What to Do After an Uber or Lyft Accident: 8 Steps

After an Uber or Lyft accident, get safe, document the trip in the app, and report the crash before you talk to any insurer. The driver's app status at the moment of the crash decides whether $1 million in rideshare coverage applies or only the driver's personal policy.

These 8 steps apply if you were the passenger, the rideshare driver, another motorist or a pedestrian.

1. Get to safety and call 911

Move out of traffic if you can, then call 911. Ask the officer for the report number and the name of the agency, since the rideshare insurer will ask for both.

A police report is the neutral record of who was involved and where. It also lists the driver's personal insurer, which matters if the rideshare app was off.

Drivers may owe a separate report. In California, any driver in a crash with an injury, a death or more than $1,000 in property damage must file an SR-1 with the DMV within 10 days, in addition to any police report.

2. Screenshot the trip and note the app status

Take screenshots of the trip screen, the driver's name and photo, the car and plate, and the route with time stamps. Save the emailed receipt too. These prove the driver was on a trip for Uber or Lyft.

That proof matters because coverage changes with the driver's app status. Both companies publish the same basic structure on their insurance pages (Uber, Lyft).

• App off: only the driver's personal auto insurance applies.
• App on, waiting for a request: the company provides third-party liability of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage.
• En route to a pickup: at least $1,000,000 in third-party liability.
• On a trip with a rider: at least $1,000,000 in third-party liability, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that varies by state.

If you are the rideshare driver, damage to your own car is covered during a trip only if your personal policy includes comprehensive and collision. The company's contingent coverage then pays up to the car's actual cash value, after a $2,500 deductible.

Uber also provides occupational accident insurance for drivers in California, Massachusetts and Minnesota, covering medical expenses and disability benefits while online. The Massachusetts coverage began October 1, 2024, and Minnesota's began January 1, 2025.

Washington drivers get workers' compensation coverage during pickup and trip periods, and New York drivers can draw on Black Car Fund benefits. Our guide to workers' comp vs. personal injury explains how those claims interact.

Limits differ by state. Lyft lists lower waiting-period limits of $25,000, $50,000 and $20,000 in Arizona and Nebraska, and a $125,000 combined limit en route in Maryland.

3. Get the driver's and other drivers' insurance information

Collect the rideshare driver's name, license number, plate and personal insurance card. If another car was involved, get the same from that driver.

Pedestrians and cyclists are third parties too. If a rideshare driver on a trip hits you, Uber's policy provides at least $1,000,000 for injuries to "riders and third parties" when its driver is at fault.

Many rideshare crashes involve 2 liability policies. If the other driver caused the crash, that driver's insurer is usually first in line, and the rideshare policy may matter only for uninsured or underinsured coverage.

4. Report the crash in the app

Use the Help section of the Uber or Lyft app to report a crash on that specific trip. Do it the same day, while the trip is still at the top of your history.

Keep your report factual: the trip date and time as shown on your receipt, the location, what you saw and whether anyone was hurt. Save a screenshot of what you submitted and any claim number you receive.

5. Take photos and get witness names

Photograph every vehicle, the plates, the intersection, traffic signals and skid marks. Photograph your own injuries on day 1 and again as bruising develops.

Get names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash, including other passengers. A witness who is not in either car is often the most persuasive one.

6. Get medical care right away

Get checked the same day, even if you feel fine. Gaps between the crash and your first visit are a common reason insurers discount injury claims. Tell each provider it was a rideshare crash, and give them your health insurance card plus the claim number from step 4.

Timing also affects coverage. In Florida, PIP medical benefits require that initial treatment start within 14 days of the crash under §627.736. Our guide to PIP, MedPay and health insurance explains who pays your bills first.

7. Notify your own insurer

Tell your own auto insurer about the crash, even as a passenger. Your policy likely requires prompt notice, and your own PIP, MedPay or uninsured motorist coverage may apply.

This matters more in California now. SB 371, signed October 3, 2025, cut the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage rideshare companies must carry from $1,000,000 to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, according to its author, Senator Christopher Cabaldon.

If a hit-and-run or uninsured driver caused your crash in California, your own UM coverage may now carry more of the claim. See our guide to uninsured and underinsured motorist claims.

8. Don't give the rideshare insurer a recorded statement without advice

The rideshare company's insurer will likely call and ask to record your account. You generally have no duty to give a recorded statement to someone else's insurer.

Adjusters use recorded statements to pin down details early, before you know the full extent of your injuries. Our guide to dealing with insurance adjusters covers what to say and what to decline. If an adjuster presses, ask for the questions in writing and answer them once your treatment plan and diagnosis are clear.

What to ask before you hire a lawyer

• Which policies apply at each app status, and have you handled claims against Uber's or Lyft's insurer before?
• Does my own UM or PIP coverage apply, and in what order?
• What is the filing deadline in my state? Our statute of limitations guide lists them.
• How will medical liens be handled from the settlement?

If a rideshare claim involves serious injuries or a disputed app status, a lawyer can request the trip data directly. Our city rankings rank local firms on Google Maps position and reviews.