(626) 584-5744
You did the responsible thing. You called an Uber instead of driving, sat in the back, and let someone else take the wheel. Then a crash you had no part in leaves you hurt. Now you are stuck with hospital bills for a wreck you did not cause, in a car you do not own, with a driver you had never met. If that is you, there is one thing worth knowing right away. As the passenger, you are almost never the one at fault.
Being the passenger puts you in a strong spot
In most crashes, the two drivers argue over who is to blame. As a passenger, you sit outside that fight. You were not steering, not braking, not choosing the lane. That means one of the drivers caused your injury, and you have a claim against whoever it was. It might be your Uber or Lyft driver. It might be the driver of the other car. Sometimes it is both, and you do not have to sort that out on your own.
This is actually good news for your case. The question is not whether someone owes you. The question is only which insurance policy pays.
The million dollar policy that may cover you
Here is the part most passengers never hear about. When your driver has a rider in the car, Uber and Lyft each carry a 1 million dollar liability policy. That coverage is active the whole time you are in the vehicle on a trip.
So if your own rideshare driver caused the crash, that large policy is there for your injuries. If the other driver caused it, you go after their insurance first, and Uber’s uninsured motorist coverage can step in when the at-fault driver has too little coverage or none at all. Either way, there is real money set aside for a passenger who gets hurt. The trick is knowing which door to knock on.
Why these claims still get complicated
If the coverage is so large, why do these cases get messy? Because more insurance companies means more finger-pointing. Your driver’s insurer and the other driver’s insurer may both be involved, along with the rideshare company’s own policy. Each one wants a different party to pay. While they argue, your bills sit there waiting.
So a rideshare claim can stall even when your right to be paid is clear. Someone has to press each insurer and pin down which policy applies, so your case does not get lost between them.
What to do from the back seat
A few simple steps protect your claim. Take a screenshot of the trip in your app, since it proves you were a paying passenger on an active ride. Get the names and numbers of both drivers, and of anyone who saw the crash. Photograph the cars and the scene if you are able. Then see a doctor the same day, even if you feel okay, because the pain from a crash can show up a day or two later.
One more thing carries real weight. Do not give a recorded statement to any of these insurance companies before you talk to a lawyer. In a crash with this many insurers, a single offhand comment can be used to shift you toward the policy that pays the least.
Find out which policy owes you
California gives you two years from the crash to file. The app data and the driver details, though, are easiest to lock down early. If you were hurt as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft anywhere in Pasadena or Los Angeles, do not guess about who owes you. McNally Law has handled rideshare injury claims across the area, and the first call is free. Call (626) 584-5744 and tell us what happened on your ride.
