DENVER (CBS4)– Rideshare firms like Uber and Lyft will quickly should additional shield drivers and riders with larger insurance coverage protection following a collection of loopholes one Colorado man fell by. Gov. Jared Polis lately signed a invoice that can quickly require the businesses to cowl most underinsured drivers and riders when accidents are a results of a collision throughout a experience.
(credit score: Eric Faddis)
The laws comes after Brian Fritts, a Colorado man, was badly injured in September of 2020 whereas driving in a Lyft. Fritts, who doesn’t personal a car, was driving to work in a Lyft when the car was struck by one other on I-25.
The driver who brought on the crash didn’t cease, driving away because the car Fritts was in, rolled off of the interstate. Fritts was rushed to the hospital with accidents to his cranium, jaw and backbone.
“I have complete vehicle PTSD of highways. It is a scary thing,” Fritts instructed CBS4’s Dillon Thomas.
Fritts was lucky to outlive the crash. However, his medical payments amounted to almost $200,000. After leaving the hospital Fritts assumed insurance coverage from different events would cowl his medical payments. He thought both the motive force’s insurance coverage, or Lyft’s, would cowl the payments because of the truth that he was not at fault for the crash.
Because Fritts didn’t personal a car he didn’t buy motorist insurance coverage that may cowl his payments if injured in one other car. He all the time assumed that firms like Lyft and Uber would have both insurance coverage or insurance policies for his or her drivers that may cowl riders like himself.
![](https://denver.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15909806/2022/05/RIDESHARE-INSURANCE-63pkg.transfer_frame_623.jpeg)
(credit score: Eric Faddis)
Unfortunately, Fritts quickly came upon that he was going to be on the hook for lots of the payments.
“The mailbox always has a new bill from one of the multiple doctors I have seen through the process,” Fritts mentioned.
The driver of the automotive Fritts was in had insurance coverage. However, their coverage mentioned that medical payments brought on by a crash ought to be lined by the celebration at fault. However, because of the crash being successful and run, there was no method to cost the motive force at fault.
From there Fritts’s lawyer, Eric Faddis, hoped that Lyft would cowl the payments. However, after reviewing their insurance policies, he realized Fritts was solely in a position to declare round $50,000 from the corporate. Other than that, Fritts must pay out of pocket.
“There was a legal loophole in our statutory scheme in terms of what types of insurance these rideshare companies have to carry,” Faddis mentioned. “I contacted my local legislator and said, ‘Hey look, we need to fix this. We have a problem that is putting tens of thousands of Coloradans at risk. Possibly more.’”
State lawmakers got here collectively to approve the laws that may require the rideshare firms to create one other layer of insured safety for underinsured drivers and passengers who fall into conditions like Fritts.
Polis signed the invoice into regulation this week. The regulation is predicted to enter impact earlier than the yr’s finish.
“Now that that loophole is fixed, Lyft essentially has to provide additional protection for riders and drivers who are injured as a result of using their services,” Faddis, of Varner and Faddis Elite Legal, mentioned.
![](https://denver.cbslocal.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/15909806/2022/05/RIDESHARE-INSURANCE-63pkg.transfer_frame_1569.jpeg)
(credit score: Eric Faddis)
Fritts mentioned he was dissatisfied that it took his ache and struggling to reveal this loophole. However, he was grateful that others received’t should expertise the monetary and emotional misery he has.
“Anybody who this happens to, at least in Colorado, now knows that there is a protection. There is a security blanket at the bottom,” Fritts mentioned. “Somebody had to undertake what happened to me. If it had to happen to somebody I am glad it happened to me, and now it won’t happen to somebody else.”