Los Angeles Rideshare Accident Lawyer
The Impact of Uber™ and Lyft™ Accidents
What Happens After an Uber or Lyft Crash
Understanding Rideshare Accidents
Of all the different types of car accidents you could get involved in, getting injured as a passenger in an Uber™, Lyft™, or in a taxi cab might be the most complicated when it comes to the law. Not only do you have to contend with determining liability, but you also have to navigate the complexities of insurance coverage and company policies.
The aftermath of an Uber™ or Lyft™ accident can be overwhelming, both physically and financially. Medical bills pile up at the worst possible time – when you’re out of work and already wondering how your family will make ends meet. It may seem like everything is falling apart, and the most frustrating part is, it was Not Your Fault!
We know that life after an accident can be overwhelming, but we are here to help you get through this, to make the best possible recovery, and to overcome the financial hardship. At Not My Fault Law Group, our skilled car accident attorneys are here to aggressively fight for your right to recover money when you have sustained an injury in a ridesharing vehicle.
We handle Uber™ and Lyft™ accident cases, including:
- Collisions involving ride-sharing vehicles
- Accidents caused by negligent rideshare drivers
- Hit-and-run incidents
The three coverage periods, and why they decide your case
Everything in a rideshare claim turns on the driver’s app status at the moment of the crash.
Period 1: the app is off. The driver is not working. Only their personal auto policy applies. In California that policy is required to carry at least $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage (Veh. Code § 16056). Those are minimums, and for a serious injury they run out quickly.
Period 2: the app is on and the driver is waiting for a request. Contingent coverage applies. Uber and Lyft both publish $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury. California requires more. Public Utilities Code § 5433(c) requires $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, $30,000 in property damage, and at least $200,000 in excess coverage per occurrence. That excess layer is not mentioned on the companies’ national driver pages, and it matters in a serious case.
Period 3: the driver has accepted a ride or a passenger is aboard. This is the full commercial policy. At least $1,000,000 in third party liability. In California, Public Utilities Code § 5433(b) also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
The company’s coverage is primary over the driver’s personal policy, and a claim cannot be denied because the driver’s own policy had lapsed.
If you were a passenger, you were by definition in Period 3, and the $1,000,000 policy applies. The dispute is rarely whether coverage exists. It is how much your injuries are worth.
Why the underinsured motorist piece is often the whole case
Consider the common scenario: you are riding in an Uber and a private driver runs a light and hits you. The at fault driver carries California minimum limits of $30,000 per person. Your medical bills are $90,000.
The at fault driver’s policy is exhausted long before your treatment is paid for. That is where the rideshare company’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage becomes the real source of recovery, and in California § 5433(b) requires that coverage during a ride.
Adjusters do not volunteer this. Passengers routinely settle for the at fault driver’s minimum limits without anyone telling them a second layer existed.
Who can bring a rideshare claim
- Passengers in the Uber or Lyft
- Occupants of other vehicles struck by a rideshare driver
- Pedestrians hit by a rideshare vehicle
- Cyclists and scooter riders struck by a rideshare driver
- The rideshare driver, in some circumstances, against a third party who caused the crash
You do not need to have been in the rideshare to claim against its coverage.
Why these cases are harder than an ordinary collision
Independent contractor classification. The companies do not treat drivers as employees, which shapes how they respond to claims and complicates theories of direct corporate responsibility.
Multiple insurers pointing at one another. The driver’s personal carrier, the company’s commercial carrier, and the other vehicle’s carrier each have an interest in saying someone else is responsible. Meanwhile nothing gets paid.
Commercial adjusters. These are not the adjusters who handle ordinary fender benders. They handle high volumes of rideshare claims, they have a playbook, and they are measured on what they save.
The app status question. The single fact that determines which policy applies lives on the company’s servers, not in the police report.
Evidence that disappears if you wait
- Screenshot the trip in the app immediately. Trip records roll off a rider’s visible history. Capture the driver name, vehicle, times, and route before it is gone.
- Save the trip receipt. It timestamps the ride and establishes app status.
- Request the ride status data through the app’s help flow, in writing.
- Photograph everything at the scene, including the driver’s license plate and the rideshare placard.
- Get independent witness information. Do not rely on the driver to provide it.
- Report the crash in the app, and keep a copy of what you submitted.
- Get medical attention the same day and describe every symptom.
Politely decline a recorded statement and refer any adjuster to your attorney.
Rideshare crashes almost always involve a driver who was not at fault somewhere in the chain. Our guide to not-at-fault car accidents in California explains how fault is apportioned and which policy responds.
How We Handle These Cases
Not My Fault Law Group's Approach
At Not My Fault Law Group, we’re committed to providing compassionate and aggressive representation in Rideshare accident cases. Our approach includes:
- Thorough investigation and evidence gathering
- Aggressive representation in court
What to Expect During the Process
Initial consultation
Evidence Gathering
Litigation
Settlement or Trial
Finding Justice and Closure
Seeking justice and closure after a Rideshare Accident can be overwhelming. But you’re not alone. Our dedicated attorneys are here to guide you through the legal process and fight for your rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Uber's insurance cover me as a passenger?
Yes. If you were a passenger, the driver was on an active trip, which triggers the company's commercial policy of at least $1,000,000 in third party liability. In California, Public Utilities Code section 5433(b) also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident during a ride.
What if the Uber driver was logged in but had not accepted a ride yet?
A contingent policy applies. California requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, $30,000 in property damage, and at least $200,000 in excess coverage per occurrence under Public Utilities Code section 5433(c). This is more than the figures published on the companies' national driver pages.
The other driver only had minimum limits. Is that all I can recover?
Not necessarily. California minimum liability limits are $30,000 per person under Vehicle Code section 16056, which is often far less than a serious injury costs. If you were in a rideshare on an active trip, the company's underinsured motorist coverage may provide a second layer of recovery.