18 Aug

Your Rights If You’ve Been Injured in a Ridesharing Accident

Car Accidents, General in lyft accident, ridesharing accident, uber accident

ridesharing accident victim rights

Ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft have completely revolutionized the way we move. While these novel technologies have certainly made our lives easier, they’ve complicated the legal landscape when accidents occur. How does one assign liability when a driver is considered an independent contractor attached to a multibillion-dollar technology company? Ridesharing companies have been careful to absolve themselves from liability by putting strict liability clauses into their contracts; however, most do wind up getting involved in some way or another when an accident occurs.

As a ridesharing user, you are entitled to certain rights if an accident has occurred. If the accident leads to personal injury, you should immediately seek treatment following the incident, and subsequently contact a personal injury attorney to resolve any issues following your accident. The Florida Law Group’s experienced personal injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in damages for our clients!

What Are My Rights After an Accident?

If you are a passenger involved in a ridesharing accident, and the accident was caused by another driver, you will likely be able to recover damages for your medical and economic losses by making a claim on the other driver’s insurance company. Immediately following the accident, after you’ve attended to your resulting injuries, you should be prepared to retrieve critical contact information for the other driver, including their identification, insurance information, license plate number, and phone number and email. Usually, police reporting to the scene will also gather this information, so you should be able to retrieve it from them if your injuries prevent you from doing so yourself.

What if the person who caused the accident does not have insurance? Though the Uber or Lyft driver may not be responsible for the accident, you may still be able to recover additional insurance from the Uber or Lyft car’s policy. These funds may be covered under the motorist’s uninsured or insured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage typically provides funds for damages when the person responsible for the accident lacks insurance, or does not have sufficient coverage to cover the extent of your damages.

What If The Uber/Lyft Driver Caused The Accident?

When the accident has been caused by the Uber or Lyft driver, the situation becomes much more complex. Both Uber and Lyft have similar corporate insurance policies that may cover their drivers, depending on what the driver was doing after an accident has occurred.

For example, if the driver was using the app at the time that the accident occurred, then Uber and Lyft’s liability in the accident will be far more substantial than if the driver’s app were offline during the incident. Whether or not the driver was using the app at the time of the accident would suggest that the driver may have been distracted, and thus much of the liability for his negligence would be attributable to the ridesharing company.

Determining fault in an accident can be tricky, and will generally be conducted according to the state in which the accident occurred. In Florida, a no-fault law exists to ensure that drivers’ insurance companies are responsible for covering the accident, no matter who is to blame. Naturally, things can get complicated when Uber and Lyft are involved, so it’s always best to review your case with an attorney.

Don’t Wait – Contact The Florida Law Group!

Our rideshare accident attorneys are ranked in the top 1% of law firms nationwide. We offer free consultations and proudly offer all of our legal services to clients on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we only get paid when you win! Call now to speak with a ridesharing attorney.