Injured While Riding in Uber or Lyft: What To Do Next?

At Rightful Legal, we help people recover money and understand the claim process when involved in an accident when you are a passenger in a Lyft or Uber.

As a passenger in a ride share vehicle, such as Uber or Lyft, you have the right to compensation if an accident happens during your ride that leads to an injury. It is important to know how to handle these situations and what to do immediately after to ensure that you preserve your rights.

What’s First?

For the most part, you’ll treat an accident while riding in an Uber or Lyft the same way you’d treat any other motor vehicle accident. The first two things you should do are the most important:

1. Get the medical attention you need right away (call 911 if necessary), and
2. Collect as much information as possible and call an attorney.

You should prioritize these steps before anything else, and before talking to any insurance claims adjuster or a representative from Uber, Lyft, or whatever taxi company you used. Along with getting proper medical attention, get yourself someplace safe, if you are able to. Don’t talk to anyone’s insurance company, even yours, before speaking to an attorney.

You should also be documenting the incident and your injuries:

• Take photos or videos of as much of the scene as possible
• Document any road signs, stop lights, or stop signs
• If you were in a moving vehicle accident, take photos of any skid marks or road hazards in the street and take note of the weather conditions
• Do not send your photos to anyone else unless instructed by your attorney
• Collect everyone’s information: this includes your driver, anyone else who might be at-fault, and anyone who witnessed it. Names, phone numbers, and addresses would be best; e-mail addresses would be helpful, also.
• Take a screen shot on your phone of your Uber/Lyft driver’s profile (including their name and photo) and the ride information from the app
• Try to take a photo of your driver’s face and overall appearance. This will help in many ways, but for one thing, it can help ensure their identity and that it matches their profile on your ride-share app.

And Then…?

1. Report the accident to the ride share company and to your insurer (if any), and
2. Contact the law enforcement agency who responded to the accident to request a copy of the report, if applicable

• Don’t wait too long to do this, and avoid leaving any “rating” or tip on the ride share driver’s profile or on the ride within the app; any ratings or tips you give could be used against you later
• Stick to the basic facts when providing statements
• Provide Uber or Lyft an incident report number from law enforcement if there was one
• Request a copy of their report

Compensation From the Ride Share Company

Keep in mind that Uber and Lyft drivers are not considered “employees;” they are independent contractors, often with their own personal insurance. However, both Uber and Lyft provide uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage that covers passengers who are injured in crashes. The policies provide up to $1 million of total coverage for bodily injury. This might apply to your situation if the driver of your ride does not have adequate insurance, or if another driver who was at fault does not have enough insurance coverage. Even if your driver was not at fault, if you were injured as a passenger during an active Uber and Lyft ride, their coverage might be able to compensate you.

Another consideration is whether or not the incident and/or injury occurred during an “active ride.” This is why documenting the ride within the app by taking screen shots immediately after the accident is important. If you can take screen shots that show the ride was active at the time the injury happened, this helps your case. If something happened with your driver, or another vehicle and your driver, after the ride was completed, this may change your claim.

Always speak to an attorney before beginning any claims processes, as an experienced lawyer can help ensure you get the compensation you deserve from the right individual or entity.

Contact An Attorney At Rightful Legal by call or text at 617-821-5856. You can ask to speak to attorney Tracy Paulsen who will assist you with the claim and begin the process of having our team protect your legal interest after the accident.