Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney
A crash in an Uber or Lyft, or with one, isn’t an ordinary car accident. The driver was usually working, so there’s a commercial policy behind them with far higher limits than a personal policy.
Getting to that policy is the case.
Which insurance covers you
- App off
- Uber’s and Lyft’s insurance doesn’t apply. The driver’s own auto policy is the coverage, the same as any other crash.
- App on, waiting for a ride
- The company’s policy covers at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries, with $200,000 more in excess coverage. The driver’s personal policy can refuse to cover this period entirely.
- On the way to a pickup
- From the moment the driver accepts a ride, there’s $1,000,000 in liability coverage.
- Passenger in the car
- The same $1,000,000, plus uninsured motorist coverage if the other driver has little or none: $60,000 per person for crashes since January 1, 2026, and $1,000,000 before that.
Proving which one applied
The app records when the driver logged on, accepted the ride, picked up and dropped off. Uber and Lyft hold those records, so we send a letter early telling them to keep them. Screenshots from the driver’s or the rider’s phone help too.
The driver’s own insurer will usually deny the claim, because most personal policies exclude driving for hire. That denial isn’t the end. It usually means the company’s policy is the one that pays.
The cases we take
Passenger in a rideshare
You were in the back seat and had nothing to do with it, so fault is the easy part. Getting to the right coverage is the hard part.
Hit by a rideshare driver
You were in another car, on a bike or on foot, and the driver was working. The commercial policy can cover you even though you never used the app.
Driving for the app when you were hit
You were the rideshare driver. There’s coverage for you too, including uninsured motorist coverage through the platform while a passenger is in the car. Most drivers don’t know it.
Delivery drivers
DoorDash, Uber Eats, Amazon Flex, Instacart. Same rules, same question: was the driver on a delivery at the time?
Uninsured and hit and run
The other driver has no insurance, or leaves the scene. While a passenger is in the car, the platform carries uninsured motorist coverage, which is often the only coverage there is.
Assault and driver conduct
Harm caused by the driver’s own conduct. That raises the question of what the company knew when it approved them.
What we do on a rideshare case
Send a letter early telling the company to keep the app records for your ride.
Find out whether the company shares the blame.
Handle the commercial adjusters. They’re tougher than personal auto adjusters, and better funded.