West Palm Beach Uber & Rideshare Accident Lawyer

By Lorne Kaiser, Esq. (Fla. Bar No. 0568491) & Steven Romanello, Esq. (Fla. Bar No. 557277), Kaiser Romanello, P.A. | Serving West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County

“Working with Mr. Kaiser and Mr. Romanello was truly a pleasure. Everything was handled, extremely professional in a timely fashion with excellent results.”

Stacy Blades, Palm Beach County client (Google review)

* This review is from an actual client and was not paid for. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case is different and turns on its own facts. This statement is made to comply with Florida Bar Rule 4-7.14.

Which insurance pays after a West Palm Beach Uber or Lyft crash?

Florida's rideshare law, §627.748, ties the coverage to the driver's app status at the moment of impact:

The app status lives in Uber's or Lyft's trip records, not on the crash report, so the first thing we do is send a written demand to preserve them. The statute also limits some claims against the companies themselves. Our guide to Florida's TNC statute, § 627.748 explains which claims it blocks and which survive it.

Where do West Palm Beach rideshare crashes happen?

Rideshare cars spend most of their time on the city's busiest roads, and those are the roads where crashes cluster:

• Okeechobee Boulevard at Military Trail. A 2018 Palm Beach Post report named it one of the county's most crash-prone intersections.
• Okeechobee Boulevard at the I-95 ramps, where drivers heading downtown merge with interstate traffic.
• Southern Boulevard at State Road 7 and at Haverhill Road, among the county's most crash-prone stretches of road.

Where the crash happened decides who writes the report. Inside the city it's usually the West Palm Beach Police Department, in unincorporated areas the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, and on I-95 the Florida Highway Patrol. Under §316.066, the report is closed to the public for 60 days, but you, your lawyer and your insurer can get it right away.

Where will you be treated, and why does it matter for the claim?

Serious crash injuries in West Palm Beach usually go to one of two hospitals:

• St. Mary's Medical Center, 901 45th Street. It is a Level 1 Trauma Center, the highest trauma level, and takes the most serious crash injuries in the area.
• Good Samaritan Medical Center, 1309 North Flagler Drive, downtown on the waterfront.

The emergency room visit starts two clocks. Your PIP coverage pays only if you get care within 14 days of the crash (§627.736), and the ER chart becomes the first record of your injuries. Tell the doctors everything that hurts, even if it seems minor. More on the rule: Florida's 14-day PIP rule.

Who can bring a rideshare claim?

• Passengers. A rider is almost never at fault, so the fight is usually between insurers over which policy pays.
• Drivers and passengers in the other car. If the rideshare driver caused the crash, the app status decides how much coverage is there.
• Pedestrians and cyclists hit by a rideshare car, including near pickup and drop-off spots downtown.
• Rideshare drivers hit by someone else, who may have a claim against the at-fault driver.

If you were driving the other car, expect the insurers to argue you share the blame. Under §768.81 your share reduces what you recover, and above 50% you recover nothing. See Florida's comparative negligence rule after HB 837.

Where is a West Palm Beach Uber lawsuit filed, and how long do you have?

A lawsuit for a crash in West Palm Beach is filed in the 15th Judicial Circuit, at the Palm Beach County Main Courthouse, 205 North Dixie Highway. Most claims settle without a lawsuit, but the courthouse is where the case goes if an insurer won't pay fairly.

What happens in your first week with us?

1. The same day. Lorne Kaiser or Steven Romanello handles your case directly. We check that you're getting care within the 14-day PIP window.
2. The trip records. We send Uber or Lyft a written demand to preserve the trip data, the driver's app status and any in-app messages.
3. The crash report. We get it from whichever agency responded, without waiting out the 60 days.
4. Every policy. We identify the rideshare policy, the driver's own policy, the other driver's insurer and your own PIP and uninsured motorist coverage.
5. The adjusters. We take every insurer call, so you never give a recorded statement on your own.

West Palm Beach rideshare accident questions

Talk to a West Palm Beach rideshare accident lawyer

Kaiser Romanello, P.A. has nearly 50 years of combined experience, over $30 million recovered for clients* and a 5.0 rating across 45 Google reviews. We serve West Palm Beach and all of Palm Beach County.

* Gross recoveries before attorneys’ fees, costs, and liens. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome; each case is different and turns on its own facts. This statement is made to comply with Florida Bar Rule 4-7.14.

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Hurt in a crash that wasn't a rideshare? See our West Palm Beach car accident and West Palm Beach personal injury pages, or the statewide Florida Uber accident page.

This information is for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case is unique, and prior results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a similar outcome. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship. Kaiser Romanello, P.A., 11555 Heron Bay Blvd., Suite 200, Parkland, FL 33076. (844) 877-8679.