Broward County Uber Accident Lawyer
Uber accidents are different from other car accidents in Broward County. Rideshare drivers aren’t on the road just for their own convenience. Instead, they’re working on behalf of a massive, international company. At the same time, these gig workers are legally distinct from the company, which classifies them as independent contractors. Arrangements like this can raise complex questions about who’s liable for an accident and who has to pay victims for what they’ve suffered.
If you’ve been hurt in an Uber accident in Broward County, you need an experienced law firm to answer your questions so that you can focus on healing. For nearly a century, Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC has been standing up for accident victims across Florida, and we know what it takes to take on a powerful company and win. Contact us today at (954) 495-2715 for a free consultation with a Broward County Uber accident lawyer, and let us stand for you and your family, too.
Why Choose Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC to Be Your Uber Accident Lawyer in Broward County
When you’re dealing with the pain, expense, and confusion of a serious Uber accident in Broward County, you need to know that you have fighters in your corner who will do everything they can to get you the compensation you deserve. For three generations, Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC has been proud to stand up on behalf of injured Floridians like you. Our team has more than 300 years of combined legal experience to put at your disposal, including decades spent in the courtroom. Our managing partner is a former president of The Florida Bar, and we have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements.
Over the course of nearly a century, we’ve stayed true to our mission:
- We believe that our best investment is our service to our community.
- We know that integrity is the most important part of our relationship with our clients.
- We take every action with our clients’ best interests in mind.
- We believe the empathy with which we treat our clients turns them into friends.
- We want you to know that when you come to us for help, you don’t just hire a lawyer. You hire a whole team.
We know our mission works because it has translated into millions recovered and lives changed for the positive. Find out what we can do for you when you meet our Broward County Uber accident attorneys during a free, no-pressure consultation.
How Uber Accidents Happen in Broward County
Uber drivers aren’t professionals. They’re ordinary people playing the role of taxi drivers in their downtime, often on unfamiliar roads. While a massive network of part-time drivers makes Uber a convenient service, it also increases the risk of accidents. Perhaps unsurprisingly, a recent study published in the Journal of Safety Research found that about a third of all surveyed rideshare drivers had been in an accident while on the job. Among the most common causes of Uber accidents are:
- Unsafe cellphone use
- Fatigue from long hours behind the wheel after working other jobs
- Confusion caused by driving in unfamiliar areas
- Speeding to squeeze in more fares
- Reckless or aggressive driving
- Distraction from unruly passengers, especially late on weekends
Unsafe driving behaviors can make the Uber driver liable for an accident. But they might not be the only person responsible for what happened to you.
Who Can Be Held Liable for an Uber Accident in Broward County?
Several parties could be partly or fully to blame for the Uber accident that injured you, including:
- The Uber driver who was behaving carelessly or recklessly
- Uber, through their mandatory insurance coverage
- Other drivers who contributed to the accident
- The owner of the Uber driver’s vehicle, if the car was borrowed
- Mechanics and third-party service providers
- Companies that manufactured defective components
- Government entities that created unsafe roadways through poor design or a lack of maintenance
To recover maximum compensation, one of our Broward car accident lawyers will need to identify all at-fault parties and add them to your claim.
How Uber’s Insurance Works After an Accident
Florida state law sets certain insurance requirements for anyone driving a car on behalf of a “transportation network company” (TNC) like Uber. When an Uber driver causes an accident, the applicable insurance coverage will depend on which of the following “phases” they were in at the time:
- When the app is off and the driver is offline: The driver’s own personal insurance applies.
- When the app is on and the driver is looking for a fare: Drivers are required to have insurance providing at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident in death and bodily injury liability insurance, as well as $25,000 in property damage insurance. Coverage may come through the driver’s own rideshare policy or one provided by Uber.
- When the driver has a fare or is on the way to pick one up: At least $1 million in coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage is required, provided through the driver’s insurance, Uber’s insurance, or a combination of both.
Passengers should also be covered by personal injury protection (PIP) insurance and both uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) insurance.
Florida law ensures that Uber drivers have enough insurance to cover even severe accidents. However, Uber’s third-party insurance companies and its own self-insurance department would rather keep this money than pay it out in claims. That’s why it’s important to be represented by an experienced Broward Uber accident attorney as you pursue your claim.
Important Florida Laws Affecting Uber Claims in Broward County
If you’ve recently been hurt in an Uber accident in Broward County, there are a few important laws you should know about that might affect your claim. Comparative negligence could apply if you are partially at fault for the crash, while the statute of limitations on personal injury claims sets an important deadline you won’t want to miss.
Modified Comparative Negligence
Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule, an accident victim’s own degree of fault for an accident will reduce the compensation they recover at trial. It also bars someone who’s more than 50% at fault from recovering compensation.
For example, let’s say a jury finds in favor of an Uber accident victim asking for $100,000, but determines that the person is 40% to blame for what happened. The victim would recover $60,000 instead of the full amount. Alternatively, if the jury believes that the Uber accident victim is 60% to blame for what happened, the victim won’t recover any compensation at all.
The modified comparative negligence rule is one reason that you want an experienced Broward Uber accident lawyer on your side. They know how to gather and present critical evidence that limits your share of fault to increase your share of compensation.
The Statute of Limitations on Injury Claims
Florida does not give Uber accident victims an unlimited time to begin their claims. Under the current statute of limitations on personal injury claims, you have two years from the date of the Uber accident to take action against the at-fault parties. If you file your lawsuit after this deadline has passed, the court will likely dismiss it as time-barred, which would cost you your right to compensation, regardless of how strong your case would otherwise be. Protect this right by speaking with an Uber accident attorney in Broward County as soon as possible.
Why You Need an Uber Accident Lawyer in Broward County
At Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC, we think your most important job right now is to rest and get better. As you work on that, we can work on:
- Investigating the accident to identify all potentially liable parties
- Exploring all available sources of compensation and working through Uber’s complex insurance system for you
- Working with experts to better understand what happened and build the strongest case possible
- Calculating the value of your claim so that we can pursue maximum compensation on your behalf
- Negotiating aggressively for a settlement that pays you fairly without having to go through the time and uncertainty of a trial
- Taking your case to court if the insurance companies won’t make you a fair offer
We understand that the cost of hiring an attorney is one of the top concerns for injury victims. However, we work on contingency, which means you do not pay us anything upfront or out-of-pocket when you come to us for help. Instead, we collect our fee as a percentage of the money we recover on your behalf. Let us take on the risk of your case so that you can have peace of mind during a difficult time.
Contact Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC Today
Have you or someone you love been injured in an Uber accident in Broward County? Don’t try to take on this multinational company on your own. Instead, get help from a team that’s recovered hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of its clients. Contact Lesser, Landy, Smith & Siegel, PLLC now at (954) 495-2715 for your free consultation with an Uber accident attorney in Broward County, and let us stand up for your rights at no upfront cost to you.
