When you get a ride in an Uber or another rideshare service in Fort Lauderdale, that does not diminish your chances of getting into an accident.
If you or a loved one were injured while riding in an Uber as a passenger or as an Uber driver, the law may entitle you to compensation. This compensation can help ease your suffering by covering your medical expenses.
To find out if you have a claim worth pursuing, you can speak with the Fort Lauderdale Uber accident lawyers at Dolman Law Group today. With offices across both Florida coasts, including Fort Lauderdale, you can easily reach out to our team for a free initial consultation.
Uber versus Taxi
A taxi and an Uber are not the same things. A taxi vehicle is usually owned by the company and the company employs the driver. With an Uber, the vehicle is privately owned by the driver and Uber claims it does not employ the driver - that they are an independent contractor.
This is a key distinction because it could limit Uber's liability if you are injured while riding as a passenger. Liability is important when holding someone accountable for your injuries because their insurance will cover your medical expenses. Companies generally carry larger insurance coverage than individuals. Florida Statutes § 627.748 requires Uber or its drivers to carry insurance. However, depending on the type of accident and the injuries you suffer, their coverage may still not be enough.
These requirements can confuse victims and make them uncertain about whose insurance will cover your injuries. In addition, you only have four years per Florida Statutes § 95.11 from the date of the accident to bring a personal injury claim. Four years might seem like a long time, but when you must deal with your recovery and possibly missing time from work, you might before from having a Fort Lauderdale Uber accident lawyer working on your case as quickly as possible.
Learn more: Filing a Claim for an Uber Sexual Assault
Steps to Take When You Are a Passenger
The steps you take immediately after your Uber accident and in the days and weeks ahead will play an important part in your ability to recover damages for your injuries.
By making sure you take care of yourself and collect evidence from the accident scene, you can play an important part in holding the at-fault party liable for your injuries.
- Take care of yourself.When you suffer injuries in a car accident, whether it was the Uber driver's fault or someone else's, your first concern should be solely on your health. If you have any pain or are concerned about your wellbeing, call 911 immediately. When you do, emergency medical personnel will arrive at the accident scene and evaluate you. They may determine you need more medical attention and take you to the hospital. Do not ignore their advice. After your accident, see your regular doctor. Your doctor knows you best and will determine how your injuries have affected your life and help you chart a course for your recovery. Your doctor's medical notes will also help your lawyer show what you had to overcome to heal.
- Get a police report.When you call 911, the police will come to the accident scene and speak with everyone involved. They will compile their information in a police report and, while they may not assign fault, their diagram could prove useful in proving who is to blame for your injuries.
- Keep evidence.If you can, take lots of pictures of the accident scene. Get pictures of your injuries, all vehicles involved, and the surrounding area. Speak with witnesses. Not all witnesses will stick around at the accident scene to give a statement to the police. If you can at least get their contact information, your Uber accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can speak with them later and get their perspective. Witnesses often provide unique angles on the seconds leading up to your accident which can prove insightful in determining how your accident happened.
- Keep notes.Every day, write in a journal. Record your level of pain, how you are feeling, if you can go about your daily life, and if you have returned to work. Over time, you will forget the daily struggles you faced during your recovery. Keeping notes about what you went through will help your attorney show what you endured during your recovery. This can help to maximize your compensation.
- Contact our Uber accident attorneys in Fort Lauderdale. Your Uber accident personal injury claim deserves immediate attention. You may be out of work, and you are certainly suffering. While you work on your physical recovery, your lawyer can work on getting you every dollar you deserve so you do not have to worry about how you will pay your bills.
What to Do If You Are the Uber Driver
As an Uber driver, you may be unclear about what insurance coverage Uber provides to you in the event of an accident. That's understandable. When you have a passenger, that might be the only time the answer is clear - Uber's insurance will cover you up to $1 million. Beyond that, confusion abounds.
If you are using the Uber app waiting to accept a fare and have not yet accepted one, your personal insurance should cover you. If you have accepted a fare and you are en route to pick up the passenger, then Uber's insurance might be in effect, but it might be a reduced amount.
Furthermore, if the accident is your fault, Uber's insurance may cover any personal damages or losses. If this confuses you, you are not alone. That's why, as an Uber driver, you must speak with a trusted Fort Lauderdale Uber accident attorney if you find yourself in an accident. Your lawyer can help you determine whose insurance coverage applies, and help you collect the maximum amount of compensation possible.
What to Do If You Are a Victim of an Uber Driver's Negligence
You do not have to be inside the Uber vehicle to sustain injuries or request compensation. For example, suppose an Uber driver injuries you as a pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist. In that case, you may need to follow the same steps to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries and expenses. Our team will help you navigate the personal injury claim system and hold the at-fault rideshare driver or company responsible for your compensation.
If you drove your personal vehicle and became involved in an accident with an Uber vehicle, you may not know which insurance company to pursue for damages - the driver's private insurer, Uber's insurer, or your insurer.
Complete and obtain a copy of your police report. It will help us understand the Uber driver's on- or off-app status when the accident occurred. In addition, keep track of any evidence you collected at the accident scene, including contact details for the at-fault driver.
Next, contact one of our team members for a cost- and obligation-free assessment of your case. We will inform you of the next steps you need to take toward compensation and what we will do on your behalf. We aim to ensure you get the compensation you deserve for the Uber driver's negligent behavior.
Compensation You Might Get
In some cases, recovering damages after an Uber accident can prove to be extremely difficult. You deserve to put your effort and energy into your physical recovery. Your injuries may be severe, leaving you with a lifetime of physical trouble, and that will be costly. You should bear none of the responsibility for those medical bills.
