If you were in an accident involving an Uber or Lyft, the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can help you seek a settlement to pay for your injuries and more. You could be entitled to financial awards if your vehicle collided with an Uber or Lyft, or if you suffered injuries as an Uber or Lyft passenger.
Our Brandon personal injury lawyers will take care of your insurance claim and work to negotiate fair compensation for you. We will not let the ridesharing companies or big insurers intimidate you or get away with paying you less than they owe.
We Can Handle Your Rideshare Accident Insurance Claim
Rideshare insurance claims can be complex. Depending on the circumstances of your accident, your collision may involve multiple parties and insurance companies. You may have a claim against your Uber or Lyft driver or another driver.
In addition to these other parties, you still have to deal with your own auto insurance company. Florida’s no-fault laws require you to go through your own insurance personal injury protection (PIP) initially to recover basic benefits. Accidents involving serious injuries can permit you to pursue additional damages.
This is a lot for you to handle while also dealing with your own injuries. Our rideshare accident lawyers can investigate your Uber or Lyft accident and determine who or what is at fault. We can then assist with filing and pursuing all applicable insurance claims, including claims against the transportation companies, if necessary. Our firm can:
- File your insurance claim
- Handle communications with the insurance companies
- Fight against having your claim undervalued
- Review settlement offers and explain their terms
- Negotiate for the maximum amount of compensation
- Collect evidence and prove fault
All the while, we keep in touch with you, giving you updates on a regular basis. Communication is also a two-way street, and we provide you with your attorney’s direct phone number so that you can reach out with any questions.
More About Rideshare Insurance
Florida law outlines certain requirements regarding transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft. According to Florida Statutes § 627.748, TNC drivers must have up to $100,000 in liability coverage for bodily injuries or death occurring while the rideshare app is on and they are waiting for a ride request.
Drivers must have $1 million in coverage for injuries or death that occur while they are transporting passengers. Additionally, drivers must have $25,000 in property damage liability. Both Uber and Lyft provide their drivers with policies that meet these coverage amounts.
However, note that caveat: the app must be on, and the driver must be waiting for a request. If a driver was logged out of the app or in-between rides, the rideshare company could provide less or no coverage. In cases like that, the driver’s personal insurance coverage kicks in instead. We can analyze your accident to determine how driver or rideshare coverage affects you.
A Brandon Uber and Lyft Rideshare Accident Lawyer Can Take Your Case to Court
Our attorneys will not back down from big corporations like Uber and Lyft. We are not afraid to take your case to civil court if that is what is necessary to get you the awards you deserve. Moreover, we don’t hesitate to explore this option if the driver or their personal insurance refuses to settle.
While we work hard to try to settle a case out of court, and most lawsuits don’t proceed to trial, we are willing to take that step if:
- All parties can’t agree on a settlement
- An insurance company is operating in bad faith
- There is disagreement on assigning liability
Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a) gives plaintiffs four years from the time of their accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. By contrast, the statute of limitations is only two years for wrongful death actions.
While we will do everything in our power to get you awards as soon as possible, evidence collection and insurance negotiations can take time. Additionally, memories of witnesses and others involved can fade quickly, so do not let your window of time to take legal action expire. We can use that time to our advantage.
How Can You Prove Liability in a Rideshare Accident?
Your Uber or Lyft driver, or another motorist, may be liable for your crash if it involved:
- Distracted, aggressive, or reckless driving
- Speeding
- Alcohol or drug use
- Following too closely
- Traveling in the wrong lane or weaving between lanes
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Failing to stop at a stoplight or sign
- Improper turns
These are all forms of negligence—careless actions that resulted in injury, qualifying the injured party for damages. Our work in proving a negligent driver is liable involves demonstrating how the careless act directly harmed you. For instance, a rideshare that tailgated you cannot be held liable if they didn’t cause you injury. There must be a connection between the act and your pain and losses.
The Proof Is in the Evidence
Our team can visit the scene of your accident, take photographs, and collect evidence. Additionally, we can prove another driver is liable for your crash using:
- Medical records
- Accident reports
- Alcohol or drug testing
- Phone records
- Social media posts
- Eyewitness testimony
- Expert testimony
- Crash reconstruction
- And more
If road conditions or a vehicle defect contributed to your accident, we can also help you pursue compensation from those responsible for the roadway or vehicle-related problems.
Sometimes, cases can devolve into attempts by a negligent party to shortchange you; if they can’t prove that they didn’t cause any harm, they can at least try to claim your injuries aren’t as bad or expensive as you claim. Consequently, evidence not only plays a role in highlighting a negligent act but also helps us emphasize the price of the consequences.
That is also the reason we draw from multiple sources and types of evidence. For instance, a single medical bill may not adequately reflect the full cost of your injury, but testimony from a psychologist on your PTSD diagnosis, photos of scarring, and prescriptions for antidepressants and pain medications can create a more realistic picture of your suffering.
What Awards Can You Win?
Gathering evidence for your case also helps us estimate the damages you could receive. Our car accident attorneys can fight for compensation for your past and future medical treatment. This includes services you have already received, such as emergency care, as well as ongoing accident-related health care needs.
You could win awards to pay for:
- Hospital stays
- Medications
- Physical and cognitive rehabilitation
- Mobility aids
- Medical devices
- Surgical procedures
- Mental health support
- Follow-up care
- Any other necessary treatment
It’s important to realize that you could be covered for any losses related to your injury. That could include complications or secondary conditions. For instance, the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) estimates that each year, about 30 percent of spinal cord injury victims are re-hospitalized for conditions like skin and respiratory diseases. These related health problems are part of the original injury and therefore part of our consideration of your damages.
We also rely on expert consultation in this portion of your case. Medical specialists and actuaries can give us information on both your present and your future with your injuries.
Other Losses That Could Be Compensated
If you have severe injuries, you may need to take an extended absence from work while you recover. We can negotiate compensation for your lost wages so that you can take care of your household expenses. If you suffered a permanent disability that leaves you unable to work or return to your previous employment, we can help you pursue awards for your loss of earning potential.
If the accident involved your vehicle, you can seek the costs of its repair or replacement. You can seek compensation for other damaged personal property, such as electronics or jewelry, as well.
Non-Economic Damages and Wrongful Death Benefits
You may also be entitled to awards for your physical pain and mental and emotional suffering. These are known as non-economic damages and may include compensation for:
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of mobility
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of a limb
- Decreased cognitive functioning
- Chronic pain
- Depression
- Stress and anxiety
- Mental anguish
If your loved one died from injuries sustained in an Uber or Lyft ridesharing accident, you can pursue damages for their wrongful death. This includes medical bills related to their accident and the costs of their funeral and burial.
Additionally, you may be eligible for compensation for your loss of their companionship, consortium, and financial support. Specific damages can depend on which family member is receiving compensation. For instance, children can receive damages for loss of their parent’s instruction and guidance, while surviving spouses can receive damages for loss of protection and companionship (Florida Statute § 768.21).
We can guide you through this difficult and painful time, explaining what damages you could receive and helping you through the process.
Receive a Free Consultation from the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine
At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we want to make the insurance or legal process easy on our clients. That is why we go the extra mile to meet your needs and take the burden off of your shoulders. You worry about getting better. We take care of everything else.
Contact our offices to learn more about working with a Brandon Uber and Lyft rideshare accident lawyer. Our team can evaluate your case, answer your questions, and inform you of your options. The call is free, and there is no obligation.
We Can Help.
