If you’re like many travelers, you probably enjoy the benefits of taking an Uber or Lyft. This can be a convenient option and an attractive alternative to traditional taxis or busses. From your smartphone, you can order a Lyft, and the driver could be at your pickup location within minutes. Of course, like any other car on the road, a Lyft isn’t immune to collisions. With a car accident can come injuries—minor, life-threatening and everything in between. Once you get medical treatment, the bills will come. These costs can be significant, but will you have to cover the full costs? Fortunately, there are other methods you can pursue.
Use Your Insurance
As a passenger in a Lyft, your own auto insurance policy may be able to help pay for some of your bills. Some policies have medical payment coverage. The amounts vary from company to company, so it’s best to check and see what the limits are. Be aware, however, that personal injury protection from your car insurance provider won’t cover injuries suffered in commercial vehicles, including a Lyft.
Try Workers’ Compensation
Filing a workers’ comp claim will never work if your accident happened while on personal time. However, if you were riding in a Lyft to head to a business conference or even to the office, and an accident caused injuries, your company’s Workers’ Compensation policy could help with or even cover the full bill. There can be some gray area here in what constitutes work time and non-work time. Get to know your company’s guidelines in these matters.
At-Fault Party’s Insurance
If the Lyft driver wasn’t at fault in the accident, you should work with the offending driver and his or her auto insurance. This can get a little tricker, so it may be best to hire an attorney. A skilled injury attorney has experience negotiating with third-party insurance companies and making sure they pay to the fullest extent of the policy in your behalf.
Lyft Insurance
Every Lyft driver should have business auto insurance. This policy will not only cover the driver’s injuries but should also apply to you as the passenger. Once again, it may be wise to consult an injury lawyer and determine how to best file a claim with this auto insurer.
You shouldn’t have to be responsible for huge medical bills if you’re in an accident while riding in a Lyft. To help cover the costs (or cover them fully), your lawyer can help you decide which avenues to pursue.