Whether you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft vehicle or driving your own personal vehicle leading up to a crash caused by a rideshare driver in Florida, there are several steps you must take no matter what type of car accident you are involved in. First, you must ensure your injury does not require immediate medical attention, or else you can have someone else protect your legal rights on your behalf.
The following are the important steps you must take after an Uber or Lyft accident:
- Contact the police – You need to report the collision to law enforcement officials. When the police arrive at the scene of the accident, they can file a police report, which can be used as evidence for your accident claim or personal injury lawsuit.
- Document the scene – Using your smartphone, you can take pictures or record videos of the crash scene. Capture as many photos or videos of all vehicles involved as you can from multiple angles. Be sure to also take a panoramic shot of the entire scene. All of these are considered important pieces of evidence to insurers and the courts.
- Exchange information – Obtain the other driver’s contact and insurance information. If you are involved in a multi-vehicle accident, then you must exchange information with every driver involved.
- Report the accident to the rideshare company – One step that differs from other types of crashes is reporting the incident to Uber or Lyft. Once you reach out to their agents, provide an accident report, so they can start the claims process on their end.
- Call your insurance agent – Contact your insurer to inform them you were involved in a collision and only provide basic information about the crash.
Keep in mind, drivers must have PIP insurance under Florida law, which means drivers generally would have to file a claim with their own insurance carrier following an accident. However, if a passenger is involved in an Uber or Lyft accident and suffers an injury, recovering compensation from a PIP claim would be more difficult. Passengers generally can file a claim against the driver’s insurance.
If you have been injured in a rideshare accident in Miami, call Stabinski Law at (305) 643-3100 or fill out our online contact form today to schedule a free consultation. Our legal team has more than 50 years of experience handling personal injury claims throughout South Florida.