San Francisco Rideshare Accident Lawyer

An accident involving Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare service is still a motor vehicle accident, but the insurance issues can be very different from an ordinary car crash. One of the first questions is often not just who caused the collision, but what the rideshare driver was doing in the app when it happened.

Was the driver logged in and waiting for a ride? Had the driver accepted a passenger? Was the passenger already inside the vehicle? The answer can determine which insurance policies apply and how much coverage may be available.

Anderson Franco Law represents people injured in Uber, Lyft, and other rideshare accidents in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. We represent rideshare passengers as well as drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of other vehicles injured in collisions involving rideshare drivers.

Our approach begins with identifying the responsible parties, determining the driver’s rideshare status at the time of the collision, and investigating every potentially available source of insurance.

How is a rideshare accident different from a regular car accident?

The biggest difference is usually insurance.

California regulates Uber, Lyft, and similar companies as transportation network companies, commonly called TNCs. California law requires different insurance coverage depending on whether a driver is simply logged into the rideshare platform, has accepted a ride request, or is transporting a passenger.

That means a person injured by the same driver could face very different insurance coverage depending on what was happening in the rideshare application seconds before the crash.

For a serious injury claim, we want to establish the driver’s app status early rather than assume that the driver’s ordinary automobile policy is the only available insurance.

Other issues can also make rideshare cases different:

• Multiple insurance companies may become involved.
• The driver’s personal automobile insurer may dispute coverage for commercial rideshare activity.
• The rideshare company’s commercial insurer may require proof of the driver’s app status.
• A separate driver may have caused the collision.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may become relevant.
• Electronic trip and account records may contain important evidence about when a ride was accepted, where the driver was traveling, and whether a passenger was in the vehicle.

A rideshare accident lawyer should evaluate those issues at the beginning of the claim rather than treating the case as an ordinary two-car collision.

When does Uber or Lyft insurance apply in California?

California’s rideshare insurance requirements are tied to the driver’s activity on the platform.

Driver is logged out of the rideshare app

When a driver is not logged into the rideshare platform and is using the vehicle solely for personal purposes, the driver’s personal automobile insurance will ordinarily be the starting point for determining coverage.

Driver is logged in and waiting for a ride request

California law requires rideshare insurance while a participating driver is logged into the platform and waiting for a ride request.

Current California law requires at least:

• $50,000 for bodily injury or death to one person;
• $100,000 for bodily injury or death arising from one incident; and
• $30,000 for property damage.

The rideshare company must also maintain at least $200,000 in excess liability coverage for this period.

This period can be particularly important when an Uber or Lyft driver strikes another vehicle, pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist while driving around waiting for the next passenger.

Driver has accepted a ride request

Once the driver accepts a ride request, California requires $1 million in primary transportation network company insurance. That requirement continues while the driver travels to pick up the passenger and through completion of the ride.

This can create substantially more available liability coverage than an ordinary personal automobile policy.

Passenger is inside the rideshare vehicle

The $1 million primary liability requirement continues while the passenger is being transported.

California also requires rideshare companies to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage while a passenger is in the vehicle. For accidents occurring under the law effective January 1, 2026, Public Utilities Code section 5433 requires $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident in this coverage. Different coverage requirements may apply to an accident that occurred under an earlier version of the statute, so the accident date matters.

Other potentially applicable automobile policies should also be reviewed rather than assuming the rideshare policy is the only possible source of recovery.

What if I was a passenger in an Uber or Lyft accident?

If you were riding as a passenger, you will usually have no responsibility for how the collision happened. The main questions are who caused the crash, what insurance applies, and what injuries and losses resulted.

The rideshare driver may have caused the accident by:

• Following another vehicle too closely
• Speeding
• Running a red light or stop sign
• Making an unsafe turn
• Changing lanes unsafely
• Looking at the rideshare application or navigation system instead of the roadway
• Driving while fatigued
• Failing to yield to another vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist

But the Uber or Lyft driver is not necessarily the person who caused the collision. Another motorist may strike the rideshare vehicle while you are inside it.

When that happens, the claim may involve the other driver’s liability insurance as well as uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and potentially other insurance policies.

