Fort Lauderdale Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Can I Sue After a Crash With a Rideshare Driver in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. If a rideshare driver’s negligence caused your injuries, Florida state laws allow you to sue for compensation. Whether you were riding in the Uber or Lyft, driving another vehicle, walking across the street, or cycling through Fort Lauderdale, you have the right to hold negligent drivers accountable. Rideshare drivers owe you a legal duty of care similar to any other driver on the road.

To have a case, though, the law puts the burden of proving negligence on you as the victim. This means you will need to establish these four legal elements to prove you have a case. The good news is most victims don’t do this on their own. If you choose our Fort Lauderdale law firm to represent you, this is something we can manage on your behalf.

• Duty of Care: The Uber or Lyft driver owed you a legal duty to operate their vehicle safely, follow traffic laws, and avoid distractions while logged into the app or transporting passengers.
• Breach of Duty: The rideshare driver violated that duty by watching the app instead of the road, speeding to complete more trips, running red lights, or making dangerous maneuvers while picking up, transporting, or dropping off passengers.
• Causation: The rideshare driver’s negligent actions directly caused the crash and your injuries.
• Damages: You suffered injuries that resulted in real damages, including emergency room visits, surgery, ongoing medical treatment, time away from work, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other permanent injuries that changed your life.

We gather the evidence, build your case, and prove each element. The real challenge in rideshare crashes is not only figuring out if you can sue but also which insurance company must pay. That is where our experience as former insurance defense attorneys gives you an advantage.

Who May Be Liable for a Car Crash Involving an Uber or Lyft Driver in Fort Lauderdale?

Liability in rideshare crashes depends on who caused the accident and what the driver was doing when it happened. App on or off? Ride accepted? Passenger in the car? Each scenario triggers different insurance coverage. We know which policies apply and how to access them.

Uber and Lyft divide driver activity into distinct periods, and each period comes with different insurance requirements and coverage limits.

• Period 0 – Driver Offline: When the rideshare driver has not activated the Uber or Lyft app, their personal auto policy is the only insurance available. Uber and Lyft offer no coverage when drivers operate offline. Many personal policies exclude rideshare or commercial driving, which can leave injury victims with limited recovery options.
• Period 1 – Logged In, Awaiting Ride Assignment: The driver activated the app and is available to receive trip requests but has not accepted one yet. During this phase, Uber and Lyft offer restricted coverage, up to $50,000 per injured person and $100,000 total per crash. The driver’s personal carrier may contribute additional coverage depending on their specific policy language.
• Period 2 – Trip Accepted, Traveling to Passenger: After accepting a ride request, the driver heads toward the pickup spot. Uber and Lyft increase their coverage to $1 million in liability protection during this phase. This elevated coverage applies to all parties injured due to the rideshare driver’s negligent operation while traveling to collect the passenger.
• Period 3 – Transporting the Passenger: Once the passenger enters the vehicle and until they are dropped off at their destination, Uber and Lyft maintain $1 million in liability coverage. This represents the highest level of protection available and extends to passengers inside the rideshare vehicle, occupants of other vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists harmed by the driver’s actions.

How Much Compensation Can I Get for an Uber or Lyft Car Accident in Florida?

No attorney can give you an exact number without reviewing your case. Even then, anyone who promises a specific dollar amount before understanding your injuries, medical treatment, lost income, and how the crash changed your life is not being honest.

The total value of our case will depend on multiple factors, including the severity of your injuries, which insurance policies apply, who was at fault, and how much coverage is available. We evaluate every factor, including:

• How long it take you to complete your medical treatments
• Whether you need surgery or other treatments to aid your recovery
• How much you lost in wages while recovering from your injuries
• Whether you are likely to need additional surgeries or treatments in the future
• Secondary complications resulting from your injuries that require ongoing medical care
• How your injuries impact your ability to continue working in your career – or if you are able to work at all
• And more

As for most injury cases, you can seek compensation for medical costs, lost wages, property damage, future earnings, scarring and disfigurement, and more.

What Makes Rideshare Crashes Different From Other Accidents Between Two Vehicles?

