Uber and Lyft Accident Attorney for Los Angeles County and Orange County

An Uber or Lyft accident is handled differently from an ordinary collision because the insurance is layered by law, and the layer that applies is fixed by what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of impact. Fred Yadegar represents rideshare passengers, rideshare drivers, other motorists, and pedestrians injured in Uber and Lyft accidents in Los Angeles County and Orange County, and the first question he answers in every case is which policy is responsible.

Who we represent, and what changes for each

Passengers are rarely blamed for a crash, so the case is about coverage and the extent of the injuries. Rideshare drivers hurt by another motorist claim against that driver and, depending on the period, against the company’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. Other drivers struck by a rideshare vehicle need the app status established before they know whether they face a commercial policy or a personal one. Pedestrians and cyclists follow the same coverage analysis with, as a rule, more serious injuries; our pedestrian accidents page explains the additional issues that arise for someone struck on foot.

The three coverage periods under California law

California requires transportation network companies to carry insurance that follows the driver’s app status (Pub. Util. Code §5433).

App off

The driver is a private motorist, and only their personal auto policy applies. Since January 1, 2025 the state minimum is $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for injuries (Ins. Code §16056), and many drivers carry no more than that.

App on, waiting for a request

The company must provide at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries, plus $30,000 for property damage.

Ride accepted, en route, or passenger aboard

The company’s $1,000,000 liability coverage applies, together with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

The company’s own trip record shows which period was active, to the second. Obtaining that record, and holding each insurer to it, is the first piece of work in a rideshare claim.

Where rideshare claims stall

Three things slow these cases down. The first is disagreement about the app’s status: a driver may say the app was off when it was not, and the company’s record settles it. The second is insurers pointing at one another, each waiting for the other to accept responsibility while your bills accumulate. The third is the recorded statement, which the company’s claims team will request politely and use to narrow the claim. Our office resolves the first with a written request for the trip data, answers the second by presenting the claim to every insurer at once with the legal basis for each policy’s obligation, and prevents the third by taking over communications as soon as we are retained.

The ordinary rules still apply

Layered coverage does not change the fundamentals of a California injury claim. A lawsuit must be filed within two years of the crash (Code Civ. Proc. §335.1), or preceded by a written claim within six months if a city or county vehicle was involved (Gov. Code §911.2). Fault is apportioned by percentage under pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab, 1975), which matters most for drivers and pedestrians and rarely for passengers. Damages include medical costs, lost income, and future care, together with non-economic damages for pain and the loss of ordinary life, with no cap in an ordinary injury case. When the injuries involve surgery or permanent impairment, the $1,000,000 layer is the reason the claim can be built around future costs rather than settled for the first year’s bills; see serious injuries.

What to do in the first 48 hours

• Call 911 from the scene so that a police report records the driver, the vehicle, and the time.
• Screenshot the trip before it leaves your app history: the driver’s name, the plate, the route, the timestamps, and the receipt.
• Report the crash through the app’s help or safety menu, keeping it to where, when, and that you were injured.
• Photograph every vehicle, the scene, and your injuries.
• Exchange information with the other driver, and get names and numbers from witnesses and any other passengers.
• See a doctor the same day and keep every appointment that follows.
• Decline recorded statements from any insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer.
• Keep every email, text, and in-app message from the companies, their insurers, and the driver.

Why bring a rideshare claim to Fred

Fred Yadegar has been a licensed California attorney since 2006 (State Bar #244184), and he handles Uber and Lyft accident claims for people throughout Los Angeles County and Orange County. He identifies the applicable policy in the first week, presents the claim to each insurer with the legal basis for its obligation, and does not allow the companies to spend a year deciding among themselves who should pay. Rideshare cases are taken on contingency, with no upfront cost. If you don’t get paid, we don’t get paid. For the general framework of a collision claim, see car accidents; for what to do when an insurer misses its deadlines, see insurance company disputes.