Rideshare Accidents

Winter Haven Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Both residents and visitors of Winter Haven have increasingly embraced rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft, some for occasional commutes to the airport, while others routinely use rideshares to go grocery shopping or for scheduled doctor appointments. While the convenience of rideshares is appreciated, it also places passengers’ safety in the hands of the drivers. Most rideshare trips are uneventful, but accidents can occur, leading to severe, and sometimes fatal, injuries for occupants of rideshare vehicles. If you have been injured in a rideshare accident in Winter Haven or if you are a surviving family member of someone fatally injured in one, you may be eligible for compensation covering physical injuries, emotional distress, and financial hardship.

Experiencing a rideshare accident can be a distressing ordeal, often involving the need for medical and psychological treatment and leading to financial struggles for an injured victim. Facing these challenges alone can be overwhelming. Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate this journey solo. The Winter Haven rideshare accident lawyers at Kemp Personal Injury Law are here to help. With the necessary experience, dedication, and resources, we can identify the at-fault party (or parties) and pursue compensation on your behalf for both physical and emotional injuries. Reach out to us today by calling (863) 225-0254 or contacting us online to schedule your free case evaluation.

What Causes Winter Haven Rideshare Accidents?

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV), there were over 13,000 motor vehicle crashes in Polk County in 2023, causing over 10,000 injuries and 157 deaths. Although we don’t know how many of those collisions involved a rideshare vehicle, we do know that experts estimate ridesharing vehicles have increased the number of car accident fatalities by two to three percent. Factors that commonly contribute to rideshare accidents include:

Drowsy driving
Distracted driving
Speed
Impaired driving
Aggressive driving

Does Florida’s No-Fault Insurance Law Apply to a Winter Haven Rideshare Accident?

Florida is what is known as a “no-fault” insurance state, meaning that your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance (or the driver’s insurance) will cover medical bills and lost wages when you are injured in an accident up to $10,000 without regard to who was at fault in a collision. The involvement of a rideshare vehicle does not change the applicability of the Florida no-fault insurance laws; however, PIP coverage only pays 80 percent of reasonable medical bills and 60 percent of lost wages up to $10,000. PIP insurance does not compensate you for non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, and it does not cover property damage caused by a collision.

What Are the Liability Insurance Coverage Requirements for Rideshare Vehicles in Florida?

Anytime a rideshare vehicle is involved in a crash, the issue of liability and insurance coverage becomes more complicated because, although Florida is a no-fault insurance state, Florida law imposes additional insurance requirements on rideshare drivers. A rideshare driver in Florida is required to have at least $1 million in liability coverage for property damage, physical injury, and death when a passenger is in the vehicle. They must also have $50,000 in physical injury or death liability coverage anytime the app is on, and the driver is actively looking for a passenger. Most of the big rideshare companies, such as Uber and Lyft, also offer drivers uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

Can I Pursue a Traditional Car Accident Lawsuit for a Winter Haven Rideshare Accident?

While the Florida no-fault insurance law provides a quick and easy way for an injured victim to secure medical treatment and compensation for lost wages, it falls woefully short if a victim suffers serious injuries and cannot compensate a surviving family member for the death of a loved one. Fortunately, Florida law does include a “serious injury” threshold that allows victims to pursue a traditional personal injury lawsuit if one of the following applies:

Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function.
Permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability.
Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement.
Death.

The team at Kemp Personal Injury Law is committed to ensuring that you are fully compensated to the extent allowable under the law. As such, we will evaluate the collision as well as your injuries and discuss your legal options with you.

What Compensation Might Be Available in a Winter Haven Rideshare Accident Case?

As the victim of a Winter Haven rideshare accident, you could be entitled to both economic and non-economic damages through a traditional personal injury lawsuit. Collectively, that means that you could be entitled to compensation for things such as:

Doctor and hospital expenses.
Rehabilitation and therapy costs.
Costs associated with damage to your vehicle.
Past and future lost income.
Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Scarring and disfigurement

If you lost a spouse, parent, or child in a rideshare accident, you might also be entitled to compensation in a Florida wrongful death lawsuit for things such as the loss of companionship, care, and support and the loss of future earnings.

How Can an Experienced Winter Haven Rideshare Accident Lawyer Help?

If you sustained injuries in a Winter Haven rideshare accident or a loved one was fatally injured in one, the team at Kemp Personal Injury Law is dedicated to identifying the responsible party (or parties) and ensuring that you are fully and fairly compensated for all your injuries.

Attorney Adam Kemp leverages his previous experience as both a prosecuting attorney and an associate at one of the largest personal injury firms in America to aggressively advocate for injured victims and surviving family members. We take pride in the personal relationship we foster with our clients and are committed to holding at-fault parties accountable when their negligence causes injury. Let an experienced Winter Haven rideshare accident lawyer at Kemp Personal Injury Law help you secure the compensation you are entitled to for your physical injuries, emotional trauma, or loss.

If you were injured in a Winter Haven rideshare accident, or you lost a family member in one, contact an experienced Winter Haven rideshare lawyer at Kemp Personal Injury Law to discuss your legal options. Our mission is to ensure that victims injured in a preventable rideshare accident are fully and fairly compensated by the responsible party or parties. Contact the team today for your free initial consultation by calling 863-225-0254 or by filling out our convenient online contact form.