The biggest difference between rideshare crashes and most car accidents involving two vehicles is insurance coverage. “Regular” car accidents typically involve two personal auto policies. Rideshare crashes involve the driver’s personal insurance, Uber or Lyft’s commercial policies, and potentially another drivers’ insurance as well. The insurance limits available to an injured party all depends on the status of the app and who actually caused the crash.

Uber and Lyft also classify drivers as independent contractors, which lets them distance themselves from liability. Their billion-dollar legal teams fight claims by disputing app status, delaying investigations, and denying responsibility. In all, rideshare crashes need experienced lawyers who know how to navigate multiple layers of insurance while dealing simultaneously with corporate tactics.

Primary Causes of Rideshare Crashes in Florida

Uber and Lyft drivers face unique pressures that people doing other types of jobs don’t have to deal with. They earn money based on completed trips, which incentivizes speeding and risky driving. While working, rideshare drivers juggle the app, GPS navigation, and passenger requests while operating a vehicle. They work long hours to maximize income, leading to fatigue. They accept rides in unfamiliar areas and rely heavily on turn-by-turn directions instead of watching the road. These factors create dangerous conditions that increases the risk of a crash.

• Distracted Driving: Checking the app for new ride requests, accepting rides, communicating with passengers through the app, following GPS directions, or adjusting navigation settings while driving.
• Speeding: Driving too fast to complete more trips per hour, rushing to pick up passengers within the app’s time window, or exceeding speed limits to improve driver ratings.
• Fatigue: Working excessive hours without adequate rest to maximize earnings, driving during late-night or early-morning hours when drowsiness peaks, or operating the vehicle while exhausted from working multiple jobs.
• Unfamiliarity With Routes: Driving in areas they do not know well, relying entirely on GPS instead of understanding traffic patterns, or missing turns and making sudden lane changes to correct course.
• Failure to Yield: Not yielding right of way when picking up or dropping off passengers, pulling into traffic without checking blind spots, or stopping suddenly in travel lanes to accommodate passenger pickups.
• Running Red Lights and Stop Signs: Rushing through intersections to save time, misjudging yellow lights, or rolling through stop signs in residential neighborhoods.
• Improper Lane Changes: Switching lanes without signaling, cutting off other vehicles to reach highway exits for pickups, or weaving through traffic to avoid delays.
• Inadequate Vehicle Maintenance: Operating vehicles with worn tires, faulty brakes, broken lights, or other mechanical issues that would not pass proper inspection standards.

FAQs

Will Uber or Lyft’s insurance cover my injuries?

Maybe. Uber and Lyft provide up to $1 million in coverage only when the driver has accepted a ride or has a passenger on board. If the driver was logged in but waiting for a request, coverage drops to $50,000 per person. If the app was off, Uber and Lyft provide nothing. We investigate the driver’s app status and determine which policy covers you.

How long do I have to take legal action after a rideshare accident?

Florida gives you two years from the crash date to file a lawsuit. Insurance claims should be filed much sooner, within days or weeks, to preserve evidence and prevent insurers from using delays against you. The sooner you call us, the stronger your case.

Can I still recover compensation if I was partly at fault?

You can still recover compensation. Florida reduces your award by your percentage of fault but only bars recovery if you are more than 50 percent at fault. If you were 20 percent at fault for a $100,000 claim, you still get $80,000. Insurance companies will try to shift more blame onto you. We fight unfair liability assessed against you to minimize your assigned fault.

When should I contact a lawyer after a rideshare crash?

Immediately. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget. Rideshare companies and their insurers start building their defense the moment the crash happens. We preserve evidence, document app status, and deal with insurance companies while you heal. Early legal representation protects your rights and strengthens your claim.

Need Legal Help After a Fort Lauderdale Rideshare Crash? Call The Bald Injury Lawyers Today

As former insurance defense attorneys, we know exactly how Uber, Lyft, and their insurers fight rideshare claims. We spent years on the other side defending these cases. Now we use that insider knowledge to your advantage.

At The Bald Injury Lawyers, we cut through familiar insurance tactics, identify which policies apply, and take immediate actions to maximize compensation for injured victims.