Who’s Liable for a Rideshare Accident?

Were you injured while riding as a passenger in an Uber or Lyft? Did a careless or reckless Uber or Lyft driver hit you while you were driving in your own vehicle or riding in someone else’s? If so, you could be owed significant compensation for your injuries and other losses. But, because rideshare drivers might be working for the company at the time of the crash, determining which insurance policy or policies are available to you can be challenging. Here, we’ll discuss who might be liable for a rideshare crash in New York.

Determining Liability for a Rideshare Accident

Parties that could be held liable for rideshare accidents often include:

• The rideshare driver
• Another motorist
• A governmental entity responsible for maintaining roadways
• Manufacturer of a defective vehicle or part

Understanding Rideshare Insurance

Rideshare companies carry insurance coverage to compensate those injured in collisions involving their drivers in specific situations. For example, Uber provides the coverage below:

During Trips and Picking Up Riders

• $1,000,000 in third-party liability

Available or Waiting for a Ride Request

• $50,000 for bodily injury per person
• $100,000 for bodily injury per accident
• $25,000 in property damage per accident

If a rideshare driver causes an accident while their rideshare app is off, their personal car insurance will be responsible for paying claims.

Compensation for Rideshare Accidents

Since New York follows a fault-based system for motor vehicle collisions, injured parties must file a claim with their insurance first. Personal injury protection (PIP) is a requirement for all drivers.

PIP pays for medical costs, lost wages, and other necessary and reasonable expenses up to the policy limit. Once you satisfy your PIP limits, you can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company if you meet the serious injury threshold.

A serious injury means an injury that results in:

• Loss of a fetus
• A significant limitation of the use of a body system or function
• Significant disfigurement
• Permanent loss of use of a body member, system, organ, or function
• Dismemberment
• Permanent consequential limitation of use of a body member or organ
• A fracture
• Death
• A medically determined impairment or injury of a non-permanent nature that prevents the ability to perform customary and usual daily activities for more than 90 days during a 180-day timeframe

Whether you file a claim against the rideshare driver, another motorist, a company, or another party’s liability insurer, you could potentially recover compensation for:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Lost earning capacity
• Property damage
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Pain and suffering

Contact Us

The Mandel Law Firm has helped others who’ve been injured in rideshare accidents seek and recover the full and fair compensation they need to rebuild their lives and move on from the crash. Call us at (646) 779-1441 or reach out to us online for a 100% free and confidential consultation. We’ll be ready to listen to your story, investigate your crash, and seek justice for you.