You took the ride because it was the simple option, and now you are hurt somewhere along Southern Boulevard with no clear answer about who covers your medical bills. Our Royal Palm Beach rideshare accident lawyers at Felice Trial Attorneys handle Uber and Lyft injury claims from start to finish, including the fight over which insurance policy applies.
We represent passengers, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians hurt in rideshare crashes throughout the western communities and greater Palm Beach County. Call (561) 444-8822 anytime for a free case review.
Do You Need a Rideshare Accident Lawyer in Royal Palm Beach?
Yes, if the crash caused real injuries. A rideshare claim involves more insurance policies than a normal accident, and each insurer has a financial reason to argue that a different one should pay. That confusion is what costs injured people money.
You especially need a lawyer if you were a passenger, if fault is disputed, or if your treatment went beyond a single clinic visit. Our consultation is free, so finding out costs you nothing.
Where Do Rideshare Crashes Happen in Royal Palm Beach?
Most crashes here happen on the wide, fast arterial roads that connect the village to everything east of it. Royal Palm Beach is not a walkable downtown, so rides tend to be longer, faster, and spent mostly on major roads rather than side streets.
The locations we see most often:
- Southern Boulevard, the main east and west artery, where speeds are high and intersections are wide
- Okeechobee Boulevard, the other primary route toward West Palm Beach
- Crestwood Boulevard and the residential collectors feeding into it
- Airport runs to Palm Beach International, which put riders on highway-speed roads for most of the trip
This geography matters for your claim. Higher speeds mean more force, and more force means more serious injuries than a low-speed city fender bender.
Who Pays After an Uber or Lyft Accident in Florida?
The answer depends on what the driver was doing on the app when the crash happened. Florida requires Uber and Lyft to carry up to $1 million in liability coverage once a driver has accepted a ride or has a passenger in the car. When the driver is only logged in and waiting, far less coverage applies.
These rules come from Fla. Stat. 627.748, which governs transportation network companies, or TNCs. Uber and Lyft are both TNCs. For the full layer by layer breakdown, see our West Palm Beach page on Florida's rideshare insurance periods.
Not sure which policy covers your crash? Call +1 (561) 444-8822 for a free review.
Does a Long Ride Change Your Claim?
It often helps it. Because most Royal Palm Beach rides are long trips east or to the airport, the crash usually happens while a passenger is in the car, which is the highest coverage tier under Florida law. That means the $1 million policy is generally the one in play.
Two related situations come up often here:
- You were hurt far from home. The claim proceeds where the crash happened, not where you live, so a Palm Beach County firm is the right fit even if you were headed elsewhere.
- The trip crossed several jurisdictions. A ride can begin in the village and end in West Palm Beach, which affects which agency wrote the crash report but not your right to recover.
What Injuries Do Rideshare Crashes Cause?
Rideshare passengers often suffer worse injuries than people expect, largely because they are seated without full control or warning. You cannot brace for an impact you never saw coming, and rear seats do not always offer the same protection as the front.
The injuries we handle most often include:
- Concussions and traumatic brain injury, known as TBI
- Neck and back injuries, including herniated discs
- Shoulder and knee injuries from bracing
- Fractures and internal injuries in higher speed crashes
Get evaluated even if you feel okay. Brain and soft tissue injuries frequently appear days later, and insurers use gaps in treatment to argue you were not really hurt.
What to Do After a Rideshare Crash
The two most important steps are getting medical care and preserving proof of the trip before it disappears from the app. Everything else can be rebuilt later, but app records and scene photos cannot.
- Screenshot the trip details, including driver name and time
- Call the police so an official crash report exists
- Photograph the vehicles, road, and your injuries
- Decline to give a recorded statement to any insurer until you have legal advice
Fault matters too. Under Fla. Stat. 768.81, your recovery is reduced by your share of blame, and you are barred only if you are found more than 50% at fault. Insurers know this and try to shift blame early.
