Uber Accident Lawyer Los Angeles: Get Maximum Compensation
Uber and Lyft drivers in Los Angeles complete more than 200,000 trips a day. When one of them crashes, the question of who pays for your hospital bill, your wrecked car, and your lost income depends on a single fact most riders do not know: what the app screen showed at the moment of the collision.
Key Takeaway: If you were hurt in an Uber crash in Los Angeles, California’s pure comparative negligence rule lets you recover even if you were partly at fault. Uber’s $1 million liability policy applies whenever the driver had a passenger or was on the way to one. You have two years to sue under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1, and there is no cap on pain and suffering.
Borna Houman Law represents Uber and Lyft accident victims across Los Angeles County on a contingency basis. We do not get paid unless you do.
What Insurance Covers an Uber Accident in Los Angeles?
Uber’s coverage depends on which “phase” the driver was in when the crash happened. California Public Utilities Code § 5433 sets the minimum amounts. Uber’s actual policy meets or exceeds them.
| Phase | What the driver was doing | Liability coverage | Uninsured/underinsured |
|---|---|---|---|
| App off | Personal driving, app closed | Driver’s personal auto policy only | Driver’s personal policy |
| Phase 1 | App on, waiting for a ride request | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident / $30,000 property | None from Uber |
| Phase 2 | Accepted a ride, on the way to pick up | $1 million third-party liability | $1 million UM/UIM |
| Phase 3 | Passenger in the car | $1 million third-party liability | $1 million UM/UIM |
The first thing we do on every Uber file is screenshot the driver’s app status from the trip receipt and pull the dispatch records by subpoena. Uber will sometimes argue Phase 1 to avoid the $1 million policy. The metadata almost always tells a different story.
Who Can I Sue After an Uber or Lyft Crash?
You can sue more than just the driver. In a typical Los Angeles rideshare case, three or four insurance policies stack on top of each other.
The rideshare driver
If the Uber or Lyft driver caused the crash, their personal policy and Uber’s commercial policy both come into play. Uber’s policy is excess in Phase 1 and primary in Phases 2 and 3.
The other driver
If a third-party driver hit the Uber, that driver’s insurance is on the hook first. If they fled the scene or had no insurance, Uber’s $1 million UM/UIM policy steps in.
The passenger’s own UM/UIM coverage
Under Insurance Code § 11580.2, your own auto policy can pay even when you are riding in someone else’s car. Many of our clients did not realize they had this coverage until we pulled their declarations page.
Uber or Lyft directly
Uber argues its drivers are independent contractors, but the Public Utilities Commission classifies the company as a Transportation Network Company with vicarious liability under PUC § 5440. Direct claims against the company are possible when the driver was deactivated for prior unsafe behavior or when the app’s algorithm pressured the driver to keep working past safe hours.
What Is My Uber Accident Case Worth in California?
The value of an Uber case depends on the medical evidence, the property damage, and the wage loss. California puts no cap on non-economic damages in standard auto cases. The medical malpractice cap (MICRA) does not apply here.
In our experience handling Uber cases in Los Angeles, the rough ranges look like this:
| Injury type | Typical settlement range | Common medical workup |
|---|---|---|
| Soft tissue, full recovery in 3 months | $15,000 – $50,000 | Urgent care, chiropractic, physical therapy |
| Disc bulge or herniation, no surgery | $50,000 – $250,000 | MRI, pain management, epidural injections |
| Surgical spine injury | $250,000 – $1 million | Microdiscectomy, fusion, follow-up care |
| Traumatic brain injury | $500,000 – policy limits | CT, MRI, neuropsychological testing, vocational expert |
| Wrongful death | Policy limits in most cases | Probate filings, economic loss expert |
These are not promises. Every case turns on its own facts. But the $1 million Uber policy is real, and it is the reason rideshare cases settle higher than ordinary fender-benders.
What Should I Do After an Uber Accident in LA?
