Who Is Liable After a Rideshare Accident in Florida?

You may have used a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft recently to help you get around town, or because you had a night out with your friends and you knew you would be drinking, so you prepared to have a sober driver get you home safely. Rideshare services are growing in popularity and are very convenient. However, rideshare drivers can still be involved in accidents. These accidents can inflict physical bodily harm on passengers or on others on the road.

If you were injured in a rideshare accident in Florida, then you may not know what you should do and what your rights are. A Tampa car accident attorney at Fulgencio Law can evaluate your case, determine if it makes sense to file a claim, and how much you can expect your claim to be worth.

What to Do If You Were Injured in a Rideshare Accident

There are several ways someone can be harmed in a rideshare accident. A rideshare driver could collide with a pedestrian or another automobile and harm a driver, and his or her car occupants, or a rideshare car can be involved in an accident where its own passengers can be injured. Obtaining medical treatment after a rideshare accident is critical to one’s health and well-being, but medical care can be expensive. Plus, if one’s injuries after a rideshare accident lead to missed days at work, this can also equate to lost wages. The damages that one can accrue after a rideshare accident can be substantial, and as a result, knowing how to obtain compensation is essential.

Rideshare accidents can be a bit more complicated than your average car accident between two private vehicles. This is because of the complexities that come with determining liability. Much of what determines who is responsible for paying victims for their damages depends on whether or not the rideshare driver is working or not.

Big rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have insurance for their drivers. When a driver is working, and an accident happens, a victim can look to this insurance to file their claim. However, if the driver is not working, then the driver’s personal insurance would be where a rideshare accident victim would begin the claims process.

In other situations, the manufacturer of the car that the rideshare driver was using could potentially be liable and have a claim filed against their insurance. This would happen if a defect in the car caused the accident.

When assessing whether or not a rideshare driver is on the job, it is often the case that if they are not logged into their rideshare app, then they would not be considered to be actively at work. Still, regardless of whether a rideshare accident victim has to file a claim against a driver’s insurance or the insurance of the rideshare company, getting compensation can be difficult. Insurance companies will always do what they can to protect their bottom line and escape having to pay money to claimants. An attorney will know the tactics that are used to meet this objective and be equipped to combat them so that a claimant can obtain fair and full compensation for their losses.

Call Fulgencio Law Today

If you need help after a rideshare accident in Florida, please call Fulgencio Law at (813) 463-0123 to schedule a free consultation with a Tampa personal injury lawyer today.