Why Royal Palm Beach Clients Choose Felice Trial Attorneys
Crashes on roads like Southern and Okeechobee happen at speed, and speed changes what a case requires. These claims need medical documentation of injuries that develop over months, not a quick demand letter built on an emergency room bill. That is the work we do, and our insurance defense background tells us exactly how the other side will try to discount it.
About Timothy C. Felice, Founder and Lead Trial Attorney
Tim Felice has built his practice around injuries that do not resolve, particularly traumatic brain injury, where proving harm takes neurologists, neuropsychologists, and life care planners rather than a stack of bills. He joined the Florida Bar in 2005 after earning his law degree at Nova Southeastern University's Shepard Broad Law Center. High-speed collisions on the county's western arterials produce exactly this kind of injury, and they are routinely undervalued when nobody documents the long term.
Our Results
We have recovered more than $85 million for injured clients across our practice areas. Every case turns on its own facts, so prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. What the record shows is a firm that waits for the medical picture to become clear before it puts a number on a case.
Frequently Asked Questions
My injuries got worse months later. Is it too late to file?
Probably not, but the clock started at the crash. Florida generally allows two years from the accident date, shortened from four years in 2023. Delayed symptoms are common after high-speed collisions, and they are worth pursuing, but the deadline does not extend just because the diagnosis came later.
What is my Royal Palm Beach rideshare case worth?
It depends on the severity of your injuries, your future medical needs, lost income, and fault. Serious claims are worth far more than a first offer, because the initial number rarely accounts for future treatment or pain and suffering. A free review gives you a realistic picture.
Does my own insurance pay first?
Usually yes. Florida's no-fault system means your Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, covers your first medical bills regardless of fault, up to $10,000 with limits on what it pays. It does not replace a claim against the at-fault party, which is where the rest of your recovery comes from.
What does a rideshare accident lawyer cost?
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fee unless we recover for you, and your consultation is free. There is no cost to find out where your case stands.
Do you handle cases outside Royal Palm Beach?
Yes. We serve injured people throughout Palm Beach County, including Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, and the surrounding communities, and we handle claims statewide when the facts call for it.
Who is at fault in an Uber accident?
Whoever caused the crash, which may be the rideshare driver, another motorist, or both. Fault is decided by evidence such as the crash report, witness statements, vehicle damage, and sometimes app or phone data. Passengers are essentially never assigned fault.
Should I report my Uber or Lyft accident in the app?
Yes, report it through the app so there is a record of the trip and the incident, but keep it factual. Do not speculate about fault or downplay your injuries, and avoid a detailed recorded interview with any insurer before you have spoken with a lawyer.
Can I file a claim if I was hurt as a pedestrian or cyclist?
Yes. If a rideshare driver struck you while working, the same rideshare coverage layers can apply to your injuries even though you were never in the vehicle. Pedestrian and cyclist injuries tend to be severe, so these claims are worth reviewing carefully.
What if the other driver, not the Uber driver, caused the crash?
You can pursue the at-fault driver's insurance, and rideshare coverage may still come into play if that driver lacks enough insurance. Sorting out the order of coverage is one of the more technical parts of these claims, and it is worth getting right.
Get a Straight Answer About Your Case
You do not need to decide anything today. Call, describe what happened, and we will tell you whether the injury is serious enough to need a lawyer and what the claim realistically looks like.
Call (561) 444-8822, available 24/7, or visit us at 3 Harvard Circle, West Palm Beach, FL 33409.
This page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this page or contacting Felice Trial Attorneys does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is unique, and prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Case result figures reflect gross recoveries across multiple matters and do not reflect the net amount received by any individual client after fees and costs. Florida statutes, deadlines, insurance requirements, and procedures referenced here are subject to change, and you should consult a licensed Florida attorney about the specific facts of your situation. Florida's statute of limitations is strict, and missing it may bar your recovery.