Uber and Lyft Accident Attorney in Los Angeles, CA
If you were hurt in an Uber or Lyft accident in Los Angeles, the insurance that pays depends on what the rideshare driver was doing at the moment of the crash. During a trip, California law requires the rideshare company to carry $1 million in liability coverage. Before a ride is accepted, far less applies. Rafii & Associates helps passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and rideshare drivers identify every policy that covers what happened to them.
These claims are rarely straightforward, because more than one insurer is usually involved and each has reason to point at the other. An Uber accident attorney in Los Angeles establishes the driver’s app status first, since that single fact determines which policy responds. The consultation is free, and the firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no fee and no case costs unless we recover compensation for you.
Insurance After an Uber or Lyft Accident
California regulates rideshare insurance through Public Utilities Code section 5433, which divides coverage into periods based on what the driver was doing. Understanding rideshare insurance in California starts with identifying which period applied at the time of the crash.
App off. The driver is not working, and their personal auto policy applies the same way it would for any other driver. The rideshare company provides no coverage during this period.
App on, waiting for a ride request. The transportation network company must provide at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for bodily injury or death, and $30,000 for property damage, along with $200,000 per occurrence in excess coverage. This is the period where coverage disputes are most common, because the driver’s personal insurer often denies the claim on the basis that the vehicle was being used commercially.
Ride accepted, and throughout the trip. From the moment the driver accepts a request until the passenger exits the vehicle, the rideshare company must carry $1 million liability coverage as primary insurance. This applies whether the person hurt is the passenger, another driver, a pedestrian, or a cyclist.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. When another driver causes the crash and carries no insurance or too little, the rideshare company must provide uninsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident while a passenger is in the vehicle. This changed on January 1, 2026 under Senate Bill 371, which reduced the requirement from the previous $1 million. The $1 million liability coverage still applies when the rideshare driver is the one at fault. The reduction affects only the uninsured and underinsured layer, and it matters a great deal, because $60,000 does not go far against a serious injury. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may sit on top of it.
Because these figures changed recently, a great deal of published information about rideshare insurance is now out of date. A Los Angeles rideshare accident attorney should confirm the coverage that applied on the date of your crash rather than the coverage in effect today.
Who Is Liable in a Rideshare Accident?
Liability and coverage are separate questions, and both have to be answered. A Los Angeles Uber accident lawyer works through them in that order, because establishing who was at fault does not by itself tell you which policy pays.
The rideshare driver. If the Uber or Lyft driver caused the crash through speeding, distraction, an unsafe turn, or any other negligence, they are liable, and the applicable rideshare policy generally responds based on the period.
Another driver. Where a third party caused the collision, their liability insurance is the first source of recovery, and the rideshare company’s uninsured or underinsured coverage may apply if those limits fall short.
The rideshare company. Uber and Lyft classify their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, which generally limits direct claims against the companies themselves. Their role in most cases is as the insurer behind the required policy. That independent contractor structure is the reason the coverage periods matter so much, and it is why these claims are handled differently from a crash involving a delivery van or a company car.
Vehicle and road defects. A defective component or a dangerous road condition can shift part of the responsibility to a manufacturer or a public entity, and a claim against a public entity generally must be presented within six months.
The terms of service a passenger accepted in the app may also affect how a claim is processed, and those terms are worth reviewing early in the case.
Injured as a Passenger, Driver, or Pedestrian: What Changes
Which coverage applies depends on where you were when the crash happened. Los Angeles Lyft accident lawyers see all four of the situations below, and they are not handled the same way.
Passengers. A rideshare passenger injury during a trip falls under the $1 million policy when the rideshare driver is at fault, and under the uninsured and underinsured coverage when another uninsured driver is. Passengers are almost never assigned fault, which makes these among the more straightforward claims on liability and among the more contested on value.
Occupants of another vehicle. If an Uber or Lyft struck your car during a trip, the $1 million policy is available to you in the same way it is to the passenger. If the app was off, you are dealing with an ordinary personal auto policy.
Pedestrians and cyclists. People struck by a rideshare vehicle have the same access to the applicable policy. These cases often turn on right-of-way evidence rather than coverage, and they overlap with pedestrian and bicycle claims.
