St. Petersburg Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer

Rideshare Accident Representation From a Firm That Recovered Over $675 Million for Clients

Were you injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in St. Petersburg, Florida? You could be entitled to compensation to cover the medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering caused by your crash. When you call Perenich, Caulfield, Avril & Noyes Personal Injury Lawyers, you’ll benefit from over 300 years of combined legal experience on your side. 

As the first personal injury law firm in Pinellas County, we are well-known and well-respected in the region for our results, with more than $675 million recovered and counting.

You can afford high-quality legal representation from our St. Petersburg rideshare accident lawyers. That’s because we work on a contingent fee basis. Our fee is collected from whatever we recover on your behalf, so if we don’t win, you don’t pay. 

For a free consultation with our St. Petersburg rideshare accident lawyers, contact us today at (727) 591-3354.

Understanding Uber and Lyft Accidents in St. Petersburg

Rideshare crashes can happen while a driver is watching the app, following navigation, looking for a passenger, stopping for a pickup, or changing lanes near a drop-off point. A claim may involve multiple vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, or passengers, as well as questions about whether the driver was offline, waiting for a request, or completing a prearranged ride.

Common causes of Uber and Lyft accidents include:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Aggressive driving
• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving while drowsy
• Running red lights
• Failure of safety or other essential equipment
• Passenger negligence

Unlike a typical car crash, a rideshare accident claim may involve the driver’s personal insurance, coverage maintained by Uber or Lyft, another motorist’s liability insurance, or uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Determining which policies apply requires evidence about the trip, the app, the vehicles involved, and each party’s role in causing the collision.

Florida Rideshare Insurance Laws

Florida Statutes section 627.748 establishes insurance requirements for a transportation network company, commonly called a TNC, while a participating driver is logged on to its digital network or engaged in a prearranged ride. The required coverage may be supplied by the driver’s insurer, the TNC’s insurer, or a combination of both.

The three practical rideshare app-status periods are:

• The driver is logged off the app
• The driver is logged into the app but hasn’t accepted a ride
• The driver has accepted a ride and is traveling to pick up or transport a passenger

Each period carries different insurance implications. Current Florida law also states that TNC coverage isn’t dependent on the driver’s personal insurer first denying a claim.

Personal Injury Protection generally pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses, subject to statutory limits and other conditions, when initial services and care are received within 14 days after the crash. Whether an injured person can pursue damages beyond Personal Injury Protection depends on the injuries, negligence evidence, available policies, and other Florida-law requirements.

Who Is Liable for an Uber or Lyft Accident?

Determining liability in a rideshare accident depends heavily on what the driver was doing at the time of the crash. Our investigation may also examine whether another motorist contributed to the collision and whether more than one insurance policy applies.

When the Driver Is Logged Off

If the Uber or Lyft driver isn’t logged into the app at the time of the accident, the rideshare company’s app-status coverage generally doesn’t apply. In this situation, the driver’s personal auto insurance policy is usually the primary source of coverage for the driver’s negligence.

If another driver caused the crash, that motorist’s liability insurance may instead be relevant. The injured person’s uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may also need to be evaluated when the responsible driver has no insurance or insufficient limits.

Because personal policies may have limited coverage, serious injuries can require a careful search for every potentially applicable policy. We review the collision facts rather than assuming that one driver or insurer is solely responsible.

When the Driver Is Logged On but Hasn’t Accepted a Ride

If the driver is logged into the app and waiting to accept a ride request, Florida law requires at least the following liability coverage:

• $50,000 per person for bodily injury or death
• $100,000 per incident for bodily injury or death
• $25,000 per incident for property damage

This period is often contested because insurers may dispute whether the app was active or whether the driver had already accepted a request. Our St. Petersburg Uber accident attorneys can investigate app activity, trip records, driver information, and other available evidence relevant to the driver’s status.

When the Driver Has Accepted a Ride or Is Transporting a Passenger

A prearranged ride generally begins when the driver accepts a request. It continues while the driver travels to pick up the rider and transports that person until the rider exits the vehicle.

This period includes a driver who is:

• Traveling to pick up a passenger
• Actively transporting a passenger to the destination

Florida law requires at least $1 million in primary automobile liability coverage for death, bodily injury, and property damage while a driver is engaged in a prearranged ride. The responsible parties and available sources of compensation still depend on the crash facts and applicable policy language.

