Uber Accident Lawyer in Tampa

An Uber crash can leave you overwhelmed and dealing with serious injuries while also trying to determine which insurance coverage applies. In Florida, that answer may depend on what the Uber driver was doing through the app when the collision occurred. Under Fla. Stat. § 627.748, different insurance requirements apply depending on the driver’s status.

Reach out to our Uber accident attorneys in Tampa to discuss the accident. With offices in Tampa and St. Petersburg and over 75 years of combined legal experience, Jeeves Law Group, P.A., represents injured clients throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Let us help you, too.

Your Uber Driver’s Status Can Affect The Available Insurance Coverage

Before determining which policy should cover an Uber accident, it’s important to establish the driver’s status at the time of the collision. The driver may have been:

• Offline and using the vehicle for personal reasons
• Logged onto the Uber platform and waiting for a request
• Traveling to pick up a passenger
• Transporting a passenger during a prearranged ride

Florida’s statute defines a prearranged ride as beginning when the driver accepts a ride requested through the TNC’s digital network and continuing while the driver transports the rider. For example, an Uber driver heading to pick up a passenger after accepting a request may have a different insurance situation from a driver who hasn’t accepted a ride. Establishing that status can therefore be an important part of your injury claim investigation.

Why Uber Insurance is Not Always One Simple Policy

Florida’s transportation-network-company statute establishes different insurance requirements depending on the driver’s status. While a participating TNC driver is logged onto the network but not engaged in a prearranged ride, the statute provides for primary liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. When the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride, the statute requires at least $1 million in primary automobile liability coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage.

The statute also provides that the required coverage may be satisfied by insurance maintained by the driver, the TNC, or a combination of both, subject to the statute’s requirements.

Uber is Not Automatically Responsible for a Crash

Uber isn’t automatically responsible simply because the driver was using the Uber app. Florida law generally doesn’t make a transportation network company legally responsible for every crash caused by one of its drivers when the requirements of Fla. Stat. § 627.748 are met. The driver’s own liability and the insurance coverage available after the crash still matter, and the facts may raise separate questions about Uber’s own conduct.

Were You a Passenger in The Uber Crash?

If you were riding in an Uber when the collision happened, you should save the Uber receipt, which can document the trip’s origin, destination, time, and other ride information. Florida also requires TNCs to maintain individual ride records for at least one year. Our Uber accident lawyers in Tampa can investigate the crash itself while also examining the information needed to establish the applicable insurance coverage.

What If You Were Not The Uber Passenger?

You may still have a claim if an Uber driver injured you. An Uber crash can injure passengers, other motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists. The fact that the vehicle was being used for Uber doesn’t automatically establish liability. The investigation still needs to determine who caused the collision and what insurance coverage applies.

Our Tampa Uber Accident Attorneys Will Account for The Full Cost of The Accident

Depending on the injuries, your claim may include medical expenses, lost income, diminished earning ability, pain and suffering, and future medical or rehabilitation needs. The full value of your claim may not be apparent immediately. Serious injuries can require continuing treatment, rehabilitation, or time away from work. Our Uber accident lawyers in Tampa can evaluate both current and anticipated losses rather than treating the first round of medical bills as the complete measure of your rideshare claim.