Uber & Lyft accident lawyer: a $1M policy changes everything.
Hurt in an Uber or Lyft? Both companies carry $1 million per-accident insurance for crashes that happen during a passenger ride — that’s 30-40x the average personal auto policy. But the coverage rules are tricky and adjusters fight hard. Knowing exactly when each policy applies is half the battle.
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Coverage depends on app status.
Uber and Lyft divide their drivers’ insurance into three “periods” based on what the app was doing at the moment of the crash. Most coverage disputes come down to which period you were in.
Period 0 — App off
Driver’s personal auto insurance only. Uber/Lyft’s coverage doesn’t apply at all. Same as any other car accident.
Period 1 — App on, no ride
Driver is online but hasn’t accepted a ride. Uber/Lyft contingent coverage applies: typically $50K/$100K bodily injury and $25K property damage. Often a coverage gap.
Period 2-3 — Accepted / passenger on board
Once a driver accepts a ride or has a passenger, the full $1M liability + $1M UM/UIM policy applies. This is when the most coverage is available.
Who can sue when an Uber or Lyft crashes?
The four most common rideshare accident scenarios, each with its own coverage path:
- Passenger in an Uber/Lyft. The simplest case. The $1M policy applies regardless of who caused the crash. If your driver was at fault, the rideshare’s liability covers you. If a third-party driver was at fault, the rideshare’s UM/UIM covers you. Either way, you have $1M of coverage available.
- Pedestrian or another driver hit by an Uber/Lyft. Same as above — the rideshare’s $1M liability applies if the rideshare driver was at fault during Period 2-3.
- Uber/Lyft driver injured in a crash. Coverage depends on the period. During Period 1, only contingent coverage applies (low limits). During Period 2-3, the $1M UM/UIM kicks in if a third-party at-fault driver was uninsured/underinsured.
- Uber Eats / DoorDash / Instacart drivers. Food and grocery delivery apps have similar but lower coverage limits. Last-mile delivery has exploded, and so have these claims.
How rideshare insurance fights claims
Both Uber and Lyft outsource claim handling to third-party administrators (Sedgwick, Liberty Mutual). Common tactics they use:
- Claiming the driver wasn’t actually in Period 2-3 (“the ride hadn’t really started”)
- Pushing you to settle quickly with a small first offer
- Claiming you were “partially at fault” to reduce settlement under comparative negligence
- Refusing to acknowledge UM/UIM coverage if a third-party driver caused the crash
A lawyer with rideshare-specific experience knows these tactics and how to counter them.
Common rideshare accident questions.
What’s the average Uber or Lyft accident settlement?
Should I sue Uber/Lyft directly or just the driver?
Can I sue if I was using DoorDash or Uber Eats?
What if I was the rideshare driver and got hurt?
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