We investigate all available coverage instead of assuming there is only one claim.

What if an Uber or Lyft driver hit my car?

You may have a claim even though you were not a rideshare passenger.

For example, an Uber or Lyft driver may rear-end you, make an unsafe lane change, run a traffic signal, or collide with your vehicle while traveling to pick up a passenger.

The driver’s rideshare status can be critical.

If the driver had already accepted a ride, the $1 million rideshare liability policy may apply. If the driver was logged in but waiting for a passenger, a different level of rideshare coverage applies. If the driver was completely logged out, the claim may instead depend primarily on the driver’s personal automobile insurance.

We look for evidence establishing the driver’s status instead of relying solely on what the driver says at the scene.

What if I was hit by a rideshare driver while walking or riding a bicycle?

Pedestrians and bicyclists injured by Uber or Lyft drivers may also pursue claims when the rideshare driver caused the collision.

These cases can involve serious injuries because a pedestrian or bicyclist has little physical protection from a motor vehicle. Depending on the circumstances, important evidence may include:

• Traffic and surveillance video
• Dashcam footage
• Witness statements
• Vehicle damage
• The location of the impact
• Traffic signal sequencing
• Intersection and roadway design
• Rideshare trip information
• The driver’s app status at the time of the collision

San Francisco rideshare drivers frequently operate in areas with substantial pedestrian, bicycle, transit, delivery, and passenger pickup activity. Understanding exactly how the collision occurred may require looking beyond the police report and examining the physical and electronic evidence.

What should I do after an Uber or Lyft accident?

After a rideshare accident, preserve the information showing that the trip occurred and identifying the driver.

If possible:

1. Get medical attention. If you were injured, obtain appropriate medical care. Do not delay necessary treatment simply because an insurance claim has not been established yet.
2. Call the police when appropriate. A collision report can document the parties, vehicles, statements, witnesses, and basic circumstances of the crash.
3. Take photographs and video. Photograph the vehicles, damage, intersection or roadway, license plates, visible injuries, and anything else that may explain what happened.
4. Save your rideshare trip information. Keep screenshots of the ride, driver’s name and profile, vehicle information, license plate, trip route, pickup and destination, and any communications through the application.
5. Keep the receipt and emails from Uber or Lyft. These can help establish the timing and details of the trip.
6. Identify witnesses. Obtain contact information for anyone who saw the collision.
7. Be careful with insurance statements and releases. A carrier may request a recorded statement or attempt to resolve the claim before the full extent of your injuries is known.
8. Have the available insurance investigated. Serious rideshare cases should be evaluated for all potentially applicable liability and uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.

Electronic information can be especially important in a rideshare claim. Preserving your own trip records early can make it easier to establish the driver’s status later.

Who can be responsible for a rideshare accident?

Responsibility depends on how the accident happened.

Potentially responsible parties may include:

• The Uber, Lyft, or other rideshare driver
• Another negligent motorist
• The owner of another involved vehicle
• A company responsible for another driver’s conduct
• Multiple drivers in a multi-vehicle collision
• A vehicle or component manufacturer in an appropriate product-defect case
• A public entity when a dangerous roadway condition contributed to the collision

The availability of a rideshare insurance policy does not necessarily answer every liability question. We separately analyze who caused the accident and which insurance policies may cover the resulting damages.

Those are related questions, but they are not the same question.

What compensation can I recover after a rideshare accident?

A person injured because of another person’s negligence may be able to recover economic and non-economic damages.

Depending on the circumstances, damages may include:

• Past medical expenses
• Future medical care
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Other accident-related financial losses
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of normal activities

The value of a rideshare accident case depends on the actual facts. Relevant factors can include the seriousness of the injuries, length and type of medical treatment, whether the injuries are permanent, future medical needs, time missed from work, disputed liability, available insurance, and the quality of the supporting evidence.

There is no reliable formula or online calculator that can determine what an individual rideshare accident claim is worth.

What if the driver who caused the accident was uninsured?

An uninsured driver does not necessarily mean there is no recovery.

