Since the beginning of time people have needed to get from point A to point B. Lyft and Uber have provided solutions to this problem and in doing so have become the two major players in the Chicago rideshare game. Lyft and Uber allow us to order a ride at the press of a button and track it in real time until it arrives at our doorstep. They make it easy to spend a night on the town in Naperville, but what happens when your Lyft or Uber driver gets into an accident? What happens if you’re hit by a Lyft or Uber driver? Who will pay your medical bills after an accident? Will you be compensated for your pain and suffering? Can you get paid for missed time at work after an accident? These are the difficult questions you need answered after a car accident. Call the experienced car accident and injury attorneys of Marker & Crannell. They will be able to answer any questions you may have and help get your case on the right track.
Who Is Responsible for My Injuries?
A car accident tears your life apart. You’re hurt, you can’t work, and the medical bills are piling up. At some point you’ll ask yourself, “Who is responsible for my injuries? Who is going to pay my medical bills? What about my lost wages?” Just because a car has Uber or Lyft decals does not mean that Uber or Lyft will be responsible for your injuries. This is due to the way that Uber and Lyft provide their drivers with insurance. State law requires every vehicle on the road to be insured, but who insures a Lyft of Uber driver depends on whe
Normally when you’re injured in a car accident the insurance company of the at fault driver is responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, etc. and typically there is only one insurance policy that covers the bad driver’s vehicle. This can change if the at fault driver was driving for Uber or Lyft. Both Uber and Lyft provide insurance for their drivers. However, folks who drive for Uber or Lyft are not covered 24/7 by this insurance. In fact, the insurance policy limits provided by Uber and Lyft change depending on what that driver was doing at the time of the accident.
What Sort of Insurance Does Lyft Have?
Let’s say a car with a Lyft sticker runs a red light and T-bones your vehicle. You’re shaken up and starting to have neck and back pain. Whose insurance will pay for your ambulance ride? Whose insurance will cover your medical bills? Will you be compensated for lost time at work? The answer to these questions depends on the status of the at fault driver’s Lyft app. If the at fault driver did not have driver mode turned on that driver’s personal car insurance will be responsible for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Illinois law requires the driver have liability coverage with a minimum policy limit of $25,000. This scenario changes when the driver has activated driver mode.
When a Lyft driver has activated driver mode on but has not accepted a ride Lyft provides its drivers with a $50,000 per person $100,000 per accident policy. What this means is that the maximum a person can recover from this policy is $50,000 while the maximum total recovery from the accident is $100,000. While this is much better than a state minimum policy it is still not adequate coverage if you’re seriously injured. The real jump in coverage occurs when a driver has accepted a ride.
When a Lyft driver has accepted a ride they are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy until that ride ends. This means from the time a Lyft driver hits accept until the time they complete the ride that driver is covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy.
Does Uber Provide Its Drivers with Insurance?
Much like Lyft Uber only covers drivers when they are actively driving for Uber. This means if an Uber driver hits you while they are offline, or their driver app is off the driver’s personal auto insurance policy is available to you. Again, this could be a $25,000 state minimum policy. Much like Lyft, Uber provides its drivers with insurance coverage when they switch their driver app on.
When an Uber driver has turned their driver app on but has not accepted a ride Uber provides them with a limited insurance policy. When an Uber driver has activated their app, Uber provides its drivers with a $50,000 per person $100,000 per accident insurance policy. This may seem like a lot of coverage, but a $50,000 policy may not even cover the cost of a rotator cuff repair. Just like Lyft, Uber provides more coverage when the driver has accepted a ride or is transporting a passenger.
When an Uber driver has accepted a ride or is transporting a passenger the policy limits shoot up to $1,000,000. This means from the time the Uber driver hits accept until they complete their ride they are covered by a $1,000,000 policy.
How Do I Know It’s a Rideshare?
If you’re a passenger a you know you are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy provided by either Lyft or Uber. But what if you’re hit by an Uber or Lyft driver? How do you know if they were driving for Uber or Lyft at the time of the accident? The short answer is you may not be able to figure that out at the scene of the accident. This best thing you can do after an accident with a Lyft or Uber driver is document the scene. Take pictures of your vehicle, the vehicle that hit you, and most importantly anything that marks the car as an Uber or Lyft vehicle. Once you have done this the team at Marker & Crannell will handle the rest. If you have been injured in an Uber of Lyft accident call the accident and injury attorneys at Marker & Crannell or contact us online.