Uber and Lyft have become synonymous with easy passenger transportation from point A to point B, but accidents involving these vehicles do occur. If you or somebody you care about has been injured in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, you need to seek out legal assistance as soon as possible. At GOLDLAW, we are here to help if you need a Port St. Lucie Uber and Lyft accident attorney by your side. Our Port St. Lucie car accident lawyers want to help investigate your case so you can recover the compensation needed to get through this.
Why Turn to GOLDLAW for Help?
At GOLDLAW, our team specializes in personal injury law, which includes complex vehicle accidents and rideshare accidents:
- We always put the client first, which means we remain in regular contact with you as your case proceeds forward.
- Our team has an extensive track record of success, having recovered significant settlements and jury verdicts for clients throughout Florida.
- We strive for excellence in everything that we do, and our team has the resources to take on insurance carriers and larger corporations on your behalf.
How an Port St. Lucie Accident Attorney Can Help Your Uber or Lyft Claim
Accident claims against Uber and Lyft can become incredibly challenging. Please understand that these companies and their insurance carriers have deep pockets, which means they have the ability to fight even seemingly minor claims. This can bring incredible hardship to an injury and property damage victim.
A skilled Port St. Lucie personal injury attorney from GOLDLAW can handle every aspect of the claim. An attorney will:
- Conduct a thorough investigation into the incident to obtain the evidence needed to prove liability
- Open communication with the insurance carriers in an effort to facilitate fair compensation to their client
- Handle complex negotiations when working to counter initial offers from the insurance carrier
- Fully prepared to take the case to a trial if necessary to ensure the client is treated fairly
Understanding Rideshare Insurance Policies
One of the most complex aspects of an Uber or Lyft accident claim is understanding how their insurance policies work. If an Uber or Lyft driver causes an accident, victims should be able to recover compensation, but where they recover the compensation from will vary depending on the status of the driver at the time the incident occurred.
Both Uber and Lyft use a tiered system when it comes to insurance coverage:
- Driver off duty. If an Uber or Lyft driver is not signed into the company app to work, then they are considered off-duty. Any accident the driver causes will need to be covered by their personal auto insurance carrier. Drivers are required to carry the minimums mandated by their state.
- Driver on duty. If a driver is signed into their app to work but does not have a passenger or is not on the way to pick a passenger up, then both Uber and Lyft have supplemental insurance policies designed to kick in if the driver’s personal carrier limits are exhausted. Unfortunately, this often leaves crash victims dealing with multiple insurance carriers.
- Driver on duty with passenger. If a driver is on duty and has a passenger or is on the way to pick one up, then both rideshare companies have $1 million liability insurance policies to cover all parties involved.
Types of Compensation You Could Receive
Compensation after an Uber or Lyft accident in Port St. Lucie can vary. Because Florida is a no-fault state, individuals are often able to recover compensation from their own personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policy. In certain circumstances, individuals may be able to recover compensation from other parties involved. We encourage you to work with your personal injury lawyer to understand where you have the best chance of recovering maximum compensation.
Our goal is to help clients recover compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Medical bills associated with the injuries
- Any property damage expenses
- Lost wages if a victim is unable to work
- Assistance with household out-of-pocket expenses
- Physical pain and suffering damages
- Emotional and psychological pain and suffering damages
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
The total amount of compensation paid to Uber and Lyft accident victims in Port St. Lucie will vary depending on several factors. These factors include the severity of the injuries, the insurance policy limitations, whether or not there was any shared fault for the incident, the level of any disability, and more.
How is Liability Determined After a Rideshare Crash?
Determining liability after an Uber or Lyft accident can be challenging, but it must be done in order to establish which insurance carrier or carriers are responsible for paying compensation. Just like any other vehicle accident that occurs, law enforcement officials should come to the scene to fill out an accident report. Some of the types of evidence needed to prove liability in these cases include:
- Statements from those involved in the incident
- Statements from eyewitnesses who saw what happened
- Photograph taken at the scene of the incident
- Surveillance footage from nearby cameras or dashcams
- Vehicle black box data
- Mobile device data
- Medical records that describe the injuries
A West Palm Beach personal injury attorney will conduct a complete investigation into the incident in order to gather the evidence needed to prove liability. If you have any questions about liability for your particular rideshare accident, we encourage you to contact your attorney today.
Contact a Port St. Lucie Uber & Lyft Lawyer Today
If you or a loved one have been injured in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle, please reach out to the team at GOLDLAW as soon as possible. We have years of experience handling complex vehicle accident claims, and we want to help you recover the compensation you need to get through this. Our Port St. Lucie Uber and Lyft accident lawyer is standing by to offer a free consultation on your claim today. You can reach out by filling out our contact form or calling (561) 222-2222.