Preparing To Indulge In All Florida Has To Offer This Summer? Add This Reading To Your To-Do List
Summer in the Sunshine State is officially here. And whatever your plans include, there’s little debate over the most convenient way of getting around the bustling Florida cities of Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, West Palm Beach, and beyond. Just a few taps on your smartphone, and an Uber or Lyft ride is bound to arrive within minutes.
But don’t let the ease and convenience of using Uber or Lyft mislead you into thinking it’s just as easy to ensure a safe ride. As Uber and Lyft accident lawyers in Florida, we know ridesharing comes with risks. To minimize those risks, passengers must be knowledgeable, alert, and quick-acting when potentially dangerous situations arise.
Thousands of people in Florida are involved in Uber or Lyft accidents across the state every year. We don’t want you to be one of them… and if you are, we want to help you pursue the compensation you’re entitled to.
Top 8 Things Every Uber Or Lyft Passenger Should Know
1) You can see the Uber or Lyft driver’s rating BEFORE selecting them. These ratings are an aggregate of feedback from previous passengers. Rather than choosing the quickest or cheapest ride, take a few seconds to check the driver’s rating to make an informed decision. But remember that a high rating still doesn’t ensure a safe ride; people, places, and circumstances constantly change.
2) It’s critical to verify the vehicle and driver before getting into a car you assume is your Uber or Lyft ride. If something doesn’t match what’s on your Uber or Lyft app (e.g., vehicle model, color, license plate number, driver’s name or appearance, etc.), don’t get in the vehicle and report the situation to the police. Also, ask the driver to confirm your name before entering the vehicle.
3) Uber and Lyft drivers are responsible for maintaining their vehicles in safe working order, meaning there are no standard safety checks conducted by a third party (like Uber or Lyft). Scan the exterior and interior of the vehicle for obvious signs of danger, such as low tire pressure, missing brake lights, a check engine light, and broken side mirrors.
4) Sitting in the back seat of your Uber or Lyft vehicle will provide extra protection in the event your driver collides with another driver.
5) It can be easy to get swept up in the excitement of Florida’s nightlife, but forgetting to buckle up could cost you your life in the blink of an eye. Wearing your seatbelt is the easiest life-saving action you can take.
6) You have more control over your situation than you might think. Ask yourself these questions during an Uber or Lyft ride: is the driver more interested in their phone than the road? Are they speeding, failing to signal, rolling through stop signs, or otherwise driving unsafely? Can I smell the odor of alcohol or drugs?
You have the right to end a ride at any time. If your gut tells you something isn’t right, listen to it. Ask your driver to pull over in a safe location so you can exit the vehicle. Then, report the situation to Uber or Lyft and the police.
7) If there’s an accident, make sure the police are called to the scene. Take photos of the location of the crash and collect contact information from all available witnesses. This information can help prove liability if your Uber or Lyft accident claim is contested or litigated.
8) If you’ve been injured in an Uber or Lyft accident, seek medical care and call a Florida Uber and Lyft accident compensation attorney as soon as possible.
A qualified attorney can immediately collect additional evidence at or nearby the scene of the accident (much quicker than you could on your own), initiate the claims process, and advise you on what to do (and what not to do) to obtain maximum compensation.
Hallandale Beach, FL Attorneys At Fenstersheib Law Group: Here To Pick You Up When An Uber Or Lyft Accident Knocks You Down
At Fenstersheib Law Group, we pride ourselves on obtaining compensation for people who’ve been injured in Uber and Lyft accidents. Often, this means protecting citizens from unfair practices of insurance agencies and large companies like Uber and Lyft. We’ve handled thousands of accident cases in major Florida cities, fighting for people who are overwhelmed, injured, anxious, and entitled to compensation. Let us handle your case too.
Our primary office is in Hallandale Beach, Florida, and we have secondary Florida offices in Hollywood, Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, & Jacksonville.
Call us today: 800-TELL-ROBERT.
