You opened the app, requested a ride, and put your safety in someone else’s hands. Then, without warning, everything changed. Whether you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft, a pedestrian struck by a rideshare driver, or another motorist hit by one, a rideshare accident in West Palm Beach can leave you with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and a legal maze you were never prepared to navigate.

Here is the truth: rideshare accident cases are among the most complicated personal injury claims under Florida law. Multiple insurance policies may apply. Liability is disputed. And the rideshare companies — Uber and Lyft — have legal teams whose job is to pay you as little as possible.

The Dash Cam Lawyer® — Attorney Shannon J. Sagan — has spent over 21 years fighting exclusively for injured clients throughout Palm Beach County. He knows how these cases work, how insurers think, and how to build a claim that gets results.

Why Rideshare Accidents Are Unlike Any Other Car Accident Case

When a regular driver causes a crash, the path to compensation is relatively straightforward: you file a claim against their insurance. Rideshare accidents are fundamentally different.

Under Florida Statute § 627.748, the state’s primary law governing Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft, insurance coverage shifts depending on exactly what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash. Florida created a tiered system with three distinct phases:

Phase 0 — App is OFF: The driver is off-duty. Uber and Lyft provide zero coverage. Only the driver’s personal auto insurance applies.

Phase 1 — App is ON, waiting for a ride request: The driver is logged in but has not yet accepted a trip. Florida law requires minimum coverage of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident total, and $25,000 for property damage. This coverage may come from the driver’s personal policy or from the rideshare company’s contingent coverage.

Phase 2 & 3 — Ride accepted or passenger in the vehicle: Once a driver accepts a trip or has a passenger on board, Uber and Lyft each carry up to $1 million in liability coverage. This is the phase that applies to most passenger injury claims.

Why does this matter? Because determining which phase was active at the exact moment of your accident directly controls which insurance policy applies — and how much compensation may be available to you. A difference of seconds or miles can shift a claim from a $50,000 policy to a $1 million one. Proving which phase applied requires obtaining app data, trip logs, and other electronic records that insurers will not simply hand over. This is where an experienced West Palm Beach rideshare accident attorney becomes essential.

Who Is Liable After a West Palm Beach Rideshare Accident?

One of the first questions injured victims ask is: Can I sue Uber or Lyft directly?

The answer requires nuance. Both companies deliberately classify their drivers as independent contractors — not employees — to reduce their exposure to liability lawsuits. This legal structure makes it more difficult, though not impossible, to hold the company itself accountable. What it does mean is that compensation often flows through their insurance policies rather than directly from the company.

Depending on the facts of your case, the following parties may bear responsibility:

• The rideshare driver, if their negligence, distraction, or recklessness caused the crash
• Uber’s or Lyft’s corporate insurance policy, when the driver was in Phase 2 or 3
• A third-party driver, if someone else caused the accident while the rideshare vehicle was involved
• A vehicle manufacturer, if a defective part — brakes, tires, or steering — contributed to the crash
• A government entity, if dangerous road conditions or signal failures played a role

Identifying every liable party is not a formality — it is how you maximize your recovery. The Dash Cam Lawyer® leaves no stone unturned in investigating who caused your injuries and who is legally responsible for compensating you.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

Florida law allows injured rideshare accident victims to pursue compensation for the full scope of their losses, including:

• Medical expenses — emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and all future treatment related to your injuries
• Lost income — wages you have already missed while recovering
• Reduced earning capacity — if your injuries limit your ability to work in the future
• Pain and suffering — physical pain, emotional distress, and diminished quality of life
• Property damage — the cost to repair or replace your vehicle or personal belongings
• Wrongful death damages — if you lost a loved one in a rideshare crash, surviving family members may have a claim for funeral costs, loss of companionship, and financial support

Florida follows a modified comparative fault rule, enacted in 2023, which means that if you are found to be more than 50% at fault for the accident, you may be barred from recovery. If you are partially at fault but under that threshold, your compensation is reduced proportionally. This is exactly why having an attorney who knows how to investigate and present the facts is so important — insurers will attempt to shift blame onto you to reduce what they owe.

Additionally, Florida operates under a no-fault PIP system, meaning your own Personal Injury Protection coverage pays initial medical bills regardless of who caused the accident. However, if your injuries are serious — and many rideshare accident injuries are — you have the right to step outside the no-fault system and pursue a full claim against the at-fault party.

The Dash Cam Difference: Evidence That Cannot Be Disputed

At The Dash Cam Lawyer®, we have built our entire identity around a simple conviction: evidence doesn’t lie.

Attorney Shannon J. Sagan has dedicated himself to putting dash cameras in the hands of Palm Beach County drivers — giving away hundreds of cameras to the community. His reasoning is direct: in a disputed accident, a dash cam recording ends the argument.

In rideshare cases specifically, video evidence can:

• Establish which app phase was active at the time of the crash
• Document the driver’s behavior — distraction, recklessness, or failure to follow traffic laws
• Record road and weather conditions at the moment of impact
• Contradict false statements made by the driver or insurer after the fact
• Demonstrate the severity of the collision for purposes of calculating damages

Even if you did not have a dash cam at the time of your accident, The Dash Cam Lawyer® knows how to obtain and preserve the critical electronic evidence in rideshare cases — including GPS data, trip logs, driver history, and surveillance footage from nearby businesses or traffic cameras — before it disappears.

