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How to Pay Your Medical Bills After a Lyft Accident

A car accident is never fun, and it often causes physical injuries and property damages, which can create a financial hardship. Ridesharing collisions present unique problems for filing claims and receiving compensation. However, being the victim entitles you to restitution, but you may need legal counsel to navigate the sensitive and complex issues of contracted employees and commercial enterprises. There are four steps you can take to pay your medical bills and other expenses after a Lyft accident. Determine Liability Liability is tricky in ridesharing accidents. While companies, like Lyft, operate in the commercial world, employees are contract workers, which means Lyft’s insurer defines specific roles and circumstances that define when a person is working for the company. Therefore, how you seek restitution and determine liability depends on whether a Lyft employee was working when the accident occurred. If they were, the ridesharing service might be responsible, but if they weren’t, the driver is responsible, as long as they caused the accident. File a Claim Once you know who is liable for the accident, you can file a claim. With the complexity of the issue, it is wise to hire a practiced car accident attorney. These professionals can navigate the negotiation process better than most people, and they may get you a settlement offer the quickest. However, you must understand the claims process is long, and it can take months before you see a settlement or judgment. You may need to seek other ways of paying your medical bills during settlement negotiations or a trial. Use Other Sources If you need immediate financial help, there are a few sources you can look to for help: health insurance, personal injury coverage, Medicare or Medicaid, friends and family or a short-term loan. If you have health insurance, it is likely the best option in car accident cases, but be sure to explain your injuries stem from an accident, and you are seeking restitution. If you do not have a private health insurance plan, check your auto insurance coverage for personal injury protection and use it if you have it. Medicare or Medicaid will also cover your medical expenses, but only after you use personal injury protection. Seeking financial help from friends and family or a small loan may also be in your best interest, depending on the severity of your injuries and the necessity of treatment and rehabilitation. You do not...
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What You Can Do If Your Employer Won’t File an Accident Report

When you are injured on the job, it’s your responsibility to report that injury to your employer. If he or she was present for the accident, it will already be known, but you could make the report official anyway. After you have reported the accident, your employer should report it to the state’s workers’ compensation board, as well as to the company’s workers’ comp provider. In some unfortunate situations, employers fail to take these crucial steps, which could impact your compensation. The following are some things you can do if your employer refuses to file the report. Find Out Why There are a lot of reasons why an employer might choose not to file a workers’ compensation report. Some could be legitimate, and others might be wrong. Some employers don’t file because: They have come up with a “better” plan that allows you to get back to work sooner. This keeps their insurance costs down, but it doesn’t help you at all. They encourage you to use your own health insurance coverage. Unfortunately, many employers promise they’ll file a workers’ comp claim later, but it never happens and you don’t receive the lost wages and other compensation you deserve. They convince you your regular salary will be more than workers’ compensation. In most cases, you are compensated much greater than what you make regularly, so this generally isn’t correct. They don’t have the time to deal with it. Unfortunately, these employers are the ones that usually end up with a much more time-consuming lawsuit on their hands at a later time. They have forgotten to do it. While this may seem like a legitimate reason, you need to be compensated, so you need to hold your employer accountable for filing the injury report. Contact the Workers’ Compensation Board Each state has a workers’ compensation board that looks at every workers’ comp case. If your employer fails to report your injuries, you can contact the board to do it yourself. Knowing why your employer didn’t file will be helpful in getting the compensation you deserve when you make a report on your own. Contact a Lawyer Under the law, your employer is required to help you obtain proper workers’ compensation. If he or she is being difficult and not handling the situation correctly, it might be time to enlist the help of an...
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Driver and Passenger Compensation in Taxi Accidents

A car accident is something everyone hopes will never happen, but in reality, many people may face at least one in their lifetime. In busier, urban areas, the likelihood of getting in an accident with a taxi cab is much higher, and you may need to know how to properly file a claim if this happens to you. There are some key differences between being a passenger who is in a car that gets in an accident with a taxi and a driver who gets hit by a taxi. Here is how to tell the difference and what to do. Proving Negligence as a Driver If you were the driver of a car that got hit by a taxi cab, you will need to prove that the taxi driver was negligent. You must provide evidence that verifies the taxi driver was responsible for causing the accident. This is the only way you can receive compensation from their insurance company. You will also need to prove that damages and injuries you sustained were from the accident. A taxi driver may fight you about liability because their livelihood depends on driving. Proving Injuries as a Passenger If you were in an accident as a passenger, you don’t need to worry about proving negligence, since fault can only fall on the shoulders of the ones behind the wheel. Instead, you need to prove that your injuries are from the crash. You should see a doctor shortly after the accident to obtain a report that clearly shows the injuries were a result of the accident. You should also keep track of medical expenses, bills and any wages you’ve lost from being unable to work. All of these can help determine how much compensation you are owed. Issues for Passengers Unfortunately, the compensation for a passenger injured in a wreck falls into the hands of the insurance companies of the drivers. Since one of them is the negligent party, one of their insurances should be responsible for paying damages. In an effort to pay as little as possible, companies may go back and forth about which driver was negligent, delaying your compensation. If more than one passenger is injured in an accident, a driver’s policy may not cover all costs, meaning you may have to take a lesser payment or seek compensation directly from the driver. If this occurs, contacting a lawyer is advisable...
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Motorcycle Riding Safety Tips

Experienced Lawyer The majority of motorcycle accidents result in serious injury or death for the riders on the bike. With no protection to offer the person on the motorcycle like there is for an occupant in a vehicle, it is critical for anyone who gets on a motorcycle to take the critical steps to help decrease their risk of accidents and injuries. If you are injured in an accident, you need an aggressive motorcycle accident attorney to advocate for you against insurance companies who try to reduce or deny motorcycle accident victims from getting the financial compensation they are entitled to under the law. The following are steps riders should take to help keep safe. If you are in a crash, contact a motorcycle accident law firm, such as Johnston Martineau, LLP, to find out what legal options you have against the party responsible for the crash. Motorcycle Training Course Anyone who has decided to purchase a motorcycle should take a motorcycle training course. Most states offer these courses through their department of motor vehicle agencies at very reasonable rates These courses teach riders the skills they need to operate their motorcycles in a safe and defensive manner. In many states, these training courses are mandatory in order to obtain a motorcycle license. Even if your state does not require the course, it is beneficial to take the course and will also result in a potential discount on your motorcycle insurance policy. Always Wear Protective Gear All but a few states have mandatory helmet laws. Even if you are riding in a state where it is legal to not wear a helmet, wear one. Study after study proves that wearing a helmet saves lives. Riders should also wear goggles or protective glasses if their helmets do not have an attached protective shield. Other protective gear that riders should wear (even in warm weather) includes leather jackets, pants (or chaps), boots, and gloves. Motorcycle Maintenance Another key factor in staying safe and reduce the risk of a crash is to make sure your motorcycle is in good working order. Riders should check to make sure tires are properly inflated and the tread is in good condition. All lights should be checked to ensure they are all working properly. It is a good idea to have the bike inspected to make sure there are no mechanical issues. If there are any...
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