On October 22, 2025, the Third District Court of Appeals in Florida ruled that Florida’s Transportation Network Companies (“TNC”) statute bars agency and vicarious liability claims against Lyft (and presumably other rideshare companies). This decision is important because many states, including Ohio, have similar TNC statutes that can be relied upon to dispute claims for agency, vicarious liability, and negligent hiring.
In Abner v. Lyft, Inc., No. 3D2024-0479 (Fla. 3d DCA, Oct. 22, 2025), the appellate court upheld summary judgment for Lyft, finding that Florida Statute §627.748—which took effect July 1, 2017—governs the case and shields rideshare companies from claims of agency and vicarious liability for the negligence of drivers utilizing the Lyft Driver app.
The appellate court determined that the TNC Statute barred plaintiff’s claims for agency and vicarious liability because the driver who utilized the Lyft Driver app and was involved in a motor vehicle accident was considered an independent contractor under Florida’s TNC statute.
The appellate court also affirmed the lower court’s granting of summary judgment on plaintiff’s claim for negligent hiring because it found that Lyft acted reasonably by completing background and motor vehicle record checks of the driver prior to him gaining access to the Lyft Driver app. The appellate court also held that the driver’s previous citations did not establish a negligent hiring claim as they did not meet the disqualifying criteria under Florida’s TNC statute.
Knowing whether your state has a TNC statute and the language contained within is imperative in defending agency and negligent hiring claims against rideshare companies
