Lyft Accidents Lawyers at Newark Liberty International Airport

Ride-sharing companies, such as Lyft, match you with a driver near your location who takes you to your chosen destination. Lyft is the application you use to hail a ride using your smartphone or desktop browser. Once your request is received, a pre-screened driver heads to your location. You are shown a photo of the driver and the car, and informed of when they are arriving. When the driver arrives, you confirm your destination and name. It is vitally important that you verify your Lyft driver is indeed the authorized driver before entering the vehicle.

Pricing for the ride-share service is calculated on where you are going and when you are going. There is a base charge and a cost per mile and per minute. Expect extra charges to be added when the pickup point is during a higher than normal demand period. Ride estimates are found on the Lyft city page. You pay for the ride through the Lyft application.

If there is an accident caused by a Lyft driver, things could get very complicated. Lyft is a commercial carrier and drivers get paid for giving rides, meaning the drivers are referred to as independent contractors and do not work for the company. Statewide regulations now exist for ride-hailing companies such as Lyft and other companies that provide a similar service. Ride-hailing companies have been present in New Jersey for years, but state regulations did not apply to that kind of service.

The former Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, signed the Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act that requires every ride to be covered by at least $1.5 million in commercial insurance. The act also mandates that all drivers submit to a criminal background check. New Jersey was the 36th state in the country to address regulations and standards for ride-sharing companies.

Even though a collision between a Lyft driver and another vehicle is similar to two private vehicles crashing, significant differences exist. The major difference is that you may be able to file a claim against Lyft, the driver’s personal insurance policy, or another at-fault driver’s insurance coverage.

Lyft Insurance Requirements

Once a Lyft driver accepts a passenger, they must have a commercial car insurance policy with at least $1.5 million in liability coverage for death, bodily injury and property damage. They must also provide uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage in an amount of at least $1.5 million, which covers all who occupy the vehicle if another motorist causes an accident and does not have any insurance, or does not have sufficient insurance.

In New Jersey, if you are in an auto accident, and you have selected the “limitation on lawsuit option” for your car insurance coverage, you will need to prove that you have sustained a permanent injury based on objective evidence, even if the other driver was at-fault. However, if you are injured in an accident caused by a Lyft driver, whether you are a driver or passenger of the other vehicle, or a passenger of a Lyft vehicle, the limitation on lawsuit option does not apply and you will not need to prove you have sustained a permanent injury. As written in the statute, it states:

“The limitation on lawsuit option set forth in subsection a. of section 8 of P.L.1972, c.70 (C.39:6A-8) shall not be assertable by a transportation network company or a transportation network company driver in any action for damages arising from a prearranged ride, or be asserted against any party not receiving personal injury protection benefits in any action for damages arising from a prearranged ride.”

When not providing a pre-arranged ride, a Lyft driver must maintain liability insurance for at least $50,000 for death or bodily injury, per person, and $100,000 for death or bodily injury per incident, and $25,000 for property damage.

If you have been involved in a Lyft accident at Newark Liberty International Airport, the best person to help guide you through your claim and to determine the facts of your case is an experienced Lyft accident attorney at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm who can answer your questions and properly advise you.