Which policy pays in a rideshare crash
The answer turns entirely on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of impact, and it is the first thing we establish. With a passenger in the car or on the way to pick one up, a large commercial policy is in force — far more coverage than a private driver carries. With the app on but no ride accepted, a much smaller contingent policy applies. With the app off, the driver is just a driver and only their personal insurance responds.
That is why the trip record matters more than anything either driver says. Uber and Lyft hold timestamped data showing exactly when the ride was accepted, when the driver arrived and when the trip ended, and it is requested in writing early.
If you were the passenger, you are almost never at fault, and it does not matter which driver caused the crash — you have a claim either way. In New York City the vehicle is also TLC-licensed, which usually means yet another layer of coverage on top.
The cases we handle most
Passengers
You have a claim regardless of which driver was at fault, and you cannot be blamed for the crash.
Other drivers and their passengers
When the rideshare driver is at fault mid-trip, the commercial policy is available to you too.
Pedestrians and cyclists
Struck by a car working a trip, you reach the same commercial coverage — plus no-fault benefits.
Drivers themselves
Rideshare drivers get hurt working. The coverage available depends on app status, exactly as it does for everyone else.
What we do once you call
We screenshot and preserve your trip record from the app, file your no-fault application, and put both the rideshare insurer and the other driver’s carrier on notice.
We request the trip data and driver history from the platform in writing, pull the police report, and look for street and building camera footage.
We establish which coverage layer applies and document your treatment while every adjuster call comes to us instead of you.
We demand against the right policy. Rideshare carriers are sophisticated and they do not pay well on a first demand.
Common questions
Will suing hurt my rideshare account or my rating?
No. A claim goes to the insurer, not to the platform’s ratings, and you are not suing the company for taking a ride. Passengers file these claims constantly and keep using the app.
I don’t know if the driver’s app was on. Can you find out?
Yes. That information sits with Uber or Lyft, and it is requested formally. Your own trip receipt already proves the ride existed and when — which is why we save it immediately, before an account change or a phone replacement makes it harder to retrieve.
Do I still get no-fault as a passenger?
Yes. As an occupant of the vehicle you are covered for the first $50,000 of medical bills and lost earnings regardless of fault, and the application is generally due within 30 days. That runs alongside the liability claim.