Orlando Rideshare Accident Attorney

Orlando Rideshare Accident Lawyer — Uber, Lyft & Every App in Between

Florida's Rideshare Law — What § 627.748 Guarantees You

• In 2017, Florida enacted a statewide transportation network company law—Florida Statute § 627.748 — that preempts local rules and sets the insurance floor for every rideshare operating in the state. It is the backbone of every Orlando rideshare injury claim, and most victims have never heard of it:
• While a driver is logged in and waiting for a match, the law requires primary automobile liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage.
• From ride acceptance until drop-off, the law requires primary liability coverage of at least $1 million for death, bodily injury, and property damage—plus uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage during that window.
• The statute also mandates driver background checks, vehicle standards, and zero-tolerance drug and alcohol policies—company failures on any of these can support direct negligence claims beyond the insurance itself.
• Critically, this coverage is primary—the rideshare insurer cannot hide behind the driver's personal policy, which excludes commercial driving anyway. When an adjuster suggests your only recourse is the driver's personal insurance during an active ride, they are misstating Florida law. We hold them to the statute.

Uber vs. Lyft vs. Delivery Apps — Same Roads, Different Rules

• Orlando's gig-economy traffic is not one thing, and neither is its insurance:
• Uber and Lyft — Both are governed by § 627.748 and carry the identical period-based coverage described above. The differences are practical: claims administration, data-request procedures, and settlement posture vary between the companies. Our Uber page and Lyft page cover each platform's specifics, and our guide to Uber vs. Lyft accident claims compares them side by side.
• Uber Eats, DoorDash, and delivery apps—Food and package delivery is not "ridesharing" under Florida law, and § 627.748's $1 million mandate does not apply. Delivery platforms carry their own liability policies with different limits and triggers, and coverage disputes are far messier. A driver ferrying dinner instead of a passenger changes your entire claim — and drivers switch between modes hourly.
• Dual-app drivers—Many Orlando drivers run Uber, Lyft, and a delivery app simultaneously. Which company's coverage applies turns on which app the driver was engaged on at impact, and every platform's insurer will point at the others. We subpoena trip data from each to pin the coverage down.
• Amazon Flex and courier vans — Package delivery crashes route into commercial policies and, sometimes, claims against the delivery giant's contractor network. See our guide on Amazon DSP liability in Florida and our Orlando delivery truck accident lawyer page.

Why Orlando Is One of America's Heaviest Rideshare Markets

Everyone a Rideshare Crash Can Injure — and What Each Claim Looks Like

• Passengers—The strongest claims: zero fault, the $1 million ride-period policy in force, and app data proving the trip. Compensation covers medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering; the fight is over injury value, not liability.
• Pedestrians and cyclists—Struck by rideshare drivers scanning phones for pickups, especially on I-Drive, downtown, and at MCO. The driver's period at impact sets the available coverage, and your household auto policy's PIP and UM/UIM can add layers even though you were on foot.
• Occupants of other vehicles—When a rideshare driver hits your car, you claim against the period-appropriate rideshare coverage. When another driver hits the rideshare you're riding in, their coverage is primary with the platform's UM/UIM behind it.
• Rideshare drivers themselves—Injured drivers hit by third parties can access the platform's UM/UIM and contingent collision coverage while on-app, plus their own PIP. Coverage denials arguing the driver was "off period" are common and beatable with trip data.
• Families in wrongful death cases — When a rideshare crash takes a life, Florida's Wrongful Death Act (§ 768.16–768.26) lets survivors recover lost support, companionship, and mental anguish — with the $1 million policies in play during active rides. See our Orlando wrongful death attorney page.

The Insurance Stack in an Orlando Rideshare Case

• Serious rideshare injuries usually outrun any single policy. Maximizing recovery means stacking every applicable layer, in the right order:
• The platform's period-based commercial policy—$1 million during rides; statutory minimums while waiting for a match.
• The at-fault third driver's bodily injury coverage—primary when someone other than the rideshare driver caused the crash.
• Platform UM/UIM—during active rides, this backs up uninsured and underinsured at-fault drivers, which matters enormously in a state where bodily injury coverage isn't even required.
• Your own PIP—$10,000 in no-fault benefits paying 80% of medical bills regardless of fault, if you treat within 14 days.
• Your household UM/UIM and MedPay—personal policy layers most victims never think to claim.
• The driver's personal policy and assets—occasionally reachable, particularly in off-app or period-dispute scenarios.
• Adjusters resolve the stack in the order that costs them least. We resolve it in the order that compensates you most — and Florida's comparative negligence rules (§ 768.81, with its 51% bar) apply across all of it, which is why we build the fault evidence as carefully as the coverage map. See our guide to Florida's comparative negligence rule.

What to Do After Any Rideshare Accident in Orlando

• Call 911—get police to the scene and a crash report on file, whatever the platform.
• Capture the app—screenshot the trip, driver profile, vehicle, plate, and timestamps before the ride vanishes into history. If you were a pedestrian or another driver, photograph the rideshare's placard or sticker and note the platform.
• Report in-app—both Uber and Lyft have crash-report flows that create trip-linked incident records. Keep reports brief and factual.
• Document and collect—scene photos, vehicle damage, road conditions, and witness contacts, including other passengers.
• Treat within 14 days—Florida's PIP window is unforgiving, and delayed-onset injuries need early documentation regardless.
• Say no to adjusters—no recorded statements, no signed medical authorizations, no quick checks. Every platform's claims operation moves fast precisely because early statements and early settlements favor them.
• Call (407) 801-0101 — HOV Law's rideshare attorneys take it from there: preservation demands, the coverage map, the medical file, and the fight. For the step-by-step, see what to do after a rideshare accident.