In addition to the high expense of a trip, one criticism of conventional taxis was that they were frequently unclean and poorly maintained. At just a small portion of the price, Uber and Lyft contributed to utterly upending the stereotype of the filthy cab and the irritable taxi driver.

However, both ridesharing firms have experienced some serious growth pains along with the benefits. In the past few years, headlines have been generated by worries about safety, business culture, and how drivers are treated. In regards to Uber and Lyft, our team wishes to maintain you aware and kept up to speed.

One thing is constant despite the fact that the legal environment surrounding them is always changing: if you were hurt in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft car, call The Accident Network Law Group right away for an obligation-free consultation via our Contact Us page on our website. You have rights, regardless if you’ve been a person on foot, motorist, biker, or traveler, and thus, we can certainly assist you.

Vehicle Requirements for Uber and Lyft Vehicles in California

You will not be driven up in a tiny, two-door vehicle when you use Lyft or Uber. This is due to the fact that neither ridesharing provider permits drivers to operate two-door small cars. Before being accepted, anybody who wishes to drive for Lyft, Uber, or both must fulfill specific standards and undergo a car examination. The following are the minimal vehicle specifications for Uber and Lyft in the state of California:

  • All automobiles used by Uber must be fifteen years old or younger. In the Bay Area and several smaller locations, Lyft does permit 2004 and 2003 automobiles.

  • There must be four doors on the car.

  • It has to be in decent shape with no obvious damage.

  • The car must have a license plate from California on it.

  • No cars with marketing, dark window tints, or salvage titles.

  • Additionally, many subcompacts—even those with four doors—are prohibited. The most recent list of not eligible subcompacts is provided by Lyft.

Moreover, both businesses demand that all cars pass inspections. They require one after 50,000 miles or once a year, whatever happens sooner.

Automobile Insurance Standards for Uber and Lyft

Driving for Uber or driving for Lyft both require each driver to have their own insurance and furthermore offer supplemental insurance to drivers while they are using the app. A driver’s own insurance would protect them in the event of a vehicle collision while not working for Uber or Lyft.

Uber and Lyft have similar policy limitations when drivers are queuing for a trip on the app (but there isn’t a passenger yet):

  1. US$50,000.00 for each person’s physical harm.

  2. US$100,000.00 for each accident’s physical harm.

  3. Property damage of US$25,000.00 per incident.

Both Uber and Lyft provide the following while a driver is on his or her way to take up an individual or is traveling:

  1. Third-party liability of US$1,000,000.00

  2. Injury caused from an uninsured or even under-insured driver

  3. Dependent accident and thoroughness

  4. The sum of the accident and extensive deductibles is where they diverge. Uber provides a US$1,000.00 deductible to drivers. The deductible for Lyft is US$2,500.00.

Criteria for Drivers of Uber and Lyft

Background investigations are performed annually and initially by both Uber and Lyft. Lately, only Uber continuously inspected drivers. However, following a number of significant criminal occurrences concerning Lyft drivers, including the South Carolina murder of a customer, the ride-hailing service announced increased driver vetting. Now that Uber and Lyft both demand ongoing criminal background checks, Lyft will follow suit. This will be on top of the drivers’ present yearly background checks. With their new method, arrests or felonies will be disclosed right away, enabling Lyft to terminate the driver quickly.

Identity authentication for all drivers is another new security feature that Lyft has unveiled. Though the company didn’t specify how, Lyft intends to identify possibly dishonest drivers by requesting both a real-time picture and a photo ID for comparison.

Severe violent felonies and three infractions of the driving laws are among the transgressions that will result in a driver being permanently banned from the Lyft network.

In California, the following qualifications are needed to operate for Uber and Lyft:

  1. A minimum of one year of legal driving experience in the United States is required by Lyft. Uber needs a minimum of three years of driving experience in the United States if the driver is younger than the age of 23. Both Uber and Lyft do not count any international driving experience.

  2. A duplicate of the motor vehicle record for the prospective driver.

  3. The prospective driver has to go through a criminal history investigation.

  4. Uber and Lyft use independent organizations to perform their own criminal record checks instead of doing it themselves. Both companies examine a person’s driving history and criminal history/ record going back seven years. Nevertheless, a person may still be turned down if they have a history of major traffic offenses, such as a DUI or prior felony record.

A person will also be refused if they have three driving infractions in three years. These consist of:

  1. Turning when going too fast

  2. Infractions of the traffic light

  3. Tags for lapsed license

Seeking Legal Assistance for Uber and Lyft Accidents in California

In conclusion, incidents still occur, despite Uber and Lyft’s efforts over the past few years to increase the security of passengers. Contact the rideshare attorneys at The Accident Network Law Group for an obligation-free consultation in the event that you were hurt in a crash involving an Uber or Lyft car.

Accidents involving ridesharing are extremely challenging to address alone. Both Uber and Lyft incidents have been dealt with by our lawyers in the past. Our findings may be able to assist you obtain the adequate and equitable reimbursement to which you are owed. And if the expense of hiring a lawyer worries you, rest assured that at The Accident Network, you won’t pay until we prevail. Call us right away—you have absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain.