Periods 2 and 3 (Ride Accepted or Passenger On Board):<\/strong> While a driver is on the way to pick up a rider or has a passenger in the car, the required liability coverage rises to $1 million for bodily injury and property damage per accident. This is Lyft’s full commercial policy, and it is the most protective coverage available.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThere is one more critical protection built into Texas law. Texas Insurance Code Section 1954.054 provides that if an insurance policy maintained by a TNC driver has lapsed or does not provide the required coverage, the TNC shall provide the coverage required beginning with the first dollar of a claim against the driver. That means if your Lyft driver had no valid insurance, Lyft’s policy steps in immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Insurance companies sometimes dispute which period was active at the time of the crash. Insurers may falsely claim the driver was in Period 0 to avoid the higher coverage available in later periods, making app data, GPS records, and ride history critical evidence. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys knows how to obtain and preserve that evidence before it disappears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What Steps to Take After a Lyft Accident in Carrollton<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The actions you take in the hours and days after a Lyft accident directly affect the strength of your claim. Taking the right steps early protects your health and your legal rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Call 911 first. Even if your injuries seem minor, a police report creates an official record of the crash. In Texas, you can obtain that official crash report, known as the CR-3 form, through the Texas Department of Transportation. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 550.065, the crash report can be released on written request to any person directly involved in the accident or their authorized representative. That report documents the driver’s information, witness statements, and the officer’s initial findings, all of which are valuable evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Document everything at the scene. Take photos of vehicle damage, road conditions, traffic signals, and visible injuries. If the crash happened near a busy intersection like Frankford Road and the President George Bush Turnpike, note any nearby traffic cameras or business surveillance systems. That footage can disappear within days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seek medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine. Injuries like traumatic brain injuries or internal damage may not produce obvious symptoms right away. A gap in medical treatment gives insurance companies a reason to argue your injuries are not serious or were not caused by the crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Report the accident through the Lyft app, but do not give a recorded statement to any insurance adjuster without speaking to an attorney first. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that minimize your claim. Anything you say can be used to reduce the compensation you receive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 as soon as possible. The earlier we get involved, the better positioned we are to preserve evidence and build your case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas Law on Negligence and What You Must Prove to Win Your Claim<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
To recover compensation after a Lyft accident in Carrollton, you must prove that someone’s negligence caused your injuries. Texas uses a modified comparative fault system, codified in the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Under this rule, you can recover damages as long as you are found to be less than 51 percent responsible for the accident. Under the 51% rule codified in the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, you can recover damages only if you are less than 51% responsible for your injury, and your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A successful claim requires proving four elements: duty, breach, causation, and damages. The Lyft driver owed you a duty of care as another road user or as a passenger. If the driver ran a red light on Josey Lane, was distracted by the app, or violated Texas traffic laws, that is a breach. The breach must have directly caused your injuries, and those injuries must have resulted in measurable damages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lyft also has obligations under Texas Occupations Code Section 2402.106. The statute requires Lyft to maintain an intoxicating substance policy that prohibits any amount of driver intoxication while logged into the app. If Lyft failed to enforce that policy or ignored prior complaints about a driver, that failure can support a negligence claim against the company itself, not just the driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Damages in a Lyft accident claim can include medical expenses, lost wages, future medical costs, pain and suffering, and in the most serious cases, compensation related to catastrophic injuries or wrongful death. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 71.002, surviving family members can bring a wrongful death action when a loved one is killed due to another party’s negligence or carelessness. If you lost a family member in a Carrollton Lyft crash, that statute gives you a legal path to hold the responsible parties accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why the Two-Year Deadline Can Make or Break Your Lyft Accident Case<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Texas law gives most personal injury victims a firm deadline to file their lawsuit. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a), a person must bring suit for personal injury not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues. For a Lyft accident, that clock starts on the day of the crash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Missing that deadline almost always means losing your right to compensation entirely. Missing the statute of limitations deadline in Texas is a serious issue, and in most cases it means your case is over before it even begins. If you try to file a personal injury lawsuit after the deadline has passed, the defendant can ask the court to dismiss your case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two years may feel like a long time, but rideshare accident cases require significant preparation. Gathering app data, obtaining the crash report, interviewing witnesses near the crash site, and working with medical experts all take time. Waiting too long also gives insurance companies more room to argue that evidence is unreliable or that your injuries were caused by something other than the accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are limited exceptions to the two-year rule. If the injured person is a minor under 18 years old when the cause of action accrues, the statute of limitations is tolled until they reach the age of 18, as provided in Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.001(a)(1). Separate rules apply in wrongful death cases, where a person must bring suit not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues in an action for injury resulting in death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do not assume you have time to spare. Call Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 today. We serve clients throughout Carrollton, Denton, and the surrounding communities, and we will review your case at no charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
FAQs About Carrollton Lyft Accident Claims<\/h2>\n\n\n\nCan I sue Lyft directly if their driver caused my accident in Carrollton?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You may have a claim against Lyft depending on the circumstances. Because Texas law classifies Lyft drivers as independent contractors under Texas Occupations Code Section 2402.114, Lyft is not automatically liable for a driver’s negligence the way an employer would be. However, Lyft’s commercial insurance policy does apply during Periods 2 and 3 of the ride, providing up to $1 million in coverage. If Lyft failed to properly vet the driver, ignored safety complaints, or violated its own intoxicating substance policy under Section 2402.106, those failures can support a direct negligence claim against the company. An attorney can evaluate whether the facts of your crash open the door to a claim against Lyft itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What if the Lyft driver was not carrying a passenger when they hit me?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The coverage that applies depends on whether the driver’s app was on or off at the moment of the crash. If the app was on and the driver was waiting for a ride request (Period 1), Texas Insurance Code Section 1954.052 requires a minimum of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in bodily injury coverage. If the app was completely off (Period 0), only the driver’s personal insurance applies, which may only meet Texas’s minimum limits. Insurance companies sometimes dispute the driver’s app status at the time of impact, so obtaining the driver’s app data and GPS records quickly is critical to your claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How long does a Lyft accident claim take to resolve in Texas?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Every case is different, and no honest attorney can guarantee a specific timeline. Straightforward claims with clear liability and documented injuries may resolve in a few months through settlement negotiations. Cases involving disputed liability, serious injuries, or a need to file suit in Denton County District Court can take a year or longer. Factors like the severity of your injuries, the number of parties involved, and how aggressively the insurance company defends the claim all affect the timeline. The most important thing you can do is start the process early so your attorney has time to build the strongest possible case before any deadlines pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What compensation can I recover after a Lyft accident in Carrollton?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Texas law allows injured victims to seek both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and the cost of ongoing rehabilitation. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving catastrophic injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or severe burns, the long-term costs can be substantial. If a loved one was killed in a Lyft crash, Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 71.002 allows eligible family members to pursue a wrongful death claim. Past results in any case do not guarantee the same outcome in another matter, as each case turns on its own facts and applicable law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do I need a lawyer if Lyft’s insurance company already offered me a settlement?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
You should speak with an attorney before accepting any settlement offer. Insurance companies, including those representing Lyft, typically make early offers that are far below the full value of a claim. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you generally cannot go back and ask for more money, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you initially thought. An attorney can evaluate whether the offer accounts for all of your current and future losses, including medical care you may need months or years down the road. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys offers free case evaluations, so there is no cost to getting a second opinion before you sign anything. Call us at (940) 800-2500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n