He’s Been in Your Shoes

Understanding the law is one thing. Understanding what you are going through right now — the pain, the uncertainty, the fear of making the wrong decision — is something else entirely.

Twenty-five years ago, Shannon J. Sagan was involved in a serious car accident that permanently changed his life. He suffered permanent injuries and had to struggle through a host of medical, legal, and financial difficulties — always wondering if he was doing the right thing, always unsure whether he had the right help.

That experience is the foundation of everything The Dash Cam Lawyer® stands for. Shannon did not become a personal injury attorney to handle claims from behind a desk. He became one because he knows firsthand what it means to be hurt, confused, and in need of someone who will fight for you. His mission is to help you heal and get the resolution you deserve.

When you work with The Dash Cam Lawyer®, you are not a file number. You are a person, and your case will be handled with the urgency and care it deserves.

What to Do After a Rideshare Accident in West Palm Beach

The decisions you make in the hours after a crash can have a lasting impact on your case. Here is what The Dash Cam Lawyer® recommends:

1. Call 911. Always get a police report, even if injuries appear minor. Symptoms from whiplash, traumatic brain injury, and soft tissue damage may not surface for days.
2. Seek medical attention immediately. Your health comes first — and a documented medical record is essential to your claim.
3. Document everything at the scene. Photograph vehicle damage, road conditions, your injuries, license plates, and any visible skid marks or debris.
4. Collect witness contact information. Anyone who saw the accident could be a critical witness later.
5. Screenshot the rideshare app. Before closing Uber or Lyft, take screenshots of the trip details, driver name, vehicle information, and ride status. This documents which coverage phase was active.
6. Report the accident to the rideshare company through the app’s in-app reporting tool.
7. Do NOT contact your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Shannon‘s position is clear: “I never advise a client to call their insurance or the other driver’s insurance company before knowing their rights.” Anything you say to an adjuster — even casually — can be used to minimize your claim.
8. Contact The Dash Cam Lawyer® as soon as possible for a free consultation.

When Settlement Isn’t Enough — We Are Prepared to Litigate

The Dash Cam Lawyer® always works to resolve cases efficiently and in your best interest. Many cases are successfully settled without the need to file a lawsuit. However, when insurance companies don’t act in good faith, Shannon is prepared to take your case to court.

Attorney Shannon J. Sagan has litigation experience, including trial work, and is not afraid to file a lawsuit when that is what your case requires. The willingness and ability to litigate is often what compels insurance companies to offer fair settlements in the first place.

Uber and Lyft — and their insurers — know the difference between an attorney who settles everything quickly and one who will stand in front of a jury if necessary. When you hire The Dash Cam Lawyer®, you bring that credibility to your corner.

Frequently Asked Questions — West Palm Beach Rideshare Accident Attorney

Can I sue Uber or Lyft after an accident in Florida? Suing Uber or Lyft directly is difficult because drivers are classified as independent contractors. However, both companies carry liability insurance policies of up to $1 million when a driver is on an active trip, and those policies can be pursued through an injury claim. An experienced attorney can evaluate your case to determine every available avenue of recovery.

What if the Uber or Lyft driver was not at fault — another driver hit us? You may still have a claim. If a third-party driver caused the crash, their liability insurance is the primary source of recovery. If that driver is uninsured or underinsured, your own UM/UIM coverage may apply. An attorney can help you identify and pursue all applicable policies.

How long do I have to file a rideshare accident claim in Florida? Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident. Missing this deadline means permanently losing your right to compensation, regardless of how strong your case is. Do not wait.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident? Under Florida’s modified comparative fault rule, you may still recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. An attorney can help ensure fault is assessed fairly.

Do I need a lawyer even if Uber or Lyft’s insurer has already contacted me? Yes — especially then. When an insurance adjuster contacts you, their goal is to resolve your claim for as little as possible. Do not provide a recorded statement or accept any settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.

How much does it cost to hire The Dash Cam Lawyer®? Nothing upfront. The Dash Cam Lawyer® works on a contingency fee basis — you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is completely free.

Does The Dash Cam Lawyer® serve clients who speak Spanish? Yes. The Dash Cam Lawyer® has bilingual staff and proudly serves both English and Spanish-speaking clients throughout Palm Beach County. Se Habla Español.

Proudly Serving Rideshare Accident Victims Across Palm Beach County

The Dash Cam Lawyer® represents injured clients throughout West Palm Beach and all surrounding communities, including Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Springs, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee, Belle Glade, and communities throughout Florida.

Palm Springs Office (Main): 3003 S. Congress Avenue, Suite 2E Palm Springs, FL 33461

Belle Glade Office: 1100 South Main Street Belle Glade, FL 33430 (By appointment only)

Contact The Dash Cam Lawyer® — Free Consultation, No Fees Unless We Win

If you or a loved one has been injured in a rideshare accident in West Palm Beach, do not face the insurance companies alone.

Call 561-561-3274 Free consultations | No fees unless we win Se Habla Español

The Dash Cam Lawyer® — Because Evidence Doesn’t Lie.