorneys at Noonan & McMahon, LLC have been dedicated legal advocates for Monmouth County crash victims and families. We’ve helped our clients recover millions from powerful insurance companies and other tough adversaries.
Now, we’re here to put you on a level playing field and fight to help you get the financial accountability you need to move forward with your life. We offer a free case review. Contact our law office at (732) 303-7857 to get started.
How Our Freehold Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Lyft Accident
Lyft vehicles are commercially driven vehicles. So, when a Lyft is involved in a car accident, related legal claims can be more complex than your typical car accident case. Several parties – including more than one insurance company – can be involved, and each one will work hard to limit their liability. If you hire an experienced Freehold personal injury lawyer, they can handle your Lyft accident claim and engage in productive settlement negotiations.
Your choice of representation matters, which is why crash victims in Freehold choose Noonan & McMahon, LLC. We’re award-winning civil litigators recognized by prominent organizations like Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and The National Trial Lawyers for our commitment to justice and our ability to get successful results.
Asking for our help after a Lyft car accident in Freehold, New Jersey means benefiting from our full-service legal representation, which includes:
- A prompt and thorough independent investigation into your Lyft rideshare accident
- Careful consideration of relevant evidence, including medical records, Lyft vehicle maintenance records, forensics reports, cell phone records, Lyft driver records, photographs, video footage of the crash, and witness testimony
- Expert testimony and support from accident reconstructionists, forensics specialists, medical professionals, and other professionals with insight relevant to your case
- An aggressive pursuit of a top-dollar financial settlement during negotiations with the defense
- Bringing your Lyft accident lawsuit to trial in Freehold, NJ, if the insurance company or other liable parties refuse to make you whole
At Noonan & McMahon, LLC, our Freehold car accident attorneys represent crash victims on a contingency fee basis. Our fees are directly related to the results we achieve. Pay nothing until we’ve won compensation for your Lyft injury case.
There is a limited time to take action, so don’t hesitate to call our Freehold law office to set up a free consultation.
What Causes Lyft Rideshare Accidents in Freehold, NJ?
While Lyft can offer a more convenient way to travel around Freehold and surrounding towns in Monmouth County, NJ, it’s not necessarily the safest form of transportation. Lyft drivers are, most often, working for the rideshare service as a secondary source of income. The more rides they complete, the more they can earn. Their job forces them to rely heavily on their cell phones, so their attention is often drawn away from the road.
So, Lyft drivers are inherently likely to be fatigued (especially if they’ve already worked a full day at another job), speed, be distracted, make risky maneuvers at the wheel, and potentially turn to mind-altering substances to help them make it through their shift.
Unsurprisingly, many Lyft accidents can be avoided but happen because of:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Drowsy driving
- Unsafe passing
- Illegal turns
- Blind spot errors
- Braking errors
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Merging errors
- Road rage
Factors beyond a driver’s control – such as bad weather conditions, traffic congestion, road defects like potholes, road construction, and vehicle defects – can also increase the likelihood that a Lyft is involved in a Freehold car accident.
Can I File a Lawsuit Against Lyft After an Accident With One of Its Drivers?
Probably not. Lyft and other services have worked hard to ensure that rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. This has tax benefits and eliminates vicarious liability when a Lyft driver is involved in a car accident in Freehold.
Vicarious liability means an employer is responsible for their employee’s negligence. Since Lyft drivers are independently contracted, Lyft sidesteps responsibility when there’s a wreck.
However, Lyft is required to maintain car insurance coverage in the event of an accident. This coverage can be used to protect Lyft passengers and others injured in a collision.
How Do I Get Compensation After a Lyft Rideshare Accident in Freehold?
Insurance will almost always be your primary source of compensation for your crash-related injuries. You can file a claim with the insurance company of anyone who directly or indirectly caused your Lyft rideshare accident.
So, if the Lyft driver caused your car accident, you can file a claim to recover benefits from their personal car insurance policy. In New Jersey, Lyft drivers must maintain a policy with at least $50,000/$100,000 in bodily injury coverage and $25,000 in property damage coverage.
If your Lyft accident injuries are severe, your damages might exceed the Lyft driver’s personal car insurance policy limits. When this happens, you may be able to file a claim with Lyft’s insurance company.
You can seek benefits from Lyft’s insurance company if the Lyft driver:
- Was waiting for a ride request through the Lyft app at the time of the auto accident OR
- Had accepted a ride request and en route to pick up a passenger or had a passenger on board.
Lyft maintains two separate insurance policies, one for each scenario. When a driver is awaiting a ride request, Lyft’s insurance policy is the same as New Jersey’s minimum coverage requirements. So, you can recover up to $50,000 per person or $100,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage.
When a driver is engaged in a ride request, Lyft’s million-dollar auto insurance policy becomes effective until the ride is terminated in the app.
You can also file a claim against a third party, such as a vehicle manufacturer, a pedestrian, a bicyclist, or another motorist who contributed to the Lyft accident.
What Compensation Can I Get After a Lyft Accident?
When you file an insurance claim or a civil Lyft accident lawsuit, you’ll be able to request compensatory damages for your economic losses and harder-to-value losses, including:
- Current and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing care
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Funeral expenses if a Lyft accident is fatal
- Chronic physical pain
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- PTSD
- Embarrassment
- Pain and suffering
Expect pushback when you accuse a Lyft driver or another party of causing your car accident. You can trust our Freehold Lyft accident attorneys to build a case that highlights your damages, proves liability, and helps you recover the maximum monetary award to which you’re entitled under New Jersey state law.
Common Lyft Accident Injuries
Whether you were riding in a Lyft at the time of impact, walking down the street, or an occupant of another car, it’s possible to suffer life-changing injuries, not limited to:
- Broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Chest injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Whiplash
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crush injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Burn injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
We can help you assess the full extent of your injuries and make sure that you recover maximum compensation for them.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit for a Lyft Accident?
New Jersey state law limits the amount of time you have to file a claim to recover compensation for your Lyft accident injuries and crash-related damages. Most often, a two-year statute of limitations applies. If you miss the filing deadline, you may lose the right to demand the compensation you need to cover your costs and move forward with your life. So, don’t hesitate to call Noonan & McMahon, LLC for help as soon as you can after your Lyft rideshare accident in Freehold.
Can Shared Fault Limit My New Jersey Lyft Accident Settlement?
Yes. New Jersey operates under a modified comparative negligence system with a 51 percent bar. In turn, you cannot recover compensation from a negligent Lyft driver or another responsible party if you’re mostly at fault for the rideshare accident in which you’re injured.
You can receive a limited monetary award if you share some of the blame. Damages will be reduced proportionately to fault, up to 50 percent. So, you could expect to recover 90 percent of the value of your Lyft injury claim if you were assigned 10 percent of the responsibility for the traffic accident.
Contact Our Freehold Lyft Accident Lawyers to Schedule a Free Consultation
Call Noonan & McMahon, LLC if you or a loved one have been hurt in a Lyft rideshare accident in Freehold, NJ. We’re nationally acclaimed civil trial attorneys who’ve won millions of dollars for our clients, and we’re here to do everything in our power to make a difference in your life, too.
There’s no charge for an initial case evaluation, so contact our Freehold Lyft accident lawyers to get started. Members of our team are available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.