Justice on the road: Lawyered is on a mission to offer legal assistance to drivers

Driving is an intricate skill, especially on Indian roads where rules are often ignored. Being pulled over by traffic cops for a violation or being involved in a minor accident can throw legal challenges resulting in stress, financial strain, and wasted hours. If trucks are involved, it can lead to supply chain disruption.

As per the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, over 10.46 lakh motor accident claims amounting to Rs 80,455 crore were pending across the country at the end of FY23.

This is where Lawyered steps in. The legal tech startup works to help commercial and private vehicle owners tackle on-road legal issues on the spot.

“When I left my corporate journey and dedicated myself full-time to Lawyered in 2018, I was driven by a desire to bridge a glaring gap in the legal industry: the disconnect between lawyers and those seeking legal advice," Himanshu Gupta, Founder of Lawyered, tells YourStory. Gupta comes with over 21 years of experience in technical and commercial roles and has held leadership positions at LexisNexis India.

Lawyered, launched after months of research and development, connects users with a network of lawyers specialising in traffic laws, vehicle regulations, and on-road legal issues. It offers legal advice and representation within minutes, regardless of location.

The Gurugram-based startup, which started with an initial investment of Rs 1 crore from Gupta’s savings, now has a team of 57 members.

Pivoting to address on-road legal challenges

Lawyered initially operated as a legal marketplace, connecting clients with lawyers across various domains. However, Gupta soon identified a more pressing and underserved need within the mobility sector—truck drivers, cab operators, and private vehicle owners who often get entangled in legal issues.

"During the pandemic, trucks were among the few vehicles still on the roads and the challenges they faced were glaring," Gupta explains. "Drivers were stranded with no immediate legal help, causing massive disruptions. It quickly became apparent that this wasn't just a pandemic-related issue but a deep-rooted problem in the logistics sector.”

Recognising the magnitude and urgency of these issues, Lawyered introduced LOTS (Lawyer On-The-Spot), a flagship product designed to offer immediate legal assistance across India

How LOTS works

LOTS, launched in September 2021, is an on-demand legal assistance platform enabling users to request help for issues like traffic violations, accidents, or law enforcement disputes. With a 24/7 helpline and a network of 70,000 lawyers covering 98% of India's pin codes, it helps manage traffic fines and penalties through end-to-end challan resolution, eliminating the need for vehicle owners to attend court.

"We started our internal Bharatmala project, mapping every 50 km of the national highways to ensure we have a local lawyer at each location. This dense network means at least one lawyer is available at any time, even if others are occupied,” Gupta explains.

It connects users with lawyers for immediate advice, features a dashboard for managing legal incidents, and provides real-time updates on document submissions. It also includes a document management system for storing digital copies of essential documents like licenses, vehicle registration, and insurance.

"Our goal with LOTS is to make legal assistance as accessible and straightforward as ordering a coffee. We want to change the way people handle legal issues on the road, ensuring every journey is smoother and worry-free,” he remarks. 

Lawyers are chosen for their expertise in traffic violations, accidents, and related legal issues, and are trained on the Motor Vehicle Act's standards and procedures to maintain consistency.

“Our payment structure is flexible, based on case volume in each area. Lawyers may be on payroll in high-demand regions, while in areas with fewer incidents, we use a pay-per-case model for fairness and transparency,” Gupta asserts. 

Driving business and challenges 

Lawyered’s B2C model includes an annual subscription of Rs 2,000 that covers legal support. For logistics businesses without fleets, a per-trip model offers flexible, case-by-case legal assistance. The bulk challan resolution service helps fleet owners efficiently manage and resolve multiple traffic challans. 

Additionally, a 5% convenience fee is applied to on-call and on-site legal services, covering the costs of prompt and effective support.

The startup has assisted over 350,000 vehicles and assisted over 600 B2B customers. About 90% of its customers are commercial vehicles and 10% are privately owned.

“We've recently begun our B2C outreach to the private vehicle market, and we anticipate a significant increase in private vehicle numbers over the next 12 months as our partnership with FADA (Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations in India) matures,” Gupta notes, adding that the partnership will enable the startup to offer immediate legal assistance to vehicle owners facing on-road legal issues.

He explains that the startup has handled over two million trips, resolved 145,000 incidents, and cleared 100,000 fines, saving clients Rs 49 crore and freeing up 37,000 days of effective time.

However, it wasn’t an easy ride for the company. It faced challenges in expanding its network of lawyers to ensure users could access help regardless of their location. Another challenge was educating the market about the importance of on-road legal assistance. "Many people don't realise how quickly a simple roadside issue can turn into a legal problem until it happens to them," says Gupta. 

To address this, Lawyered launched a series of offline awareness campaigns, highlighting real-life scenarios where on-road legal support can make a difference.

The way ahead

In April, Lawyered secured $1 million in a pre-Series A funding round backed by India Accelerator's angel investors network, iAngels.

The startup plans to raise $3 million in a Series A round within the next 8-10 months.

Lawyered is set to launch LAILA, a virtual legal assistant that integrates generative AI to streamline legal access and consultation. It analyses GPS location, driving history, and vehicle telematics to understand users' driving habits. It uses machine learning to predict the likelihood of legal issues like traffic violations or accidents. 

It plans to introduce subscription packages for commercial fleet operators for comprehensive legal coverage at a fixed cost.

Lawyered is also exploring partnerships with insurance companies and roadside assistance providers to offer bundled services that include legal support.

It competes with players including LawRato, Lawtendo, and LegalRaasta. “What sets us apart is our real-time, technology-driven legal support for commercial and private vehicle owners, facilitating quick connections with legal professionals for immediate assistance on-road issues,” Gupta adds.