Franklin Township Lyft Accident Lawyers

As part of Warren County, New Jersey, Franklin Township is home to approximately 69,000 people. According to the US Census Bureau, the population grew ten percent between 2010 and 2020 and continues to grow today. 

Many residents of Franklin Township rely on ridesharing services like Lyft to reach their destinations every day. Visitors to Franklin Township and those passing through the area may also use ridesharing services to get where they are going. 

Lyft and similar services provide convenient rides for those who need to travel. Yet these services come with risks as well. If you’ve been injured in a Lyft accident, don’t wait: talk to an experienced Franklin Township Lyft accident attorney today. The team at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm is here to help. 

Lyft Accident Statistics

Currently, Lyft is the second-largest rideshare company in the United States after Uber. Lyft is responsible for providing about one-third of all rideshare rides in the U.S. When passengers do not want to ride with Uber or don’t have access to Uber drivers in their area, Lyft is an increasingly popular alternative. 

Lyft drivers transported passengers millions of times in 2022, over millions of miles. In 2022, the company estimates that Lyft drivers provided approximately 80 million total rides. Lyft riders tend to be repeat customers – many use the service at least once per month. In all, Lyft logs about 20 million active users each month. 

Like other ridesharing companies, Lyft sees most of its business in urban areas. Urban areas without robust public transportation, like Franklin Township, New Jersey, are often popular locations for Lyft drivers and riders. Lyft’s customers also tend to be between ages 18 and 29 – a group that accounts for as much as 23 percent of Franklin Township’s current population.

As these numbers indicate, Lyft’s popularity in Franklin Township and throughout Warren County is likely to increase in the coming years. As the number of Lyft drivers on the roads increases, however, so do the risks of a crash involving a Lyft driver. 

Are Rideshares More Dangerous Than Cars? 

For many Lyft passengers, a rideshare feels like a safer option than driving themselves. These riders may not have access to a safe vehicle, may not have a driver’s license, or may simply feel safer when someone else takes the wheel. Similarly, Lyft drivers tend to take safety seriously when they have a passenger in the car. They depend on their vehicle as part of their work for Lyft, and they depend on safety to keep themselves and their passengers in one piece. 

Although both drivers and passengers may see Lyft as a safe option, studies indicate that ridesharing may be increasing the number of crashes on US roads. In one study, researchers found that fatal car crashes increased by three percent in areas with high use of rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft.

Why did crash rates go up? According to the researchers, several different factors may be responsible. 

First, most Lyft drivers don’t pick up passengers while they’re already on the road for other reasons. Rather, Lyft and Uber drivers are on the roads because they can find paying passengers there. Were it not for ridesharing, these drivers would be at home – reducing the overall number of cars on the road and thus lowering the risk of crashes. 

Second, the researchers found that even people who use Lyft regularly don’t make Lyft their only transportation option. Rather, these travelers often walk or bike in good weather. They turn to Lyft only when the weather turns bad. Thus, demand for Lyft rides increases in precisely the type of weather that makes an accident more likely. 

The increased number of cars on the road due to ridesharing explains why Lyft accidents are dangerous for everyone on the road, not just Lyft drivers or riders. Pedestrians, bicyclists, and people in other motor vehicles can also be injured in a crash involving a Lyft vehicle. 

Crashes aren’t the only thing that can make Lyft or Uber rides dangerous. In its first public safety report covering 2017 to 2019, Lyft reported over 4,000 assaults that occurred on Lyft drivers or passengers. Ten people died as a result of these assaults. By comparison, 105 people died in fatal crashes involving a Lyft during the same time period. In 2019, several women sued Lyft, claiming they had experienced sexual assault during a Lyft ride.

Lyft Accident Cases Can Become Complicated

Lyft’s safety numbers sought to track “Lyft-related accidents,” or accidents in which a Lyft was somehow involved. They did not focus only on crashes caused by Lyft drivers or accidents in which only a Lyft passenger was injured. 

In fact, Lyft accidents may fall into several different categories:

• A Lyft collides with another vehicle. In these crashes, a Lyft driver, a Lyft passenger, or someone in the other vehicle may be injured. Either the Lyft driver, the other vehicle’s driver, or a third party may be at fault. 
• A Lyft collides with a pedestrian, bicyclist, or someone else outside the vehicle. Here, injury to the person outside the Lyft vehicle is more likely, but anyone may be injured. Again, the fault may belong to the Lyft driver, the person outside the vehicle, or another combination of people.
• A Lyft collides with an object or building. Road barriers, buildings, trees, and other objects outside the vehicle may become the collision point. A Lyft driver, passenger, or both may be injured. Occasionally another person, like someone inside a building, is injured as well.
• A Lyft experiences a single-vehicle accident. Swerving to avoid a collision only to wind up in a ditch is a type of single-vehicle accident. A rollover may also fall into this category. Again, anyone inside the Lyft vehicle may be injured. 

In a single crash, one or more of these factors may occur together. For example, a vehicle may roll over after colliding with another car or object. Mechanical failure within a vehicle can be the cause of any of these types of crashes – resulting in potentially serious injuries that are not the fault of anyone present at the injury scene. 

When a crash is caused by a Lyft driver, Lyft’s third-party liability coverage includes up to $1 million in liability coverage. Lyft also offers uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, which typically applies when a crash is caused by a driver that has no insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover everyone’s losses. 

It seems intuitive to believe that more insurance means more protection. In fact, more insurance policies can also mean more complexity after a Lyft crash. Rather than simply paying for the losses from the crash, insurance companies may attempt to hand responsibility to one another – leaving injured people without the support they desperately need after a severe injury.

Auto insurance is complicated, even in “simple” crashes. Different types of coverage apply to different types of losses. The limits for each type of coverage may be different as well. When Lyft becomes involved, a case can become even more complex. An experienced Franklin Township Lyft accident attorney can handle compensation questions for you, allowing you to focus on healing after a crash.

Common Injuries in Franklin Township Lyft Accidents

The first thing to do after a Franklin Township Lyft crash is to seek medical attention. Even if you don’t feel seriously injured, have a doctor examine you to ensure there are no unusual or hidden injuries. Your medical records can also help you build a case for compensation. 

Common injuries in Lyft auto accidents may include:

• Cuts, bumps, scrapes, and bruises
• Neck strain or sprain, commonly known as whiplash
• Head trauma, including traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Bruises and lacerations
• Internal bleeding, organ damage, and other internal injuries

When a Lyft crash occurs, those inside the vehicle aren’t the only ones at risk. Drivers and passengers in other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians may be involved in the crash as well and suffer serious injuries as a result. 

Contact Our Experienced New Jersey Rideshare Car Accident Lawyers for Immediate Assistance!

If you suffered a serious injury in a New Jersey Lyft or Uber accident, or sadly, lost a loved one in an Uber or Lyft accident, the dedicated Rideshare Accident Injury Lawyers at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm are here to help. For more than 30 years, we have been helping clients who have been seriously injured in all types of accidents. We are a five-star rated law firm, recovering a total of more than $100 million on behalf of our clients. We will do our best to hold the negligent driver fully accountable for their actions and get you the justice you deserve. We recognize the challenges you face as a result of a serious motor vehicle crash and are uniquely positioned to protect your rights and help you through the recovery process. To learn more and to schedule a FREE consultation, give us a call today at 973-920-7900. You can also connect with us through our online form. There is never a fee unless we win your case. We have two conveniently located offices in Denville and Morristown, New Jersey.