Accident type · California
Rideshare (Uber and Lyft) Accidents
Crashes involving transportation network company drivers. Coverage depends on the app status.
Updated . General information, not legal advice about your situation.
Responsible attorney: Elham Azimy, California State Bar No. 207274.
Rideshare vehicles are everywhere in California—around LAX and the Anaheim Resort, in Hollywood and the Gaslamp, outside SoFi Stadium and the Honda Center. When one is involved in a crash, the first question is not who was at fault but what the driver’s app status was at the moment of impact, because California law ties the available insurance to that status.
California’s three insurance periods
Public Utilities Code § 5433 requires transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft to maintain insurance that varies by period:
| Period | Driver status | Required coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Offline | App off | Driver’s personal auto policy only. TNC coverage does not apply. |
| Period 1 | App on, waiting for a ride request | Primary TNC liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person / $100,000 per incident bodily injury and $30,000 property damage; an additional $200,000 excess requirement also applies. Check which policy supplies coverage. |
| Period 2 | Ride accepted, driving to pick up | $1,000,000 primary liability coverage. Check the actual policy for UM/UIM and other benefits; passenger-period UM/UIM requirements should not be assumed to apply here. |
| Period 3 | Passenger in the vehicle until exit | $1,000,000 primary liability coverage. SB 371 (2025) changed the passenger UM/UIM minimum to $60,000 per person / $300,000 per incident. |
Liability coverage and UM/UIM coverage serve different purposes. The California Assembly’s enacted-bill summary explains the SB 371 passenger UM/UIM change; older summaries may still list $1 million for that coverage. The crash date, applicable law, policy terms and any higher purchased limits must be checked. Do not treat a statutory minimum as the amount available or payable in your case. Personal policies may exclude rideshare use; collision benefits for the driver’s vehicle are separate and depend on the policy.
If you were a rideshare passenger
A passenger’s claim depends on which driver caused the collision and which coverages apply. A negligent rideshare driver’s liability coverage is different from passenger UM/UIM protection when another driver is uninsured or underinsured. Passenger status does not establish liability or promise a payout. Save the trip receipt, driver details and any incident report; the trip record helps establish the app status and relevant insurance.
If you were hit by a rideshare driver
As another motorist, cyclist or pedestrian, your claim is against the rideshare driver, and the applicable coverage depends on their period. Drivers sometimes claim to have been offline when they were not; the TNC’s records show the status, and a preservation request or subpoena can obtain them. Report to the TNC through its in-app or website incident process as well as to police.
Is the rideshare company itself liable?
Uber and Lyft classify drivers as independent contractors, a status California voters preserved for app-based drivers in Proposition 22 (2020). Direct negligence claims against the companies—for example, negligent retention of a driver with a known dangerous record—are possible but fact-specific. The insurance structure above is the practical source of recovery in most cases, regardless of the employment question.
Common rideshare crash scenarios
- Sudden stops and pull-overs in travel lanes for pick-ups and drop-offs, causing rear-end collisions.
- Distraction from the app while navigating; see distracted driving.
- U-turns and illegal stops near airports, stadiums and nightlife areas.
- Passengers injured when exiting into traffic or a bike lane (dooring).
- Fatigued drivers at the end of long shifts; California limits TNC drivers to 12 hours of driving in a 24-hour period.
What to collect
- Screenshot the trip in the app, including driver name, vehicle and route.
- Photograph the vehicle, plate and the driver’s license and insurance card, and note the TNC trade dress.
- Ask the driver whether they were on a trip, en route to a pickup or waiting, and note the answer.
- Report the crash to police and through the TNC’s incident form.
- Get names of other passengers; they are independent witnesses.
Rideshare-heavy areas in California
- Los Angeles: LAX, Hollywood, Downtown and the Westside.
- Anaheim: the Resort district, Convention Center and stadium.
- Inglewood: SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome.
- San Diego: the Gaslamp, Pacific Beach and the airport.
Local guides
City-specific pages for rideshare (uber and lyft) accidents in California.
Common questions
I was a passenger and my Uber driver caused the crash. Do I claim against the driver or Uber?
The claim is presented to the TNC’s insurer under the $1 million policy that covers the driver during trips. You do not need to prove the company itself was negligent.
The rideshare driver says he was offline. How do I check?
The TNC’s records are definitive. Your own trip receipt (if you were the passenger) or a preservation request to the company (if you were a third party) establishes the status. Drivers’ statements about status are often wrong or self-serving.
Does the $1 million liability limit also apply if an uninsured driver hit the Uber I was riding in?
Do not assume so. Liability and UM/UIM are separate coverages. SB 371 changed the passenger UM/UIM minimum to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident; the collision date, applicable law and actual policy determine the coverage to investigate.
I was hit by a rideshare driver waiting for a request and their personal insurer denied coverage. What now?
Obtain the app-status records and the TNC policy information. Period 1 has its own primary liability and excess requirements. Your own coverage may also matter; a personal-policy denial does not establish that no other coverage exists.
Describe what happened. Attorney Elham Azimy reviews every inquiry personally and, if we can help, calls you to talk it through. Free evaluation; no fee unless we recover for you.
Sources and official resources
- Public Utilities Code § 5433 (rideshare / TNC insurance requirements)
- California Assembly Insurance Committee — 2025 enacted-bill summary, SB 371 (page 5)
- California Public Utilities Commission — transportation network companies
- Insurance Code § 11580.2 (uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage)
Links go to official government, court and public-health sources. Laws change; verify current text before relying on it.