Who Pays for My Wrecked Car if I’m Hit by an Uber?
Getting into a car accident is stressful enough, but when the other vehicle is an Uber or Lyft, it raises additional questions, especially about who is responsible for paying for your damaged car. If you’ve been involved in a rideshare FL accident, speak with a Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer to understand your options for financial recovery.
How Rideshare Insurance Works in Florida
In Florida, rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft are required to carry insurance, but the coverage changes depending on what the driver was doing at the time of the accident. This can significantly impact how your vehicle repair costs and injury expenses are paid.
If the Uber or Lyft driver is not logged into the app when the accident happens, the driver’s personal auto insurance is the primary source of coverage. In this situation, it’s treated like any other car accident.
But should the rideshare driver be logged into the app but hasn’t accepted a ride, limited liability coverage provided by Uber or Lyft likely applies with limits of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. This coverage can help pay for your vehicle repairs and injury expenses if the driver’s personal policy denies coverage.
Once the Uber or Lyft driver accepts a ride or is actively transporting a passenger, coverage increases substantially. So, should you be struck by an Uber during this period, a $1 million policy typically applies to cover your vehicle damage, medical expenses, and other losses.
Pursuing Financial Recovery
After a rideshare accident, you may have several paths to financial recovery:
- Uber or Lyft’s Insurance. If the driver was working (either waiting for a ride or actively on a trip), their rideshare insurance should cover your property damage and injuries.
- Driver’s personal insurance. When a driver is off-duty, their personal policy should apply.
- Your own coverage. In Florida, you must first use your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage for initial medical bills, regardless of who was at fault. If your expenses exceed your PIP limits, you can pursue a claim against the rideshare driver or company.
- Uninsured/underinsured coverage. If the driver’s coverage is not sufficient or denied, your own policy may help fill the gap.
Knowing the best way to move forward and navigating rideshare insurance policies can be tricky. Uber and Lyft’s insurers may try to shift blame or argue that the driver wasn’t actively engaged in a ride at the time of the crash to limit their liability.
An experienced Port St. Lucie Personal Injury Lawyer can help you determine which insurance applies, handle communication with the insurance companies, and fight for full compensation for your damaged vehicle, medical expenses, and other losses.
Did you receive a high repair estimate after you were hit by a Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Stuart, or Vero Beach Uber or Lyft? To protect your right to a full financial recovery, talk to the attorneys at Leifer & Ramirez. Call 561-660-9421 to schedule a confidential consultation.
