How Accidents Involving Rideshare Drivers Differ from Most Personal Injury Auto Accidents

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With rideshare accidents more than any others, you need to contact any attorney immediately following the accident because accidents involving a rideshare driver create complex liability. With a rideshare accident, even if the accident only involved one driver, it could include more than one outside insurance company.

Act Quickly to Beat the Statute of Limitations

Contact an attorney with expertise in rideshare accidents, like ApexFirm.com as soon as possible after the incident. In Florida, you have two years to file a lawsuit or other legal claim of personal injury.

Your lawyer will meet with you to discuss the case and its particulars. This will include you explaining in detail the accident as it unfolded. You’ll include information like:

• If your trip had begun
• If you stood on the sidewalk or roadside
• If the trip ended and you had exited the vehicle but were collecting your packages or luggage.

If a rideshare driver struck you while you bicycled or walked along the roadway, your lawyer will need to determine what work state the driver had entered. That’s because the driver’s work state or status influences who incurs liability for some accidents.

Rideshare Driver Work States

The law does not consider a rideshare driver to have begun work until they open their work apps, such as Lyft or Uber, and sign in. Just because they signed into the app, doesn’t mean they incur liability though. Here’s how it works, typically:

• Driver’s not at work: The driver incurs liability covered by their personal auto insurance. Uber incurs no liability. The driver of another vehicle involved in an accident may incur liability if found partially or completely at fault.
• A driver logs in and waits for a rider: The driver’s insurance coverage applies, but if the driver’s insurance company denies coverage, Uber may cover damages on its insurance. If the accident involved another driver, they may incur liability.
• A driver closes the app or provides a ride outside the app: The driver’s personal insurance applies, and that of any other driver involved in the accident if found at fault.
• A driver works, giving a rideshare passenger a ride: Uber’s insurance covers the liability. If another driver contributed to the accident occurring, they may incur liability.
• A driver works, picking up or dropping off a passenger: Uber insurance covers the liability. If the accident involved another driver, partially or completely at fault for the accident, their auto insurance liability also applies.

Contact an Attorney for Assistance

As you can see, the level of use of the rideshare app and the step in the rideshare process decides who incurs liability once law enforcement and the court determines fault. Obtaining the services of an attorney can help you determine who to contact to file a claim or who to name in a lawsuit. Recent changes in Florida law reduced the statute of limitations for personal injury cases from four to two years, so act quickly and contact an attorney experienced in rideshare accidents.