Posted in Car Accident, Lyft, Negligence, Uber
Did you know that Uber drivers have completed over 4 billion rides since it was founded? Its biggest competitor, Lyft, gave over 375 million rides in 2017 alone. That’s a lot of rides which naturally leads to a lot of accidents. These drivers are often using unfamiliar roads and are forced to use GPS, which can cause distractions and inattention to other traffic.
I have had numerous clients who have been injured as a result of the negligence of an Uber or Lyft driver. These clients are typically either passengers in the Uber vehicle or they are in other vehicles that are hit by the Uber vehicle. The most frequent question I am asked is what kind of insurance these vehicles have.
Different states have different laws governing these drivers. Florida has enacted a statute that applies to Uber and Lyft, as well as other similar services. Section 627.748 requires minimum levels of insurance, depending on whether the driver is logged into the app and actually carrying a passenger at the time of the accident. For drivers who are logged into the app but are not carrying a passenger at the time of the accident, there must be insurance coverage of at least $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident, Property Damage coverage of at least $25,000, and PIP and uninsured motorist coverage as required by law.
The required limits are even higher if the driver is carrying a passenger at the time of the accident. The minimum coverage for these drivers is $1 million, and there must also be PIP and uninsured motorist coverage as required by law. This relatively new statute is good news for persons using these car services. You can now be assured that there is at least some mandatory insurance coverage that applies to accidents involving these vehicles. It is important that you contact an attorney who is experienced with making claims against these car services to determine exactly what insurance is available and who is entitled to its benefits.