What Should I Do Immediately After a Rideshare Accident?

Immediately after a rideshare accident, prioritize your safety by getting out of harm’s way, calling 911, and requesting medical attention. While you wait for law enforcement to arrive at the scene, you can take a moment to report the incident through the rideshare app. 

Once you’ve been medically cleared by professionals, contact a Fort Myers personal injury lawyer right away. The sooner you have an attorney by your side, the more time we will have to protect your rights and handle the claims process. 

Immediate Steps to Take After a Rideshare Accident

Right after a rideshare accident, safety should be the priority, both yours and everybody else’s. To make sure everyone is safe, call 911 immediately. This will send police to your location to prepare an accident report, which will serve as important evidence in your case. 

From there, make sure you seek medical attention right away. Even if you feel fine, certain types of injuries don’t fully present themselves until hours, if not days, after the crash.

If it’s safe to do so, collect as much information as possible at the scene, including:

• The rideshare driver’s details
• Everyone’s insurance information
• Screenshots of your ride in the app
• Contact information from witnesses

Taking photos of the vehicles involved in the collision, the current road conditions, and any visible injuries can also be incredibly helpful. After contacting a lawyer, your attorney will let you know which information matters and make sure nothing is overlooked. 

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How to Determine if You Need Medical Care

After a rideshare accident, it’s common to question whether your injuries are serious enough to necessitate treatment. However, this is something professionals should determine, and if you delay getting checked out, you could harm your case.

In Florida, state laws let injury victims pursue compensation for medical expenses, but insurers often use any gaps in treatment as a way of arguing that your injuries weren’t as serious as you say they were. They might even accuse you of lying about the crash being the cause of your injuries. 

What to Say to Insurance Companies After a Rideshare Crash

After the crash, it’s normal for victims to receive communication from insurance companies. If they ask you to make a statement or accept a settlement, refrain from responding to them without an attorney by your side. 

While it might sound like they’re trying to be helpful and cooperate with you, the reality of the situation is that these conversations can be used against you. Insurance companies are focused on minimizing how much money they owe you, and anything you say can hurt your case.

When you have a lawyer by your side, you’ll have a legal professional advocating for your rights, handling these interactions on your behalf, and managing all forms of communication with these adjusters. 

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How Florida Laws Can Affect Your Ability to Recover Compensation

Florida’s personal injury laws have changed in recent years, and these updates will directly impact the outcome of your case. Under Florida Statutes Section 95.11, as of March 24, 2023, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims has been reduced to two years. 

This means you have less time to take legal action, and if you wait too long to contact an attorney, you could lose your right to pursue compensation altogether. Additionally, Florida now follows a modified comparative negligence system. 

This refers to situations in which the injured victim is slightly at fault for the incident. In that instance, your compensation will likely be reduced based on your percentage of fault. That said, if you’re more than 50% at fault, you might not be able to recover any damages at all. 

Types of Compensation That Might Be Available in Your Case

In the aftermath of a rideshare collision, you could potentially be entitled to compensation for a range of damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering, among others. In some cases, you can also recover damages for long-term impacts. 

This usually pertains to ongoing medical care and reduced earning capacity. Understanding the full value of your claim takes time, and it’s not always obvious how much your case is worth at first, especially when future expenses are part of your case. 

Your attorney can take on the responsibility of evaluating your case, consulting with professionals as needed, and calculating an estimate of your damages. 

Contact Viles & Beckman ASAP for Advice on What to Do Immediately After a Rideshare Accident

One of the steps you should take immediately after a rideshare accident should be calling an attorney who can take on your case. At Viles & Beckman, our attorneys have over 40 years of combined experience. Established in 1995, we have recovered more than $100 million in compensation. 

Legal representation in the aftermath of a rideshare-related collision can make all the difference, but we know that hiring an attorney can be stressful, especially if you’re worried about how you’ll manage to afford the cost of counsel. 

The good news is that we operate on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win. As The 5-Star Law Firm™, we get results. No case is too small, and we treat every case with care. Call us ASAP for more information.