Lyft Accident Settlement: What You Need To Know

In Michigan, the amount of your Lyft accident settlement will depend on the following important factors: (1) the extent and duration of your injuries; (2) how these injuries affected your pre-crash normal life (3) the reputation of your lawyer; and (4) how clear the liability (negligence) was of the at-fault Lyft driver.

To maximize the amount offered, you will need an attorney with the experience, skill, and proven results to get you the best possible amount.

If you want to find out how much your case is worth, check out our calculator or call us toll free anytime 24/7 at (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys.

There is no public or private entity – at either the state or the national level – that collects, updates, reports and/or publishes data about the average Lyft accident settlement in Michigan.  But even if such a database did exist, an average amount is just that – an average. It would  not take into account the specific injuries, lifestyle impact, and amount that would all be used to calculate an individual’s actual settlement range or verdict potential.

There are several key factors that affect how much to expect from a Lyft passenger accident settlement in Michigan: (1) the extent and duration of your injuries and your prognosis; (2) whether you eventually made a full recovery and were able to return to work or whether you are partially or fully disabled from working and engaging in other important pre-crash activities; and (3) whether your injuries have resulted in an impairment that affects your ability to lead your normal life, which is the threshold that crash victims must meet under Michigan’s auto law to recover a settlement or verdict for pain and suffering and excess economic loss. 

Other factors that could affect the value of your case will be:

• Your current and future medical needs based on your medical diagnosis, type of injury, duration of symptoms, duration of injury-related impairment and duration of treatment
• Whether your injuries will necessitate “excess” coverage for present and future medical bills and lost wages
• The experience, track record and reputation of your lawyer (attorneys who are known by insurance companies for being willing to go to trial can actually settle cases for more money and often much faster)
• The at-fault Lyft driver’s auto insurance company, adjuster, and defense attorney 
• The coverage limits in the at-fault Lyft driver’s liability insurance policy
• The coverage limits in your “uninsured motorist” and “underinsured motorist” insurance policy

In Michigan, if you have suffered a “serious impairment of body function,” then your Lyft accident settlement against the at-fault driver may include pain and suffering compensation as well as “excess” lost wages and medical bills, and other economic damages.

Pain and suffering damage covers: (1) physical pain and suffering; (2) mental anguish; (3) fright and shock; (4) denial of social pleasure and enjoyments; (5) embarrassment, humiliation or mortification; and (6) shame, mental pain and anxiety.

Excess lost wages covers the amount of your lost wages that are not covered by No-Fault wage loss benefits – which are available for only three years after the crash and are subject to a monthly maximum amount. 

Excess medical bills cover the cost of your crash-related medical care that exceeds the No-Fault PIP medical benefits coverage level that was selected in the auto insurance policy through which you are claiming No-Fault benefits.

In Michigan, one of the most important factors in determining how much to expect from your Lyft accident settlement is the amount of liability insurance coverage the at-fault Lyft driver is carrying on his or her vehicle. 

Under Michiga’s auto law, the amount of liability coverage available to someone injured by an at-fault Lyft driver will depend on whether the Lyft driver was merely “on-duty” and available to pick up passengers or whether he or she was actively transporting passengers at the time of a crash: 

• When an Lyft driver is on-call and is available to transport a passenger (but is not actually transporting a passenger), then the minimum liability coverage that the Lyft driver must have in effect is “$50,000.00 per person for death or bodily injury” and “$100,000.00 per incident for death or bodily injury.” (MCL 257.518b(1)(a)(i); 257.2123(2)(a))
• When a Lyft driver is actually transporting an Lyft passenger, then the minimum liability coverage that the Lyft driver must have in effect is a “combined single limit of $1,000,000.00 for all bodily injury or property damage.” (MCL 257.518b(1)(b)(i); 257.2123(3)(a))

To learn more about how much your case may be worth, please check our calculator.

In Michigan, although many of the same factors that apply to passenger crash settlements will apply to a Lyft driver accident settlement, but a key difference is the amount of liability insurance coverage that is available to the rideshare driver through the policy of the at-fault driver who caused the crash that injured the rideshare driver.

Michigan law requires all Michigan drivers to carry liability insurance coverage with the following minimum limits:

• “[N]ot less than $250,000.00 because of bodily injury to or death of 1 person in any 1 accident.” (MCL 500.3101(1); 500.3131(2); 500.3009(1)(a))
• “[N]ot less than $500,000.00 because of bodily injury to or death of 2 or more persons in any 1 accident.” (MCL 500.3101(1); 500.3131(2); 500.3009(1)(b))

The law also provides that a driver “may choose to purchase lower limits” of $50,000 and $100,000. (MCL 500.3009(5)

That means that the amount for a Lyft driver that is actually recoverable for pain and suffering compensation as well as “excess” medical expenses and lost wages may be considerably less than what could be recovered by a passenger from an at-fault Lyft driver.

Each case is unique, so it is a difficult question to answer, but in general there are several factors that can help answer how long this process will take. These include: (1) your injuries, prognosis and current future medical needs; (2) whether you are partially or fully disabled from working; (3) whether your injuries resulted in an impairment that affects your ability to lead your normal life; (4) whether your injuries will necessitate “excess” coverage for medical bills and lost wages; (5) the experience, track record and reputation of your attorney (attorneys known for going to trial can settle cases for money and often much faster); and (6) the at-fault Lyft driver’s auto insurance company, adjuster, defense attorney and liability limits.

In Michigan, there are three stages of a case that a Lyft accident settlement may occur:

• Pre-lawsuit
• After a lawsuit has been filed
• During trial 

If you were injured in a Lyft accident in Michigan and need help with your settlement, call now (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with one of our experienced an experienced Lyft accident lawer. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.

Michigan Auto Law is Michigan’s largest and most successful law firm that specializes exclusively in helping people who have been injured in auto accidents.

Our secret? Our attorneys deliberately handle fewer cases than other personal injury law firms.  This allows us to focus more time and attention on our cases.

Unlike other law firms, our attorneys are never too busy to promptly return phone calls and answer questions. 

We have more than 2,500 5-Star reviews that reflect this care and attention to detail.

More importantly, this client-focused approach leads to better and faster settlements for our clients. Michigan Auto Law has recovered more million-dollar settlements and trial verdicts for motor vehicle accidents than any other lawyer or law firm in Michigan. We’ve also recovered the highest ever reported truck accident and car accident settlement in the state.

Call now so we can start making a real difference for you.