Rideshare drivers. A driver injured by someone else’s negligence can pursue that driver’s insurance, their own coverage, and in some circumstances the rideshare company’s uninsured motorist coverage. Drivers are often told they have no claim, which is frequently wrong.
What to Do After an Uber or Lyft Accident
Call 911 and make sure a police report is taken.
Get medical care, even if you feel able to continue your day.
Screenshot the trip in the app before the record is archived, including the driver’s name, the vehicle, the route, and the time.
Photograph the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries, and get the rideshare driver’s personal insurance details as well as their app status.
Report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app, which creates a record with the company.
Do not accept a quick settlement and do not give a recorded statement before speaking with a lawyer.
Contact an Uber and Lyft accident lawyer in Los Angeles for a free consultation. A Los Angeles rideshare accident lawyer can request the trip data directly from Uber or Lyft if the record is no longer visible in your app.
Why Choose Rafii & Associates
Rafii & Associates brings 100+ years of combined legal experience to rideshare claims across California. The Los Angeles Lyft accident attorneys and Uber accident attorneys at the firm handle these cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no fees and no case costs unless compensation is recovered.
Experience with commercial insurers. Rideshare claims are defended by commercial carriers rather than by the neighborhood auto insurer, and they are handled accordingly.
Coverage is established first. The firm determines the driver’s app status and the policies in play at the outset, rather than filing a claim and waiting to see which insurer accepts it.
Direct attorney access. Clients speak with their attorney about the case rather than being routed to a case manager.
Bilingual representation. Se habla español, with Spanish-language support throughout the claim.
Available 24/7. The firm is reachable around the clock and will travel to meet clients who cannot come to the office.
Local offices. A Beverly Hills Uber accident lawyer from the firm can meet you locally, and the firm maintains 11 locations across California and Nevada.
Rideshare claims move between insurers, and the trip record that proves which coverage applies does not stay accessible forever. Contact Rafii & Associates for a free consultation with a California rideshare accident lawyer. An Uber Lyft lawyer in Los Angeles will identify every policy available to you at no charge, and there is no fee and no case costs unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays if I'm injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in California?
It depends on what the driver was doing. If the app was off, the driver's personal auto policy applies. If the app was on but no ride had been accepted, the rideshare company must provide at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $30,000 in property damage coverage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. Once a ride is accepted and until the passenger exits, the company must carry $1 million in primary liability coverage. A Lyft accident lawyer in Los Angeles will establish the app status first, because that single fact decides which insurer is responsible.
Can I sue Uber or Lyft directly?
Usually not in the way people expect. Both companies treat their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, which generally prevents holding the company vicariously liable for a driver's negligence. In most cases, the company's role is as the insurer behind the coverage the law requires it to carry, and the claim proceeds against that policy. Direct claims against the company are possible in narrower circumstances, and whether any apply depends on the specific facts.
What if I was a passenger and the other driver was at fault?
You pursue the at-fault driver's liability insurance first. If that driver had no insurance or not enough to cover your injuries, the rideshare company's uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage applies while you are in the vehicle. Since January 1, 2026, that coverage is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, reduced from the previous $1 million requirement under Senate Bill 371. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may provide an additional layer on top of it, which is worth checking.
What if the rideshare driver didn't have the app on?
Then the rideshare company's coverage does not apply, and the claim proceeds against the driver's personal auto policy like any other collision. Disputes in this situation are common, because a personal insurer may argue the vehicle was in commercial use and deny coverage, while the rideshare company argues no period had begun. Trip data from the app usually resolves it, and an Uber accident lawyer in Los Angeles can obtain that record formally if it is no longer available to you.
I'm a rideshare driver. What can I do if I was injured?
More than you may have been told. If another driver caused the crash, you can pursue their liability insurance. Your own policy may apply depending on whether you carry a rideshare endorsement. Depending on the period and the circumstances, the rideshare company's coverage may also be available. Drivers are frequently informed that they have no claim because they are independent contractors, and that is not the same thing as having no coverage.
How long do I have to file an Uber or Lyft accident claim in California?
Two years from the date of the crash for personal injury claims, under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a public entity contributed through a dangerous road condition or a government vehicle, a written claim generally must be presented within six months. The rideshare accident statute of limitations in California is separate from any deadline the insurer sets for reporting, and those reporting windows are often much shorter, so notifying the relevant insurers promptly matters even though the legal deadline is further out.
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