Orlando Lawyers for British Tourists Injured in Uber Rideshare Accidents

Each year, close to 100 million tourists visit the Orlando area. Many of those tourists are on holiday from Great Britain. While visiting Orlando, tourists from the UK frequently make use of rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft instead of going through the hassle and expense of renting a vehicle, or arranging for a long-term hire car. Unfortunately, the convenience of using a rideshare service can turn into a nightmare if your driver is involved in a collision that causes physical injuries and psychological trauma.

At Bailey Fisher, we understand how traumatic it can be to injured in a rideshare accident while on holiday abroad. Along with figuring out how to get medical assistance and treatment for your injuries, you must also navigate the complex legal system in a foreign country to get fairly compensated for your injuries.

If you are a tourist from the UK who has been injured in a rideshare accident while on holiday in Orlando or other parts of Florida, the Bailey Fisher personal injury lawyers are committed to identifying the negligent party (or parties) and making sure you are fully compensated for all your physical and emotional injuries. We have helped many British tourists get fairly compensated for their injuries due to others’ negligence in Florida and want to help you get the compensation you deserve.

Florida Rideshare Basics

Before the advent of rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft, the only transportation options for tourists on holiday were public transportation, taxis, or rental cars. Public transportation could be inconvenient and crowded, while taxis were notoriously expensive. Renting a vehicle was inconvenient and expensive – not to mention confusing to British tourists used to driving on the left side of the roadway.

Rideshare services offer a solution in the form of an app or website that allows you to schedule a ride any time of the day or night from almost anywhere to almost anywhere. Moreover, the cost of riding with Uber or Lyft is usually less than that of a taxi and certainly less than renting a vehicle. Not surprisingly, the rideshare market has exploded in recent years for both local residents and tourists.

Rideshare Safety Standards

Uber puts prospective drivers through a background check that involves both a criminal and a driving history investigation. Criminal convictions and major driving violations will prevent a driver from being accepted by Uber. Nevertheless, Uber (and other rideshare) drivers are still involved in a significant number of collisions each year. While many of those collisions are the fault of another driver, Uber drivers are sometimes partially or wholly at fault in a collision.

Up to the point at which a rider enters a rideshare vehicle, the vehicle owner’s own liability insurance is active and responsible for any injuries that may occur to pedestrians, cyclists, or others. However, in many cases, the rideshare driver’s personal auto insurance coverage may contain exclusions for commercial use of the vehicle. However, once a passenger enters a rideshare vehicle to begin the arranged trip, a different set of standards and laws apply regarding liability for injuries that occur while in the vehicle. In Florida, Section 627.748 of the Florida Statutes governs the insurance requirements for anyone operating a vehicle for a “transportation network company (TNC),” such as Uber or Lyft. That statute reads, in pertinent part, as follows:

The following automobile insurance requirements apply while a TNC driver is engaged in a prearranged ride:

Automobile insurance that provides:

A primary automobile liability coverage of at least $1 million for death, bodily injury, and property damage;
Personal injury protection benefits that meet the minimum coverage amounts required of a limousine under ss. 627.730-627.7405; and
Uninsured and underinsured vehicle coverage as required by s. 627.727.

In short, this means that by law, an Uber driver must be covered by a $1 million third-party liability policy, must carry underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage, and must have contingent collision coverage with a $2,500 deductible.

Estimates put the number of Uber rides in the United States each month at around 50 million. The company’s most recent Safety Report, released in 2019, indicates that less than one percent of riders are involved in a collision. While that may seem like an excellent safety record, it still means that half a million riders find themselves injured in a collision while riding in an Uber each year.

Why Are Florida Uber Drivers Involved in Accidents?

A Florida Uber or Lyft driver could be involved in an accident under a virtually limitless number of circumstances; however, some of the most common factors leading to a rideshare accident include:

Distracted driving (A common occurrence because rideshare drivers must constantly check their app for directions or updates.)
Unsafe pickup/drop off
Speeding
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
Aggressive driving
Failing to yield
Failing to stop at a stop sign or light
Defective vehicle or components

When Is Uber or Lyft Responsible for Injuries to a Passenger or Other Accident Victim in Florida?

If you were injured in an accident involving a Florida rideshare driver, that driver and/or the rideshare service may be held partially or entirely responsible for your injuries if the driver’s negligence was a contributing factor in causing the accident. Determining liability in a collision involving a rideshare vehicle can be a complicated process, which is why you should consult an experienced Florida accident attorney right away.

If you are a British tourist who was injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in Orlando or other parts of Florida, the experienced car accident injury attorneys of Bailey Fisher can help you during this difficult time. We will investigate the accident to determine all of the liable parties and the full extent of your injury, as well as all of the economic and non-economic damages you have suffered due to the accident injury.

Compensation for British Tourists Injured in Florida Uber or Lyft Rideshare Accidents

If you suffered physical and/or emotional injuries in a Florida rideshare accident, you could be entitled to economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are direct expenses, such as lost wages, hospital and doctor bills, and the cost to replace or repair damaged property. Non-economic damages are intended to compensate an injured victim for the emotional trauma, permanent injury, disfigurement, and blindness, as well as the loss of a limb, paralysis, trauma, and pain and suffering.

An experienced accident injury attorney from Bailey Fisher will assess your case and determine all of the damages for which you should receive compensation. We are committed to ensuring you get the fair and full compensation to which you are entitled under Florida law.

Experienced Legal Help for British Tourists Injured in Florida Uber or Lyft Rideshare Accidents

If you are a British tourist who was involved in an Uber or Lyft rideshare accident, you can depend on the experienced Orlando car accident lawyers at Bailey Fisher to help you obtain the compensation to which you are entitled. We are the lawyers travel agents trust to help their British clients injured while on holiday in Florida, and we know how to best help you through this difficult time.

We will put our extensive legal experience to work aggressively pursuing full compensation for you and ensuring that the responsible party (or parties) is held accountable for the physical and emotional injuries you suffered.

Call us at 407-250-8630 or submit our online form today for a free case evaluation. One of our experienced Orlando car accident lawyers will listen closely to what happened and advise you on your best course of action. For viable personal injury cases, we will follow up with the necessary legal action to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence and recover the financial compensation you deserve.