Yes. Those who are injured in a South Jersey Lyft accident can file a claim for compensation. Determining how to proceed with a claim will depend on when and how the accident occurred, as well as which party was at fault.

If the Lyft driver was at fault, an accident victim can file a claim with either the driver’s personal insurance policy or Lyft’s insurance policy. To help ensure that accident victims can recover for their injuries following a rideshare accident, state law requires Lyft to maintain insurance on behalf of its drivers. In New Jersey, Lyft’s insurance policy provides $1.5 million in coverage for death, bodily injury or property damage for accidents occurring during a Lyft ride.

A Lyft ride begins when the Lyft app matches a driver up with a passenger and lasts through the point when the driver drops off the passenger. During this entire period, Lyft’s insurance policy also provides $1.5 million in underinsured/uninsured motorist (UIM) protection.

However, for accidents that occur outside of a designated ride, the insurance limits are significantly lower. Specifically, rideshare companies are only required to maintain bodily injury coverage of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident. In this situation, the available coverage may be insufficient to cover an accident victim’s injuries. However, an accident victim can also file a claim with the Lyft driver’s personal policy.

In situations where the Lyft driver was not at fault, then the at-fault driver’s insurance policy would be the primary means of recovery. Of course, an accident victim’s damages may exceed the at-fault driver’s insurance limits. If this is the case, Lyft’s insurance policy will kick in with up to $1.5 million in uninsured/underinsured coverage.