Need an Injury Lawyer in Florida for a Ridesharing Accident?
In 2016, a passenger was left with serious injuries in St. Petersburg when they were involved in an accident with an Uber driver. The driver sustained life-threatening injuries and passenger left with serious injuries when the driver drove his ridesharing vehicle into another driver’s path. These accidents are still fairly new since, in the history of things, ridesharing accidents are newer than you may have imagined. Many of these services have only been in business for several years, which means that ridesharing is a new concept with laws that we do not know much about yet.
What do you do when you are involved in an accident involving an Uber or other otherridesharing driver? The truth is, Uber and other ridesharing companies do not offer the same employment opportunities as, say, working for a taxi company. This is why an all- new set of laws dictates how these accidents will be handled when a personal injury claim stems from one.
Florida’s Personal Injury Protection
In Florida, you may be able to use something known as personal injury protection (PIP) to handle your medical bills and lost wages after you have been involved in a ridesharing accident. However, not everybody is eligible for PIP because they never owned a vehicle in Florida. This means that you could be lost when it comes to the insurance policy of the driver who got into an accident and left you in a dire time of need. In Florida, as well as many other states, personal auto policies deny coverage due to the fact that a driver was making a fee while they delivered you from point A to point B. This means that you may need to seek other options and file a claim if you are looking to receive compensation after being involved in a serious accident with a ridesharing driver.
All throughout Florida, from Miami to South Florida, Uber, Lyft, and other ridesharing-related accidents are happening every year. Many cities are still debating over how they should handle these very specific accidents even though they are allowing citizens to reap the many benefits of these services, such as taking a vehicle across town when you are shopping or to and from work when you are left without a vehicle.
Receiving Compensation for Your Injuries
In some ways, ridesharing accidents work like a variety of other car accident claims. Many states are starting to warn passengers that they could be taking insurance risks every time they step inside an Uber. However, if a driver has acted negligently, you can always bring a claim against them for damages. The trouble with these cases is the fact that many ridesharing drivers are not considered employees, but instead independent contractors. When you are an employee, this means that you are working under an employer and those injured can file a claim under a concept known as “vicarious liability,” which also holds a company liable for the actions of the employee.
However, if a driver is considered to be an independent contractor, a company can technically waive responsibility when an accident occurs because the worker is making their own hours and can be let go at any time from their rideshare duties. In many states, Uber drivers are independent contractors, which means that you may be covered by commercial liability insurance instead of through the company’s policy.
However, Uber, as well as many other ridesharing companies, have adopted $1 million insurance policies to protect passengers when they are involved in an Uber-related accident. Though this is a great step in the right direction, what happens if your injuries exceed that amount? This may be difficult to imagine, but some injuries are so horrific that they can leave a lasting impact on the rest of your life.
If you have been injured in a ridesharing accident, you have rights to recover. Luckily, we can help you with your Florida ridesharing case and you can enjoy the benefits of recovery after your accident. Let us help you today.