If you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft, your claim may involve the rideshare driver, another motorist, the TNC policy, personal insurance, or more than one source of coverage. A passenger’s ability to recover under a particular policy isn’t automatic and depends on liability, policy terms, app status, and the available evidence.

Serious Injuries in Rideshare Accident Claims

Rideshare collisions can cause injuries that extend far beyond the initial emergency treatment. Victims may face lengthy recoveries, ongoing medical care, permanent impairments, and significant financial losses. As a result, serious injury claims often involve substantial compensation. Depending on the force of the collision and the circumstances involved, rideshare accident victims may suffer severe injuries with lasting consequences, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Internal organ damage
• Permanent disability
• Wrongful death

Compensation in a Rideshare Accident Claim

Our St. Petersburg Lyft accident lawyers evaluate the compensation you may pursue based on your injuries, financial losses, available insurance, and the evidence supporting the claim.

Compensation evaluated in an injury claim may include:

• Medical expenses, past and future
• Hospital stays and surgeries
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy
• Lost income and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent disability
• Emotional distress
• Property damage

Future medical care and lasting limitations may require evaluation beyond the initial emergency-room bill. Medical records, treatment recommendations, employment information, and documentation of daily limitations can help establish the extent of the losses.

In wrongful death cases, surviving family members may also seek compensation for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and loss of financial support. The recoverable categories depend on the relationship between the survivor and the person who died, along with other claim-specific requirements.

Florida Uber and Lyft Accident Claim FAQs

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim in Florida?

Florida’s general limitations period for a negligence claim is two years. Exceptions and claim-specific rules may change the deadline, so it’s important to review the facts promptly and preserve trip records, photographs, witness information, and insurance documents.

What if I Was a Passenger in a Rideshare Vehicle?

If you were injured as a passenger, you may have a claim involving the rideshare driver, another motorist, one or more insurance policies, or a combination of coverage sources. The driver’s app status, the cause of the collision, and the policy language determine which coverage may apply.

What if Another Driver Caused the Accident?

You may have a claim against the other driver’s insurance in addition to any applicable Uber or Lyft coverage. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may also be relevant, depending on the policies and the responsible driver’s available limits.

Do I Need a Lawyer for a Rideshare Accident?

Legal representation can be useful when several insurers, disputed app activity, serious injuries, or unclear liability complicate a claim. A lawyer can preserve evidence, analyze the available policies, document damages, and address attempts by insurers to shift responsibility.

What if the Rideshare Company Denies Responsibility?

Our legal team can investigate driver data, app activity logs, trip records, insurance contracts, and crash evidence. When litigation and formal discovery are appropriate, we can use subpoenas and other court procedures to obtain relevant records and determine which parties and policies may be involved.

How Our Rideshare Accident Attorneys Handle a Claim

One of our lawyers handles your case from start to finish and remains directly involved rather than routing communication primarily through a case manager. We provide consistent updates, explain what’s happening, and reach out when new information changes the direction of the claim.

Our work on an Uber or Lyft accident claim can include:

• Investigating the crash: We gather available crash evidence, witness information, trip details, app-status data, and vehicle records.
• Identifying responsible parties: We examine the conduct of the rideshare driver, other motorists, and any additional parties implicated by the evidence.
• Analyzing insurance: We evaluate personal automobile policies, TNC coverage, and other potentially applicable insurance.
• Documenting damages: We review medical treatment documentation, income records, property losses, and evidence of lasting physical or emotional effects.
• Negotiating the claim: We address one or more insurers and work toward a resolution supported by the evidence.
• Preparing for court: We build the record with litigation in mind and can pursue court proceedings when a fair resolution isn’t offered.

Multiple attorneys at our firm are Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, a distinction earned by fewer than 2 percent of Florida lawyers. We were also the first law firm in Pinellas County to limit its practice to personal injury. That trial-focused history informs the detailed preparation we bring to disputed rideshare claims.

We can take over a case that was mishandled elsewhere, organize the available evidence, and establish a clear path forward. If an injury makes travel difficult, we also offer home, hospital, and workplace visits when needed.

If you were injured as a rideshare passenger, driver, pedestrian, cyclist, or occupant of another vehicle, call (727) 591-3354 for a free case evaluation with our St. Petersburg rideshare accident lawyers.