New Florida Law Deems Ridesharing Drivers As Independent Contractors & Provides Minimum Insurance Requirements

You may or may not be aware that there is a new Florida law deeming Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing drivers as independent contractors and NOT employees that is going to be taking effect on July 1st. The new Florida law also provides for insurance coverage requirements that will now be mandatory for such drivers and companies. We want to make sure you know how this legislation is going to affect your business.

On May 9, 2017, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed the Transportation Network Companies Act (HB 221), designating drivers for ridesharing companies in the on-demand or gig economy as “independent contractors” as long as the “transportation network company” meets four criteria that are currently met by Uber, Lyft, and other similar companies.

Under this newly enacted legislation, insurance coverage requirements are now also being made mandatory for the drivers and the ridesharing companies when they are engaged in the online application of the ridesharing company and/or in a prearranged ride. The coverage requirements under the new law can be satisfied in one of three ways. The new law also discusses the responsibilities of the driver’s personal auto insurance carrier when an accident occurs and provides avenues for the insurer to investigate the claim with the cooperation of the ridesharing company.

We recently presented a continuing education course at the 25th Annual Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee (FIFEC) Conference called The Ridesharing Generation: Insurance Implications & Complications which discusses this topic. We are happy to provide a copy of the presentation to you if you are interested.

For questions, or to discuss this issue in greater detail, please feel free to contact Lissette Alvarez or Cecile Mendizabal.

For more information on how to schedule a complimentary continuing education course via webinar or live presentation, please contact the Marketing Department of ROIG Lawyers.

ROIG Lawyers is a minority-owned litigation firm with a primary focus on Insurance Defense Litigation. We serve as primary counsel for numerous national and regional carriers and corporations related to all aspects of insurance litigation. ROIG Lawyers does not intend to create an attorney-client relationship by offering this information, and anyone’s review of the information shall not be deemed to create such a relationship. You should consult a lawyer with regard to specific law issues that requires attention.