San Francisco Uber & Lyft Accident Attorney
If you were hurt in a rideshare crash, the hardest part usually isn't the injury — it's figuring out who's responsible and which insurance company actually has to pay. Uber and Lyft structure their coverage deliberately, and the answer changes depending on what the driver was doing at the exact moment of the crash. We handle the entire insurance coordination process so you don't have to decode it on your own.
Why Rideshare Insurance Is More Complicated Than a Standard Car Crash
Uber and Lyft drivers are not employees — they're classified as independent contractors under California law, which means their personal auto insurance is the first line of coverage. But the app creates additional layers on top of that, and those layers shift based on the driver's status at the moment of the collision.
Here's how the coverage structure works:
- App off: The driver's personal policy applies. Uber and Lyft have no coverage obligation.
- App on, no ride accepted: Limited contingent liability coverage applies — typically $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 in property damage.
- Ride accepted or passenger in the vehicle: Uber and Lyft's $1 million liability policy is active. This is the coverage tier that applies to most passenger injury claims.
Knowing which tier applies — and proving it — requires access to trip log data, GPS records, and app activity at the time of the crash. We know how to get that information and how to use it.
Who Can File a Rideshare Injury Claim?
Rideshare accidents don't only affect passengers. The scenarios we handle regularly include:
- Passengers injured when their Uber or Lyft driver causes or is involved in a collision
- Pedestrians and cyclists struck by a rideshare driver while walking, biking, or crossing the street
- Drivers and occupants of other vehicles hit by an Uber or Lyft car
- Passengers in other vehicles injured in a crash caused by a rideshare driver
Each scenario carries different insurance implications. A passenger claim almost always falls under the $1 million policy. A pedestrian struck during the app-on/no-ride period may face a much lower coverage ceiling — unless we can establish that a ride was in progress or that additional liability applies. The facts of the crash determine the strategy.
If you were a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a rideshare vehicle, our pedestrian accidents practice covers those claims directly.
San Francisco Has One of the Highest Rideshare Traffic Densities in the Country
San Francisco's street grid was not designed for the volume of rideshare traffic it now carries. Crash concentrations are highest around SFO pickup and drop-off zones, downtown corridors like Market Street and Mission Street, BART station entrances in the Tenderloin and SoMa, and hotel and entertainment district blocks in Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf. The Bay Area as a whole sees consistent rideshare-related crashes across San Jose, Berkeley, and San Rafael as well.
We have represented clients injured in rideshare crashes throughout the region. The geography matters because local court venues, traffic patterns, and crash documentation sources vary — and we know this terrain.
What Happens When Uber Says It Wasn't Their Driver's Fault
Uber and Lyft have claims teams whose job is to minimize payouts. When a crash occurs, their internal systems generate an incident record — but that record reflects their version of events, not necessarily what the data shows.
We independently investigate every rideshare crash we handle. That includes requesting trip logs, GPS route data, and app activity records through the litigation process. Rideshare technology creates a detailed record of exactly where the driver was, what they were doing, and when. That record doesn't disappear — and it often tells a different story than the one the company's claims adjuster presents.
The app's version of events is not the last word. Ours is built on the actual data.
No Fault to Assign You — Passenger Claims Are Among the Strongest We Handle
Many passengers feel hesitant to file a claim after a rideshare crash. They worry it will hurt the driver, or they're unsure whether they have the right to recover. Under California law, injured passengers are almost always blameless — you were simply a rider in a vehicle, and your right to compensation is protected regardless of which driver or party caused the crash.
Passenger claims are some of the clearest cases we take on. You did nothing wrong. Your recovery should reflect that.
If you were hurt as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft, the process begins with a free case review. We evaluate your claim, explain which insurance tier applies, and tell you exactly what your options are before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uber & Lyft Accident Claims
Does Uber or Lyft's $1 million policy automatically cover me as an injured passenger?
It applies when the driver had accepted a ride or was actively transporting you at the time of the crash. If the driver was logged into the app but hadn't yet accepted a trip, a lower coverage tier applies. We determine which tier is active based on the trip log and app data from the moment of the collision.What if the rideshare driver's personal insurance denies my claim?
Personal auto policies often exclude commercial activity, which means a driver's insurer may deny coverage for crashes that occur while the app is active. When that happens, Uber or Lyft's contingent coverage is triggered. We handle the coordination between all active policies so nothing falls through the gap.Can I still recover if I was partly at fault as a passenger?
Passengers are rarely assigned fault in rideshare crashes — you weren't operating a vehicle. California's comparative fault rules could theoretically apply in unusual circumstances, but in our experience, passenger claims are among the most straightforward to pursue.How long do I have to file a rideshare accident claim in California?
California's statute of limitations for personal injury claims is generally two years from the date of the accident. Claims involving government entities — such as a crash with a public bus — may have a much shorter deadline. Contact us as soon as possible so we can evaluate your specific timeline.What does it cost to hire a rideshare accident attorney?
Nothing upfront. We handle rideshare accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. There are no out-of-pocket costs to get started.
Work with a Bay Area Rideshare Accident Attorney Who Knows the System
Rideshare cases require a lawyer who understands TNC insurance structures, knows how to obtain app and GPS data through litigation, and is prepared to push back when Uber or Lyft's claims team minimizes what happened to you. That's what we do. We also handle car accident claims involving non-rideshare vehicles — if your crash involved a standard vehicle, our car accidents practice covers that as well.
We serve clients injured in rideshare crashes throughout San Francisco, San Jose, Berkeley, San Rafael, and the broader Bay Area. Russian and Spanish-language intake is available. Call or text (415) 692-5301, or submit a contact form to request your free case review.
