Suing After An Uber Or Lyft Accident: A Guide For Florida Rideshare Passengers, By Trusted Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers
Can Injured Passengers Sue For An Uber Or Lyft Accident?
It’s a good question – and one of the most asked by Floridians who need an Uber and Lyft accident attorney.
The answer is yes, but it relates to a more critical, two-part question: when is it necessary to sue, and how do you know whom to sue?
The first thing to understand is that Florida is a ‘no-fault’ state, meaning all Florida drivers must carry $10,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. PIP covers a percentage of the policyholder’s medical bills and lost wages associated with an auto accident, regardless of who caused it.
This means that if an injured passenger has a registered vehicle in Florida, they may receive the PIP benefits attached to their personal auto insurance policy – it doesn’t matter if the Uber/Lyft driver or a third party was at fault for the accident. If an injured passenger does not have a registered vehicle in Florida, they may be able to receive PIP coverage if they live with a relative who’s a PIP policyholder.
If a passenger doesn’t have a vehicle and does not live with a relative who has PIP, they may still receive PIP benefits – but only if the accident involved Lyft. This is because Uber does not provide PIP benefits to passengers in Florida; as of January 2023, Lyft does.
When $10,000 In PIP Isn’t Enough: The Importance Of ‘Fault’ When Suing For An Uber Or Lyft Accident
When The Uber/Lyft Driver Caused The Accident
If you were injured as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft vehicle and your driver is determined to be at fault for the accident, you may be able to sue them. However, this isn’t likely worthwhile since very few drivers have personal auto insurance policies that cover them while working for a rideshare company (or while engaged in any other commercial activity using their vehicle).
Here’s the good news: in Florida, both Uber and Lyft carry $1 million in liability insurance coverage for their drivers. As a passenger injured in an accident caused by your Uber or Lyft driver, you can file a personal injury claim for up to $1 million of the Uber or Lyft driver’s liability coverage. Ideally, your claim will be accepted, and you will receive the maximum amount of compensation you’re entitled to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work this way. Why?
Because insurance companies are in the business of making money, which means paying as little as possible through unfair settlement offers or by not paying at all. The companies that insure Uber and Lyft are no exception to this.
Under these circumstances, filing a “claim” might turn into filing a “lawsuit.” It’s best to speak to an experienced Uber and Lyft accident compensation attorney before accepting a settlement offer from Uber or Lyft’s insurance company, and even better to begin working with an attorney before filing a claim. Doing so increases the likelihood of receiving a fair settlement offer the first time around and avoids the trouble of taking legal action through the Florida court system.
When The Uber/Lyft Driver Did Not Cause The Accident
If you suffered injuries as an Uber or Lyft passenger and your driver was not at fault for the accident, contact a seasoned Uber and Lyft accident lawyer as soon as possible. They can immediately begin gathering information and evidence to identify the responsible party. Without proving that a third party was negligent, you will have no one to sue and, therefore, limited options for recovery.
If another driver is determined to have caused the accident, your Uber and Lyft accident attorney can help you start the claims process with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. The amount of compensation available to you will depend on the limits of the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy… assuming they have one. Florida has one of the country’s highest rates of uninsured drivers, leaving many injured people without much recourse after an accident.
Not all hope is lost. You may decide to pursue a personal lawsuit against the at-fault driver. If they have sufficient assets, you may be able to recover fully. If they do not, you may be able to file an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim.
To find out more information about suing after an Uber or Lyft accident, contact top-tier personal injury compensation lawyers in the area where the rideshare accident occurred.
Fenstersheib Law Group – Hallandale Beach, Fl – Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyers
At Fenstersheib Law Group, we’re dedicated to helping Floridians navigate the aftermath of Uber & Lyft accidents so they can walk away with maximum compensation. It’s what they deserve. It’s what you deserve.
Our main office is in Hallandale Beach, FL, and we have secondary Florida offices in Hollywood, Miramar, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa, & Jacksonville.
Get on the road to financial and physical recovery today – Call 800-TELL-ROBERT.
