Ridesharing services, such as the popular apps Uber and Lyft, make it easy to quickly get a ride wherever you need to go. However, according to an article published in Forbes, research suggests that these companies may actually increase the number of accidents, injuries, and deaths on the road.
If you or a loved one suffered injuries in an accident involving a rideshare service, it can be challenging to know who to turn to for compensation. The rideshare driver, the other driver, or the parent company could be liable for your expenses.
A Sarasota ridesharing accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC may be able to help you obtain compensation for your losses in a ridesharing car accident. Our team can help you negotiate with insurance providers or file a personal injury lawsuit to help you get the settlement you need to cover your medical bills and other costs. Reach out to us at (844) 730-0233 to schedule a free consultation.
Insurance and Liability for Ridesharing Accidents
Ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft are also called transportation network companies, or TNCs. If you get into an accident while ridesharing, the insurance coverage and who is liable for the costs of the accident can get a bit complicated since, in addition to the drivers, you also have the parent company and paying passengers as involved parties.
To help with this situation, the governor of Florida passed a bill in 2017 to regulate the required amounts of insurance coverage and other aspects of ridesharing services. This bill, CS/HB 221, requires ridesharing drivers to carry certain amounts of insurance coverage for death and bodily injury per person, death and bodily injury per accident, and property damage even when they are not carrying passengers but they have the app turned on.
When they are carrying passengers, Florida rideshare drivers must have at least $1 million in liability coverage, as well as personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. The bill also requires standards for background checks and compliance with nondiscrimination policies.
Florida’s regular accident liability rules still apply to a ridesharing car accident. Here are some of the possible scenarios of liability and insurance coverage in a ridesharing accident:
- If you are the driver and suffer minor injuries, make a claim on your PIP insurance coverage.
- If you are the passenger and suffer injuries, you can make a claim on the TNC’s insurance.
- The at-fault driver’s insurance must cover the cost of property damage.
- If you are the ridesharing driver or passenger and the other, at-fault driver’s insurance is not enough to compensate for your losses, the TNC’s insurance should make up the difference.
For accidents in which you suffer a serious or permanent injury, you can go outside of Florida’s no-fault insurance rules and seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. Florida determines liability for accident and injury costs through comparative negligence, according to Florida Statutes § 768.81. This comparative negligence law means that each party involved in an accident or injury receives a percentage of the blame for it, and the amount you can recover is reduced by how much you are at fault.
For example, if the ridesharing accident was 15 percent your fault, you would receive 85 percent of whatever damages the court awards. Insurance companies and defendants’ lawyers are also likely to take comparative negligence into account when negotiating a settlement for your losses.
If the parent TNC failed to uphold all of their requirements, such as carrying the right amount of insurance, requiring background checks, and refusing employment to drivers with certain offenses on their records, you may also be able to pursue a lawsuit against them for their negligence.
A Sarasota ridesharing accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC may be able to help you recover compensation. Whether you were the ridesharing driver, the ridesharing passenger, or another driver in the accident, you deserve to receive compensation when someone else causes you to suffer.
For a free legal consultation with a ridesharing lawyer serving Sarasota, call (844) 730-0233
Recoverable Damages After a Ridesharing Accident
You may be able to recover both economic damages for the direct expenses of a car accident and noneconomic damages for less quantifiable losses through a personal injury lawsuit in Florida. These damages include:
- The cost of medical treatment
- Lost income
- Loss of future income
- Funeral expenses
- The cost of property damage
- Other out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Inconvenience
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
If you suffer an injury because of a car accident that was not your fault, you deserve to receive compensation for your losses. The purpose of personal injury lawsuits and some insurance claims is that you should not have to suffer further because of the financial or other lasting burdens of the accident.
Sarasota Ridesharing Lawyer Near Me (844) 730-0233
The Statute of Limitations Can Affect Your Case
If you hope to recover damages through a personal injury lawsuit in Florida, you should be aware that you must begin legal proceedings within a certain time frame or you may lose your ability to do so. The statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in Florida, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11, is four years. If you wish to seek damages for a family member’s death in a ridesharing accident, the statute of limitations for wrongful death cases is two years.
Click to contact our Sarasota Car Accident Lawyers today
Get Help from the Team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC
Ridesharing car accidents can be complicated, but a Sarasota ridesharing accident lawyer at Ben Crump Law, PLLC is here to help you. We are familiar with the intricacies of ridesharing insurance requirements and Florida liability laws.
To help you recover compensation for an accident, our team can:
- Investigate the cause of the accident
- Gather evidence such as photos, video surveillance, police reports, medical records, eyewitness statements, and expert testimony
- Identify what damages you may be able to recover
- Negotiate with insurance providers on your behalf
- File a personal injury lawsuit for you
We will fight for your legal right to receive the settlement that you deserve. Call (844) 730-0233 today to schedule a free consultation at no obligation with the team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC. We work on contingency, so we will never charge you any fees unless we can recover compensation for you.
Call or text (844) 730-0233 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
