Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer in Winter Haven, FL

Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies have revolutionized how we get around and have provided countless individuals with a new source of income. As this industry grows, however, accidents involving rideshare vehicles have increased significantly.

Unfortunately, when individuals are hurt in a rideshare accident, the insurance companies may not always be willing to compensate them fairly for the harm they’ve suffered.

Because injury claims involving Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare companies are relatively new, confusion about liability and the process of recovering compensation is not uncommon. The Winter Haven rideshare accident lawyers of Brooks Law Group are well-versed in rideshare laws and the insurance policies available to provide compensation for victims.

If you were a motorist or pedestrian struck by a rideshare vehicle, a rideshare driver who was struck by another motorist, or if you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses.

Contact our team of skilled Uber and Lyft accident lawyers in Winter Haven at Brooks Law Group to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case and the legal options available to you.

Understanding Liability in Uber and Lyft Accidents

When a car accident is caused by the driver of an Uber or Lyft, the type and amount of insurance coverage may depend on what the driver was doing at the time of the accident:

Driver is logged off the rideshare app. If the driver is not currently logged onto the rideshare app and actively seeking rides, then the rideshare company likely has no liability and an injured party can only look to the driver’s personal or commercial auto insurance policy.
Driver is logged onto the app but is not picking up or transporting a passenger. If the driver is logged onto the rideshare app and is available for rides but has not accepted a ride request, the rideshare companies provide limited coverage, usually in the amounts of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident in personal injury coverage and $25,000 per accident in property damage.
Driver is picking up or transporting a passenger. If the driver is on the way to pick up a passenger or has a passenger in the vehicle, rideshare companies typically offer their full coverage, usually up to $1 million in liability coverage.

Even when the rideshare company accepts liability through the coverage they offer to their drivers, a party injured by a rideshare vehicle may still look to the driver and their own insurance policy for coverage.

If you were working as a rideshare driver and you were struck by another motorist, you could be owed compensation if the accident was their fault. Additionally, Uber and Lyft both provide limited coverage if you were logged in and waiting for a fare. If you were actively transporting a fare at the time of the crash, the most robust coverage may be available to you – up to $1 million in coverage.

Compensation Available for a Lyft or Uber Accident

If you’ve been injured or suffered property damage caused by a crash involving an Uber or Lyft vehicle in Winter Haven, you may be entitled to various kinds of compensation for your injuries and your damaged property.

Compensation for personal injuries can cover losses such as:

Medical expenses, such as hospital stays, doctor’s office visits, physical therapy, prescription medication, and surgery.
Lost income when you miss work as you recover from your injuries, or if you are unable to return to your job and have a difference between your pre-accident and post-accident income.
Pain and suffering, which represent physical and emotional distress caused by your injuries and the trauma of the crash.
Loss of consortium, which is a claim brought by your spouse and/or your immediate family members for the loss of your society and household services cause by your injuries.

In addition to compensation for injuries, you may also be entitled to recover compensation for your property damaged in the accident, whether you were the driver of another vehicle hit by an Uber or Lyft, or you were a passenger in the Uber or Lyft who had personal property damaged or destroyed in the accident.

If you have a close relative who was tragically killed in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, you and your family may be entitled to compensation in the form of wrongful death damages. These are paid out to your loved one’s estate and to your family for losses such as funeral and burial expenses, your loved one’s conscious pain and suffering immediately before their death, and the economic contributions and companionship and household services your loved one provided to your immediate family.

Tips for Protecting Your Rights After a Rideshare Accident in Winter Haven

If you are involved in a rideshare accident, there are certain actions you can take to best protect your right to maximum compensation for any losses you suffer as a result of the accident. These steps include:

Calling the police, who may write up an accident report that can provide information to help establish responsibility for the accident.
Getting insurance information from the rideshare driver, so that you can start the claims process.
Taking photographs of the accident scene, including of the positions of and damage to vehicles, the inside of the rideshare vehicle (if you were a passenger), skid marks on the road, road conditions, traffic controls, the area around the accident, and weather and lighting conditions.
Seeking prompt medical attention, even if you don’t at first feel like you were injured in the accident, since symptoms can take days or weeks to show up, delaying medical attention can worsen your prognosis for recovery.
Writing down your recollection of the accident, once the excitement and shock of the accident has worn off and your mind has cleared, so that you have a contemporaneous recollection of the accident that you can refer back to as you pursue your claim.
Contacting an experienced Uber and Lyft accident attorney who can begin to help you pursue your claim for compensation.

How Can a Uber Accident Attorney in Winter Haven Help?

As the victim of an accident involving a rideshare vehicle in Winter Haven, your best chance for maximizing the compensation you could receive in a legal claim to cover your losses is to have a knowledgeable Uber and Lyft accident attorney represent you. A Winter Haven Uber and Lyft accident attorney from Brooks Law Group can help you pursue your claim by investigating your accident to obtain the evidence necessary to prove your claim and your losses.

Our legal team can negotiate with the insurance companies and, where applicable, with the rideshare company to try to obtain a fair settlement. When a fair settlement can’t be reached, our Winter Haven Uber and Lyft accident attorneys will be ready to take your case to trial.

If you’ve been involved in a Winter Haven Uber or Lyft accident, don’t wait another day to start pursuing the compensation you are legally entitled to. Contact Brooks Law Group today to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case and to learn more about your legal options.