Which policy applies depends on the app
Rideshare coverage changes with the driver's status. When the app is off, only the driver's personal insurance applies. When the app is on and waiting for a ride, a limited contingent policy applies. Once a ride is accepted or a passenger is aboard, the company's larger commercial coverage — up to one million dollars in liability — is in play.
Establishing exactly what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash is central, and it is something Paul M. Marriett works out early, because it determines where your recovery comes from.
Passengers have strong claims
If you were a passenger, you were almost certainly not at fault, and you may have a claim against the rideshare driver, another driver, or both. You do not have to sort out the corporate insurance maze yourself.
If you were another driver or a pedestrian
You don't have to be inside the Uber or Lyft to be affected by how its coverage works. If a rideshare driver hit your car, your bicycle, or you as a pedestrian, the same question decides where your recovery comes from: what was the driver doing on the app at that moment?
If the driver was carrying a passenger or heading to a pickup, the company's larger commercial coverage is generally in play. If the app was off, you are usually dealing with the driver's personal policy. Pinning down that status early is often the whole ballgame.
Why these claims get complicated
Rideshare cases carry hurdles an ordinary car claim doesn't:
- Disputed app status. Whether the driver was "on a trip" controls which policy pays, and insurers have every reason to read it their way.
- Multiple insurers pointing at each other. The driver's personal insurer and the company's carrier may each say the other is responsible.
- Trip records held by the company. The data that proves what the app was doing sits with Uber or Lyft, and getting it often takes formal steps.
Paul M. Marriett handles those steps so the coverage question is answered with records, not the insurer's say-so.
What your claim can cover
The injuries in a rideshare crash are the same ones any collision causes, and a claim can account for their full cost, including:
- Emergency and ongoing medical care;
- Future treatment, rehabilitation, and any lasting disability;
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity;
- Pain, suffering, and the effect on your daily life.
No lawyer can promise a number in advance. What Paul M. Marriett can do is make sure the right policy is on the hook and the claim reflects the real, long-term picture.
What a case costs
Cases like this are handled on a contingency-fee basis: no hourly bills, and the attorney fee comes out of any recovery. Clients may be responsible for litigation costs and expenses regardless of outcome — Paul M. Marriett explains exactly how that works, in writing, before you sign anything.
Frequently asked questions
I was a passenger in an Uber that crashed. Who do I make a claim against?
As a passenger you are almost never at fault, and you may have a claim against the rideshare driver, another driver, or both. When the driver was on a trip, the company's commercial coverage is generally available.
Does Uber or Lyft's $1 million coverage always apply?
No. That larger commercial coverage generally applies only once a ride is accepted or a passenger is aboard. When the app is on but waiting, a smaller contingent policy applies; when the app is off, only the driver's personal insurance applies.
What if the rideshare driver's personal insurer denies my claim?
Personal auto policies often exclude crashes that happen while driving for a rideshare. When that exclusion applies, the company's coverage may step in — which is why establishing the driver's app status matters so much.
An Uber driver hit me while I was in my own car. What coverage applies?
It depends on what the driver was doing on the app at the time. If they were en route to or carrying a passenger, the company's commercial coverage is generally in play; if the app was off, the driver's personal policy applies.
How do we prove the app was on at the time of the crash?
The proof usually lives in the company's trip records. Obtaining that data often takes formal steps, and handling those steps is part of the work on a rideshare case.
How much does it cost to hire Paul for a rideshare accident case?
Rideshare cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis: no hourly bills, and the attorney fee comes out of any recovery. Clients may be responsible for litigation costs regardless of outcome, and Paul explains exactly how that works, in writing, before you sign.