Your Uber accident lawyer may obtain you compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Loss of companionship
- Present and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation costs
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you could face long hospital stays, multiple surgeries, and time missed from work. All of these play an important part in your ability to recover damages from the at-fault party. Your auto accident injuries may even prevent you from returning to work permanently or in the same capacity, further reducing your ability to earn a living. This places additional stress on your family to make up the difference.
But the accident was not your fault, and you should not be on the hook for these additional medical expenses and your lost wages. That's why it's important to work with a seasoned Uber accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale who can help you determine the true value of your claim and what you will need to live your life.
When you work with us, we can work together to determine the full value of your claim by reviewing your medical prognosis and working with experts to determine the amount of lost earning potential. All of this will combine to give us an accurate estimate of your future needs. What we do not want to see is you paying out of pocket for any of your expenses or lost wages. You did not cause the accident, so you should not bear any responsibility for the costs associated with your recovery.
As we all know, medical bills quickly rise to astronomical numbers. Our goal is to get you every dollar you deserve so you do not end up in financial hardship trying to recover from your injuries. You should not have to worry about how your bills are paid - your only worry should be about your physical recovery and getting back to your regular life. The best way to do that is by working with a lawyer you trust, a lawyer who can work hard to maximize your compensation while you work hard to recover.
Rideshare Companies Like Uber Contribute to Increased Car Accident Rates
Since its launch, Uber has become so ingrained in the modern transportation industry that many of us cannot imagine not having it an app request away. Just as it has changed how we request travel accommodations, it has also altered traffic patterns and flow.
A research brief created by the University of Chicago cites an increase in traffic accident fatalities of three percent every year since Uber premiered. This number represents the increase in total accidents that result in fatalities, not the total number of accidents. When studying your accident and its causes and results, we may consult industry experts who can help us prove the impact of ridesharing on your current situation.
When Could You Assign Liability to Uber?
Even in a situation where your Uber driver caused an accident, you could also assign liability to the rideshare company. However, your recoverable damages could become subject to Uber's insurance policy limitations versus those of the driver's private insurance. To assign liability to Uber, our personal injury lawyer will prove:
- Uber failed to vet the driver properly
- Uber failed to check their driving history
- Uber failed to check the roadworthiness of their driver's vehicle
- The driver had logged into the app and become subject to Uber's policy
Our personal injury lawyer could identify other actions or omissions on Uber's part that make them liable for your damages. Your lawyer will also value your case correctly before presenting a demand letter to Uber's insurance provider. We rely on the police report for perfunctory information and contact details to help steer our independent investigation.
When a Settlement Is Not in Your Best Interest
While most car accident cases settle out of court, taking a quick settlement is not always in your best interest, especially if you do not have a lawyer review the offer first. The insurance company representing Uber or the at-fault driver does not share your goals. Your goal is to recover from your accident injuries by receiving compensation, so you do not have to worry about finances during this challenging time. The insurance company, however, has the goal of keeping as much money in their pocket as possible.
The insurance company will want to make you go away for as little as possible. That's why, soon after your accident, you may receive a call from the insurance company representing the at-fault driver. They offer you a quick settlement and may even say you have to accept immediately, or it goes away. Do not fall victim to their pressure or their tactics.
Most likely, the quick offer you receive is a lowball offer that will not cover all of your medical needs. The insurance company hopes you take this offer without thinking because, if you do, you will waive your right to bring any future claims. This means that when you realize the settlement funds were not enough to cover all of your expenses, it will be too late, and you will have to pay out of your own pocket.
That's why it is crucial that you speak with a skilled and experienced Uber accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale as soon as possible after your accident and certainly when you receive a settlement offer. We align our goals with yours. We want to maximize your compensation so you can focus on getting better. We do that by leaning on our years of experience battling big insurance companies and getting Uber accident victims the compensation they deserve.
Negotiating with big insurance companies is not something you should try on your own. Big insurance companies play games and will try to bully you. We do not let ourselves fall prey to their tactics and aggressively work to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. We only want to settle when it is a fair and reasonable amount that covers your needs. Sometimes, however, insurance companies refuse to be reasonable and force a trial. They may do this as a tactic, trying to strong-arm you into a lower settlement because they know you need the money and do not want to go to trial.
But when you work with our experienced Fort Lauderdale Uber accident lawyers, the trial can sometimes serve as your best opportunity to recover the compensation you need. We have the resources necessary to protect your rights at trial, something not every law firm can honestly say. While we continue to work toward a settlement on your behalf, we can properly prepare for trial by reviewing medical records, police reports, and collaborating with expert witnesses, all to help you recover every dollar you deserve.
Let Our Fort Lauderdale Uber Accident Attorneys Help You
Finding yourself in a car accident can inflict trauma that leaves you with lasting injuries. When that accident happens in an Uber or other rideshare service, confusion abounds, and your situation can go from painful to frustrating. We can help ease your suffering by taking the legal stress off your shoulders so you can focus all your effort and energy on making a complete recovery.
Call Dolman Law Group today at (727) 451-6900 for your free initial consultation. Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers can review your case and provide options for moving forward with your compensation claim.
What Our Clients Have to Say:
“This firm is amazing! Very professional, they helped me with my case until the end. They were available and very flexible. Brent Sibley would answer all my calls/emails and wouldn't hesitate on explaining all of my concerns. They represented me on my case, in which it turned out to have a successful result. Super recommend them!”
Fort Lauderdale Office
150 E Davie Blvd Suite 201-2
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
Phone: (754) 208-1130