Accident Attorneys

The growth of ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft has led to a variety of new and interesting legal questions. If you’ve been injured in an accident involving a rideshare vehicle, you may find the proceedings overwhelming and confusing. Below are the answers to some common questions about pedestrian accidents involving Uber and Lyft vehicles:

Lyft & Uber Accidents

1. Can I Bring the Claim Against the Rideshare Company’s Commercial Insurance Policy?

If you were involved in an accident with someone who was driving for Lyft or Uber, then you may be wondering which insurance policy or policies will come into play. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible that your damages will be covered by Uber or Lyft’s commercial insurance policy, which has a $1 million liability coverage limit. Whether this policy comes into play will depend on who was at-fault and the driver’s status at the time of the accident—i.e. whether they were waiting on a fare, picking up a fare, transporting a fare, or not working at all when the collision occurred. An attorney can review your circumstances to determine insurance liability.

2. How Do I Prove Liability?

In order to recover after your accident, you will likely have to prove that your damages were caused by someone else’s negligence, which is the breach of the duty of care one party owes to another. Below are a few examples of evidence our lawyers might use to prove negligence and liability:

  • Video footage of the accident,
  • Photos of the scene,
  • The police report,
  • Cellphone records,
  • Toxicology reports,
  • Eyewitness deposition, and
  • Deposition from an accident reconstruction expert.

3. What Damages Might Be Recoverable?

All successful rideshare accident cases involve some amount of compensatory damages, which can be further divided into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, expenses for repairs to personal property, and any wages that you have lost or are reasonably certain to lose in the future from being unable to work, as well as other reasonable and necessary expenses.

Non-economic damages are intangible. These damages include things like the pain and suffering that you experience as a result of your injuries and loss of life enjoyment.

There is another category of damages called “punitive damages,” but these only come into play when a defendant acted with particularly egregious behavior. Punitive damages are intended to punish the defendant and to deter similar misconduct in the future. They might be available, for example, if you were hit by a drunk driver, or if the driver fled the scene of the accident.

Schedule a Free Consultation with an Accident Lawyer

Our seasoned trial attorneys can review the facts of your case, conduct a thorough investigation, and help you fight for the compensation you need to move on with life. We will give your claim the individual attention that it deserves, and we will use all the resources at our disposal to fight for the most favorable resolution possible. We handle cases in Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Lakeland and the surrounding counties.

Let our experience work for you. Send us a message or call 813-440-2700 to request a free, no-obligation consultation.