In February of 2018, a Lyft passenger was killed in a shocking turn of events that took place on a Southern California freeway. Months later, the surviving loved ones of the victim have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Lyft driver who, the lawsuit argues, demanded the passenger to exit the vehicle, leaving the victim on the Harbor (110) Freeway shoulder.
Lyft Altercation Leads to Fatal Hit-and-Run
According to the facts presented by local news reporting, ride-share passenger Justin Lavelle was traveling to Long Beach from West Hollywood in order to visit a friend. The victim took a Lyft, but an altercation eventually took place after the passenger called a friend and relayed that the driver was "acting weird" and had issues with Mr. Lavelle. The victim’s friend then asked to speak with the driver via cell phone, at which point the driver provided a warning that Lavelle would be kicked out of the vehicle.
Eventually, tensions flared and the passenger was kicked out of the vehicle and onto the freeway shoulder. While on the freeway, the passenger was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
The Lyft driver disputes that he had any other choice, claiming that Lavelle had grabbed the steering wheel twice and demanded the driver to go faster. Additionally, the driver claims that the victim was "drunk" and had been warned three times but did not listen to the repeated warnings.
Further, the driver also disputed the notion that the passenger was "kicked out", instead saying that the passenger "got out." The family, naturally, disagrees with this version of events since the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit months after the incident in question.
The family’s lawsuit argues that the driver posed a danger to the public and was unfit to drive for Lyft. And, the rideshare company itself was also accused of failing to adequately train and supervise the driver involved in the fatal accident. It should also be noted that, although the driver denied using pepper spray on the victim initially, the driver has now admitted a spray was used before the passenger was removed.
For its part, Lyft terminated the driver’s account and he no longer drives for Lyft. The defendant also drove for Uber, according to NBC 4 Los Angeles reporting, but Uber took similar actions by suspending the driver’s account.
Tragic Accident a Reminder That Ridesharing Accidents Can Present Unique Legal Complexities
From a legal perspective, ridesharing accidents are usually complex because of the unique facets of rideshare accident liability, including the liability coverage provided by the rideshare company. However, this accident is a sad reminder that the passenger-driver dynamic can also lead to horrific accidents when negligent actions are involved.
It remains to be seen what will come of the family’s wrongful death lawsuit, but the case is certainly a tragic reminder of why accident victims need and deserve effective legal counsel from a rideshare accident lawyer.
If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a tragic Lyft accident, contact us online for a free case evaluation with a Lyft accident lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm today.