If you were a passenger in a rideshare vehicle and an uninsured motorist caused the collision, the rideshare company’s uninsured motorist coverage may be important. If the responsible driver had some insurance but not enough to compensate for the injuries, underinsured motorist coverage may also become relevant.

Depending on the circumstances, your own automobile insurance or another policy may also need to be evaluated.

Insurance coverage is one of the first things Anderson Franco Law investigates in a serious accident because identifying coverage after a settlement has already been reached can be too late.

How long do I have to bring a rideshare accident claim?

California generally provides a two-year statute of limitations for a personal injury action arising from negligence, but there are important exceptions.

A much shorter deadline may apply if a public entity is involved. For example, a claim involving a dangerous public roadway condition or certain government vehicles may require presentation of a government claim within six months.

Other circumstances can also change the applicable deadline.

For that reason, an injured person should not assume that every accident automatically comes with two full years to act.

Why hire Anderson Franco Law for a rideshare accident?

Rideshare cases frequently involve the same issues that make serious automobile claims difficult: disputed fault, several insurance policies, uninsured or underinsured motorists, questions about medical causation, significant wage loss, future treatment, and insurance companies attempting to minimize the claim.

Anderson Franco personally handles every case the firm accepts.

Before representing injured people, Anderson defended insurance companies in negligence cases. That experience provides practical insight into how insurers analyze liability, medical treatment, causation, damages, insurance coverage, and settlement risk.

Anderson Franco Law is a boutique personal injury firm rather than a high-volume intake practice. Clients work directly with the attorney responsible for their case when important decisions arise involving liability, treatment, insurance, settlement, or litigation.

The firm represents injured people in San Francisco, Marin County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, Sonoma County, Solano County, Napa County, and throughout the Bay Area.

Frequently asked questions about Uber and Lyft accidents

Can I sue after being injured as an Uber or Lyft passenger?

You may have a personal injury claim if the rideshare driver, another motorist, or another responsible party caused a collision that injured you. Because passengers generally are not responsible for operating either vehicle, the primary disputes often involve which driver caused the accident, the extent of the injuries, and the available insurance coverage.

Does Uber or Lyft provide $1 million in insurance?

California currently requires $1 million in primary liability insurance after a rideshare driver accepts a ride request and while the ride is being completed. Different limits apply while a driver is logged into the platform but has not yet accepted a ride.

What if the Uber driver was waiting for a passenger when the accident happened?

Rideshare insurance can still apply. California requires specific primary and excess liability coverage while a participating driver is logged into the rideshare platform and waiting to receive a ride request.

What if another car hit the Uber I was riding in?

You may have a claim against the driver who caused the collision. Because you were a rideshare passenger, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage through the rideshare company may also become relevant if the responsible driver has inadequate insurance.

Should I report the accident through the Uber or Lyft app?

The accident generally should be reported, but you should also preserve your own screenshots, trip receipt, driver information, vehicle information, and communications. Do not assume the rideshare company will preserve every item of information you may later need for your claim.

Can I make a claim if I was driving another vehicle when an Uber or Lyft driver hit me?

Yes. You do not need to be a rideshare passenger to have a claim involving rideshare insurance. If an Uber or Lyft driver caused the collision while using the rideshare platform, the driver’s app status may determine which rideshare liability coverage applies.

How much is an Uber or Lyft accident case worth?

There is no standard settlement amount. Case value depends on factors including fault, the injuries, medical treatment, future care, lost income, permanency, available insurance, and how the injuries affected the person’s life. Serious cases generally require an individualized review of the medical evidence, damages, and available coverage.

Do I have to deal directly with Uber or Lyft’s insurance company?

No. If Anderson Franco Law accepts your case, we can investigate the applicable insurance, communicate with the carriers, gather evidence, evaluate your damages, negotiate the claim, and file a lawsuit when appropriate.

Speak with a San Francisco rideshare accident lawyer

If you were injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft, were struck by a rideshare driver, or have questions about which insurance applies after a rideshare accident, Anderson Franco Law can review what happened and explain your options.

Consultations are free. Call or text Anderson Franco Law at 415-727-1832 or contact the firm online.