All people in the U.S. have a legal duty to act reasonably in order to avoid injuring other people. This is called a duty of care. If a person fails to meet this duty, he or she may be liable for any injuries that result to others.
The duty to act in a reasonable manner is the normal duty of care that applies to most situations. However, in some situations, there are higher duties of care. One of those situations involves common carriers. A common carrier is someone who transports people for hire. This includes bus drivers, airplane pilots, train drivers, and drivers for Uber and Lyft. Common carriers owe a particularly high duty of care to passengers.
When a driver for Uber or Lyft fails to act reasonably and a passenger is harmed as a result, the driver and possibly the company can be held liable for negligence. In order to win a lawsuit for negligence, the victim must prove that he or she was owed a duty of care, that duty of care was breached, there were damages as a result, and that the defendant’s actions caused the damages.
Recently, a Lyft driver in California was sued for failing to safely transport his passenger to his destination. He became involved in an argument with the passenger, ejected him from the vehicle, pepper-sprayed him, and left him on the side of the freeway, where he was later struck by another vehicle and killed.
If you have been harmed by a driver for Uber or Lyft, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles personal injury attorney, at 310-385-0567. I can help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation on your case.