A crash involving an app-based ride can involve a passenger, the app driver, another driver, or someone outside either vehicle. Before focusing on a company name or an advertised insurance limit, establish what happened and what the app driver was doing at that moment. The practical goal is a reliable timeline and a list of policies to investigate, not an assumption that the platform must pay.
Who was involved, and what service was being provided?
Record your role and the names or contact information you already have for the drivers, vehicle owners, passengers, and witnesses. Identify the platform and whether the activity was passenger transportation, delivery, or a private arrangement outside an app. Do not assume that rules for an app-based passenger ride apply to every paid driving activity. Tell the attorney if someone else booked the trip for you.
Had the driver accepted a ride?
Distinguish between a driver who was offline, logged in while waiting for a request, or had accepted a ride. Florida’s transportation network company statute defines a prearranged ride as beginning with acceptance of the request and continuing until the last rider has exited. Consequently, the trip stage may matter even before a passenger gets in. Write down what you know about acceptance, pickup, and drop-off, and identify what remains uncertain rather than deciding the insurance phase yourself.
Which app records can you preserve?
- Save the booking confirmation, trip identifier, receipt, route, pickup and destination information, and timestamps available in your own account.
- Keep the driver and vehicle details displayed for your trip, together with messages about arrival, cancellation, or the incident.
- Preserve original photographs, dashcam files you control, witness contacts, and report information as you would after another crash.
- Save support-ticket confirmations, insurer contacts, and the exact wording of any requests for a statement or documents.
Keep original records and a backup. Do not alter screenshots to fill gaps, access another person’s account, or post private information publicly. Missing trip data is something to identify for follow-up, not a reason to invent a timeline.
Which insurance should be examined?
Section 627.748(7)–(8) sets different insurance requirements for a driver waiting online and a driver engaged in a prearranged ride, and allows certain personal-policy exclusions. Ask for the policy and coverage position applicable to the crash date and trip stage. The presence of a rideshare policy does not establish fault, prove your loss, or make the policy limit your recovery. If UM coverage is raised, its availability needs separate review under section 627.727 and the policy.
What should you ask at the consultation?
Ask what evidence can establish the trip stage, which insurers have been notified, and which notices or deadlines require attention. Bring any proposed release, recorded-statement request, denial, or reservation-of-rights letter. Identify treatment dates, work absences, and vehicle expenses without assuming they all belong in the same claim. Explain what you have already told the platform or insurers and provide copies when available.
You can start the conversation with the date, place, your role, and a short account of the incident. General information only: this guide does not decide liability or coverage and does not guarantee payment or representation. Ask for a secure method before sending medical records or other sensitive documents.