If you need a Tampa rideshare accident lawyer after a crash, Suli Law Group can explain your options and protect your claim.
Why Rideshare Crashes Are Different
Whether you were a passenger, a pedestrian, another driver, or even the rideshare driver, the insurance coverage available depends entirely on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of impact. Most lawyers don’t understand the framework. Suli Law Group does.
Florida's Three Rideshare Insurance Periods
Uber, Lyft, and other Transportation Network Companies must carry tiered insurance:
- App OFF. Only the driver’s personal auto policy may apply. Most personal policies exclude commercial use, creating coverage gaps.
- App ON, waiting for a ride. TNC coverage may apply, potentially including bodily injury limits of $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident, plus $25,000 in property damage coverage, along with PIP and UM/UIM benefits.
- Ride accepted or passenger in the vehicle. A $1 million primary liability policy may apply, regardless of the driver’s personal coverage. This is often the highest-exposure period, and insurers may closely examine liability, coverage eligibility, and responsibility for the crash.
Why These Cases Get Complicated
Rideshare companies aggressively dispute when the app is in use. They argue the driver was an independent contractor, not an employee. They blame other drivers, the passenger, or road conditions. They lowball passengers who have nowhere else to turn. With Florida’s modified comparative negligence rule, any percentage of fault assigned to you reduces, or could potentially eliminate, your recovery.
What We Do for Rideshare Victims
- Subpoena Uber and Lyft trip logs, GPS data, and driver status records
- Identify every applicable insurance layer, including the driver's personal policy and your own UM coverage
- Document medical injuries thoroughly under Florida's serious-injury threshold
- Pursue the rideshare company directly when negligent hiring, defective vehicles, or app design contributed
Why Suli Law Group Is Different
Founding partner Laura T. Sulisufay is a former insurance defense attorney. She built her career defending insurance companies. Now, she uses that insider knowledge against them. Our team knows exactly how adjusters value claims, where they cut corners, and what evidence forces a fair offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whose insurance pays after an Uber or Lyft crash?
It depends on what the app was doing at the time of impact. App off: the driver’s own policy. App on and waiting for a ride: $50,000/$100,000 company coverage. Ride accepted or underway: $1 million.
I was a passenger in an Uber or Lyft when it crashed. Whose insurance covers me?
If the ride was accepted or you were in the vehicle, you may be covered by the rideshare company’s $1 million primary liability policy. However, this is also the period when insurers fight hardest to deny coverage or shift blame.
The rideshare company says the driver was an independent contractor. Does that block my claim?
No. While Uber and Lyft routinely argue independent contractor status to avoid liability, the TNC insurance may still apply, and the company can be pursued directly for negligent hiring, defective vehicles, or app design failures.
What evidence is critical in a rideshare case?
Trip logs, GPS data, and driver status records from Uber or Lyft are essential because they prove which insurance period was active. These items are typically obtained through a subpoena.
What if a rideshare driver hit me and I wasn't the passenger?
You can still pursue a claim, and the available coverage still depends on the driver’s app status at the moment of impact. The first step is identifying all applicable insurance layers, including your own UM coverage.
