Lyft Accident Lawyers in Austin, Texas
Strong advocacy for Lyft and rideshare accident victims in Texas
Lyft rideshare services help Austin residents, workers, and visitors navigate the great attractions of the city. With just an app, a mother can transport a child to a playground, a student can get off the campus, and a worker can meet clients or get to his/her office. Users can use apps to enjoy Austin’s natural sites and entertainment. The advantages of Lyft services also have risks. Most workers have little experience. Many workers focus on their smartphones and GPS systems instead of traffic. Serious and deadly Lyft accidents are all too common.
At Slack Davis Sanger, our lawyers understand the unique challenges involved when anyone is injured in a Lyft accident in Austin. We work with investigators and conduct discovery to determine how the accident happened, and who is responsible. Our lawyers understand the complex insurance issues involved when a Lyft accident happened. We represent victims who suffer injuries in an accident, families of a loved one who died, and passengers who are sexually or physically assaulted. Our firm is respected across Texas for our strong record of successful verdicts and settlements.
"Slack Davis Sanger represents the ultimate in professionalism combined with a true caring attitude.” - Colonel Ray Toler, Client
What types of Lyft accidents do your Austin injury attorneys handle?
Our Austin Lyft accident lawyers represent car occupants, bicycle riders, and pedestrians who are injured when one or more of the vehicles involved in the crash is a Lyft vehicle. Our Austin car accident lawyers handle all types of collisions including:
- Head-on collisions
- Read-end accidents
- T-bone/broadside crashes
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Multi-vehicle accidents
At Slack Davis Sanger, our lawyers are also skilled at handling Lyft accidents caused by defective car parts. We fight aggressively when a Lyft driver sexually or physically assaults someone, or when a passenger is injured getting into or out of a Lyft vehicle.
What are the causes of Lyft accidents in Austin?
Car accidents by Lyft drivers or other Austin drivers often cause severe injuries or the death of a loved one. Common causes of Lyft accidents include:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Driving distracted
- Driving while fatigued
- Speeding
- Driving recklessly
- Failing to follow the rules of the road
Lyft drivers need to be extra careful because they aren’t just driving for themselves – they’re driving for their passengers. The best way to hold Lyft drivers and Lyft itself responsible when accidents or injuries occur is to send a message through a large verdict or settlement that negligence will not be tolerated.
What kinds of injuries are caused by Lyft accidents?
Our Austin Lyft accident lawyers represent personal injury victims who have catastrophic, permanent, or serious injuries including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputations
- Paralysis and spinal cord damage
- Disfiguring burn injuries
- Broken bones including multiple, compound, and complex fractures
- Internal bleeding
- Kidney, lung, and other internal organ damage
- Vision or hearing loss
- Sexual assault injuries
- Physical assault injuries
- Other serious injuries
At Slack Davis Sanger we are skilled at reviewing medical reports and helping doctors testify about your injuries by ensuring your medical team:
- Explains your diagnosis
- Explains the treatments you’ll need, now and for the rest of your life
- Documents your medical expenses
- Shows all the ways your injuries affect your ability to work, function, and enjoy your daily life
- Explains how much pain and suffering you have
Sexual assault and rideshares
Lyft, as noted in a recent CNN report, disclosed that in 2017, 2018, and 2019 it had received more than 4,100 complaints of sexual assaults (including 360 reports of rape) of passengers.
Slack Davis Sanger appreciates how traumatic sexual assault cases are. Our lawyers can file personal injury claims if a Lyft driver sexually or physically assaults you. We will work with psychologists and other health professionals to help ensure you’re getting the help you need. We also work with the police to coordinate any criminal complaints. We demand compensation for your economic and personal damages. We also seek punitive damages for intentional acts of assault.
Who is liable for a Lyft accident in Austin?
When a Lyft driver is involved in a car accident in Austin, the defendants may include:
- The Lyft driver
- Another driver
- Anyone who owns the car the driver operated – if different than the driver
- An employer
- The makers of defective auto parts
Other defendants may include the Texas Department of Transportation and a seller of alcohol if driver intoxication caused the accident.
How does insurance work in Lyft accidents?
Insurance coverage issues when an accident involves a Lyft driver are very complex. There are liability policies, UM/UIM policies, and private health insurance policies. The liability coverage varies depending on whether the Lyft driver was transporting a passenger, picking up a passenger, looking for a passenger, or wasn’t on duty. Our Austin Lyft accident lawyers understand what coverages apply:
- Liability insurance when a driver is not on duty. In Texas, all drivers (Lyft and other drivers) must have insurance that pays up to $30,000 for one victim, $60,000 for multiple victims in one accident, and $25, 000 in property damage (30/60/25 coverage).
- Liability insurance for Lift drivers who are on duty. Value Penguin states that:
- If the Lyft driver is driving, with his/her Lyft app on, looking for a passenger – the Lyft driver must have 50/100/25 coverage. The Lyft driver must inform Lyft and the insurance company he/she is picking up rides before starting any work for Lyft. Lyft may provide this insurance coverage for the driver, or the driver may need to buy the coverage on his/her own.
- If the Lyft driver is driving – and is either in route to pick up a passenger or has a passenger in the car – the Lyft driver must have $1 million total of liability and property damage coverage. Lyft normally provides this coverage – along with $1 million in uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) coverage.
Passengers who are hurt while riding in a Lyft vehicle may also be able to seek compensation for medical bills through their own health insurance or the passenger’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Passengers may also be able to use their own (UM/UIM) policy.
Texas requires that Lyft drivers pass a DMV background check, pass a private background check, have a valid driver’s license, have the required insurance coverage, and own a vehicle that is properly registered in Texas.
At Slack Davis Sanger, we understand the state regulations that govern all Lyft drivers.
How much is my Lyft accident claim worth?
We demand compensation for all your injuries when a Lyft accident happens in Austin. Liable defendants should pay for all your:
- Medical costs – current and future
- Salary and income loss – current and future
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- Property damage if any
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium.
If a loved one died in a Lyft accident in Austin, our lawyers file a claim for wrongful death damages.
Do you have a Lyft accident lawyer near me?
Slack Davis Sanger has an Austin office located at 6001 Bold Ruler Way, Suite 100. We also have locations in Dallas and Fort Worth.
Speak with an experienced Austin Lyft accident lawyer today
At Slack Davis Sanger, our team has more than 200 years of combined experience fighting for personal injury victims. We diligently investigate your accident, work with your physicians, speak with witnesses, detail all the ways the accident is affecting you, and prepare your case for a jury trial. We settle many cases because insurance companies respect our ability to try cases in court. To discuss your rights after a Lyft accident, call our Austin trial lawyers at 866-531-1657 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.
Austin Office
6001 Bold Ruler Way
Suite 100
Austin, TX 78746
Main Austin Practice Areas