Have you been involved in a Lyft accident in Chattanooga, Tennessee? You may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering, medical bills, other financial losses, and more. Look no further than Woodard Injury Law to help you maximize the value of your claim.
Our personal injury law firm has over two full decades of legal experience with Lyft and Uber accident litigation in Chattanooga and has a 99% success rate. If you hire us, we’ll make your case our priority from the start and won’t hesitate to take your case to trial if necessary. Contact our Chattanooga Lyft accident attorneys today for a free case review.
Why Choose Woodard Injury Law After a Lyft Accident in Chattanooga, TN?
Rideshare accidents often raise questions that don’t come up in a typical car crash. Who pays: Lyft, the driver, or another motorist? What insurance coverage applies? These are the kinds of disputes our Chattanooga car accident lawyers at Woodard Injury Law deal with every day.
For more than two decades, Woodard Injury Law has built a reputation for delivering winning results to accident victims in the area. When you hire our top-rated legal team, we can:
- Determine who is legally responsible
- Review all available insurance coverage
- Work with experts to strengthen your claim as needed
- Calculate your full damages, both financial and personal
- Protect you against claims that you were at fault
- Negotiate for a fair settlement or take your case to court
Insurance companies take note of when we’re on the other side of the case because of our ability to win high-value recoveries for our deserving clients. Contact our Lyft accident lawyers in Chattanooga, TN, today for a free consultation.
Insurance Coverage in Chattanooga Lyft Accident Cases
One of the most complex parts of a Lyft accident claim is figuring out which insurance applies. Tennessee is an at-fault state, which means the responsible party is generally required to pay for your damages. However, Lyft also provides different levels of coverage depending on the driver’s status at the time of the accident:
- Driver was off duty: Only the driver’s personal insurance applies
- Driver was logged in but no ride has been accepted: Lyft provides limited liability coverage
- Driver had accepted a ride or was carrying passengers: Lyft’s $1 million liability policy is usually in effect
These layers of coverage can make it hard to know where to start. Our rideshare accident attorneys will sort through the details and pursue every available option to ensure you receive the maximum compensation possible.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Lyft Accident in Chattanooga, TN?
A Lyft accident can cause both economic and non-economic damages. Tennessee law allows injured victims to pursue compensation to make up for things like:
- Medical expenses, including future care needs
- Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and trauma
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
In especially reckless cases (such as accidents involving drunk driving), you may also be entitled to punitive damages meant to punish the responsible party.
How Long Do I Have To File a Lyft Accident Lawsuit in Tennessee?
Tennessee has one of the shortest filing deadlines in the country for personal injury cases. The statute of limitations gives you just one year from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If you miss that window, you will almost certainly lose the right to pursue compensation entirely.
However, note that there are exceptions to this time limit in some cases. Getting in touch with a rideshare accident attorney as early as possible gives our legal team the best chance to build a winning case before the deadline arrives.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Lyft Accident Lawyer in Chattanooga?
Hiring a Lyft accident attorney in Chattanooga won’t cost you anything up front. At Woodard Injury Law, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means we only collect attorney’s fees if we recover money for your case.
You’ll sign a fee agreement at the start of the process that spells out the terms clearly. In most situations, our contingency fee comes out to around 33% of the total recovery we secure for you. This arrangement makes it possible for anyone to get experienced legal representation, and it gives your attorney a direct stake in getting you the best result possible.
Common Causes of Lyft Accidents in Chattanooga
Lyft accidents happen for many of the same reasons as other car accidents, but the rideshare model can add extra risk. Some of the most common causes of Lyft accidents in Chattanooga include:
- Distracted driving, including looking at the app while behind the wheel
- Speeding to complete more rides in less time
- Fatigued driving from working long shifts
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Unsafe lane changes
- Failure to check blind spots
- Driving under the influence
- Poor weather conditions on Chattanooga’s hillier roads
- Pulling over suddenly to pick up and drop off passengers
Injuries may also occur during pickups or drop-offs when parking lots, sidewalks, or building entrances are unsafe. A Chattanooga property injury lawyer can help determine whether a property owner may share responsibility.
You may be entitled to compensation no matter how your Lyft accident happened. Contact our Chattanooga Lyft accident lawyers today if you have any questions about your situation and what you should do next.
What if I’m Being Blamed for My Lyft Accident in Chattanooga?
Tennessee follows a modified comparative fault system under Tenn. Code § 29-11-103. This law allows you to recover compensation as long as you are found to be less than 50% at fault for the accident. If your share of the blame hits 50% or higher, you are completely barred from recovering anything.
In circumstances where you are found partially at fault but below that threshold, your damages are reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if a jury determines your damages are worth $400,000 but assigns you 25% of the fault, you would receive $300,000.
Insurance companies know how this rule works and will try to push as much blame onto you as possible. Having a Lyft accident lawyer on your side who knows how Tennessee’s shared fault laws work can help protect the value of your claim and keep you from being unfairly assigned responsibility that doesn’t belong to you.
Contact Woodard Injury Law for a Free Consultation Today
If you’ve been hurt in a Lyft accident in Chattanooga, TN, don’t wait to take legal action. State law only affords you just one year to file a lawsuit in most personal injury cases, with only rare exceptions. Woodard Injury Law can get to work for you starting today.
Our Chattanooga Lyft accident lawyers have won millions of dollars for our clients to date, and we’re confident that we can win your case as well. Contact us today for a free case review.