Practice area · Northridge, California
Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer in Northridge
Hurt as an Uber or Lyft passenger, hit by a rideshare driver, or hurt while driving for one. What the app was doing at the moment of the crash decides which policy pays, and proving it is the first job.
Call or text. Same day reply.
5.0 across more than 190 Google reviews·Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 5 years in a row
Every case depends on its own facts, and a past result does not predict the outcome of any other case. Full statement.
The short answer
Who pays when you are hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash?
It depends on what the rideshare driver's app was doing at the moment of the crash. From the moment a ride is accepted until the passenger gets out, California law (Public Utilities Code section 5433) requires the rideshare company's policy to provide at least $1 million in liability coverage. When the app is on and the driver is waiting for a request, the required limits drop to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. When the app is off, only the driver's personal insurance applies.
One rule changed on January 1, 2026, under Senate Bill 371. If you are a passenger and the driver who caused the crash had no insurance or too little, the coverage Uber and Lyft must carry for that is now $60,000 per person and $300,000 per crash, down from $1 million, and it applies only while you are in the car. The full breakdown is in our guide to who pays after an Uber or Lyft accident in California.
Answered by Aryan Aliakbarzadeh, Esq., personal injury attorney, Northridge, California.
How it works
What happens in a rideshare accident case
- CallFree consultation. Tell him what happened.
- EvidenceReport, photos, witnesses, footage.
- TreatmentYour medical record is built as you heal.
- DemandMade when the injury is understood.
- ResolutionSettled with the insurer, or filed and tried.
Locking down the trip record
The claim starts with the trip record: the app status, the ride receipt, the driver's account and the time stamps. Uber and Lyft hold that data, so a written request to preserve it goes out early, before anyone argues about what the app showed. With the record in hand, the right policy is identified, whether it belongs to Uber, Lyft, the driver or another driver who caused the crash. The police report, photos, witnesses and camera footage are gathered next, the same as any crash.
Who can bring a claim
Passengers in the rideshare car, including riders on a shared trip. Drivers and passengers in the other car. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists hit by a rideshare driver. Rideshare drivers themselves, when another driver causes the crash.
Why rideshare claims stall
Rideshare claims can involve two or three insurers, and each one points at the others. The company's insurer may question whether the app was active, and the driver's personal insurer may deny coverage because the car was being used for rides. The trip record settles that argument, which is why it comes first.
When the driver at fault had no insurance
Since January 1, 2026, a passenger hurt by an uninsured or underinsured driver has much less rideshare coverage to draw on than before. That makes the other sources matter more: your own auto policy's uninsured motorist coverage, if you have one, your health insurance and any medical payments coverage. Each one gets checked at the start, not after the rideshare policy runs out.
How long you have
In California the general deadline to file an injury lawsuit is two years from the crash. If a city, county or Metro vehicle was involved, a written claim is usually due within six months. Cases with a disputed app status or serious injuries take longer to resolve, so it pays to start before the evidence ages.
What to do in the first week
Screenshot the ride receipt and the driver's name, photo and plate in the app, and report the crash through the app. Get the police report number. Photograph the cars and your injuries. See a doctor even if you feel fine. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before you speak with a lawyer. If an uninsured driver was involved, read what to do when the other driver has no insurance.
The days after
- At the scene
Stop. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. Exchange license, registration and insurance details, and photograph the vehicles, the scene and anything that shows what happened.
- Within 24 hours
If anyone was hurt or killed, report the collision to the police or the CHP. If you were hurt, get seen and keep the paperwork you are given.
- The same week
Tell your own insurer promptly; policies require it. Give them the facts and keep the claim number.
- Within 10 days
File the DMV’s SR-1 report if anyone was injured or the damage passed $1,000. It is required even when the police took a report; without it the DMV can suspend a license.
- When the other insurer calls
You can decline a recorded statement and refer them to your own insurer or your lawyer. Sign nothing about fault.
- The weeks after
Keep the vehicle, the bike, the helmet and any damaged property as they are until they have been photographed and inspected. Keep a simple record: symptoms, appointments, missed work, receipts.
- Before you sign
Ask for the collision report; the LAPD releases it about six weeks after the crash. Do not sign a release or take a quick payment before the injury is understood, because a release ends the claim.
Step 1 of 7
Your attorney
Aryan Aliakbarzadeh, Esq.
Personal injury attorney in Northridge, California. Admitted to the State Bar of California in October 2012, No. 284358; 14 years in practice. Super Lawyers Rising Stars, 5 years in a row.
About Aryan Aliakbarzadeh, Esq.
Reviews are published as clients wrote them on Google. Every case depends on its own facts, and a past result does not predict the outcome of any other case. Full statement.
Questions
Questions about Uber and Lyft accident cases
Can I sue Uber or Lyft directly?
Usually the claim runs against the driver, and the rideshare company's insurance policy is what pays it. Uber and Lyft treat their drivers as independent contractors, and in 2024 the California Supreme Court upheld the law that allows it. Whether the company itself can be sued depends on the facts of the crash.
I was a passenger. Do I have to prove who caused the crash?
No. You were not driving, so the question is which driver caused the crash and whose insurance pays, not whether you are owed. When both drivers share the blame, both policies can be involved.
The rideshare driver says the app was off. What now?
Uber and Lyft keep trip and app records, and those records answer the question. They are requested early, because the app status decides whether the $1 million policy applies.
An uninsured driver hit the Uber I was riding in. Who pays?
The rideshare company's uninsured motorist coverage, which since January 1, 2026 is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per crash. Your own auto policy's uninsured motorist coverage, if you have one, and your health insurance can also apply.
I drive for Uber or Lyft and another driver hit me. Can I claim?
Yes. A claim is made against the at fault driver's insurer, and depending on your app status, the rideshare company's coverage may also apply. Drivers hurt while logged in may also have occupational accident coverage that the company is required to carry.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally two years from the date of the crash in California, and as little as six months for a claim against a city, county or the state. Call early so the trip record and other evidence are not lost.
Free consultation
Not sure if you need a lawyer?
Call and ask. Free consultation, nothing to sign. If you would rather not talk yet, send a message below. Same day reply.
Where is the office?
Accident Lawyer of California, P.C. is at 8535 Reseda Blvd. #100, Northridge, CA 91324, in the San Fernando Valley.
Call or text. Same day reply.
- Office
- 8535 Reseda Blvd. #100, Northridge, CA 91324
- Hours
- Open 24 hours
- Serving
- Northridge · Porter Ranch · Van Nuys · Sherman Oaks · Woodland Hills · Reseda · Canoga Park · Encino · Granada Hills
- Phone
- 818-718-2522
- Text
- 818-718-2522
- info@alca4u.com