The first 72 hours decide most of your case. The most common mistake we see is clients who feel “fine” at the scene, decline an ambulance, and then wake up 48 hours later unable to turn their neck. By then the adjuster is already calling.
Take these steps in order:
- Call 911 and get a Los Angeles Police or California Highway Patrol report. A traffic collision report (CHP 555 or LAPD 821) carries weight that a private exchange of information does not.
- Screenshot the Uber or Lyft app. Capture the trip details, the driver name, the vehicle, and the timestamp before the app refreshes.
- Get treated the same day. Cedars-Sinai, Ronald Reagan UCLA, and LAC+USC all have 24-hour ERs. Same-day records are how an adjuster decides if your injuries are “real.”
- Report the crash inside the Uber app. Uber assigns a claim number and routes the file to its insurer (currently Allstate or Progressive depending on the state of the trip).
- Do not give a recorded statement. The adjuster will ask within 24 hours. You are not required to give one. Anything you say will be replayed at deposition.
- Call a Los Angeles Uber accident lawyer before you sign anything. A signed release ends your case. So does an unwitting admission of fault on a recorded line.
How Long Do I Have to File an Uber Accident Lawsuit in California?
Two years from the date of the crash for a personal injury claim under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1. Three years for property damage under § 338. Six months if any government vehicle was involved (Government Code § 911.2). Wrongful death is two years from the date of death.
These deadlines are hard. Miss them and your case is gone. The biggest pitfall we see is rideshare passengers who assume Uber’s internal claims process pauses the clock. It does not. For the actual statute text, see the California Legislature’s text of CCP § 335.1.
Why Hire a Specialized Rideshare Lawyer?
Uber’s defense playbook is not the same as a regular auto carrier’s playbook. Uber’s lawyers know the company’s coverage structure cold and use phase ambiguity, contractor classification, and forum selection clauses against unrepresented victims. We have litigated against them. We know what discovery to demand, which corporate witnesses to depose, and how to use the trip telemetry to lock down the phase question early.
For more on how California’s at-fault rules apply to multi-party crashes, see our guide on personal injury law in California. If your crash involved a delivery vehicle, our analysis on Los Angeles truck accidents walks through commercial coverage. And for the steps to take in the days after the crash, see steps to follow after an accident.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uber Accident Cases in Los Angeles
Does Uber’s $1 million policy always apply?
No. The $1 million coverage applies in Phase 2 (driver on the way to a passenger) and Phase 3 (passenger in the car). In Phase 1 the limits drop to $50,000 per person. If the app was off, only the driver’s personal policy applies. The first task in any Uber case is locking down which phase the driver was in.
Can I sue Uber if I was the passenger?
Yes. As a passenger you can claim against Uber’s commercial policy regardless of which driver caused the crash. If a third party caused it, Uber’s UM/UIM coverage steps in. The classification fight under Dynamex and AB 5 does not block recovery for injured passengers.
What if I was using the Uber Eats or DoorDash app?
Delivery drivers are covered under similar TNC rules. Uber Eats carries a $1 million liability policy when the driver is on an active delivery. DoorDash and Grubhub have parallel policies. The phase analysis is the same.
Will my Uber accident case go to trial?
Most do not. About 95% of California auto cases settle before trial, according to Judicial Council statistics. Rideshare cases settle higher than the average personal auto claim because the policy limits are higher. We file suit in every case where the carrier refuses fair value, because filing changes the negotiation.
How much does an Uber accident lawyer cost in Los Angeles?
Nothing upfront at our firm. We work on contingency. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict, and we advance all case costs. If we do not recover money for you, you owe us nothing.
What if the Uber driver was not at fault?
You still have a claim against the at-fault driver and, if needed, Uber’s UM/UIM policy. California’s pure comparative negligence rule (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.) means you can recover even if you were partly at fault, with your damages reduced by your percentage of fault.
Talk to a Los Angeles Uber Accident Lawyer
If an Uber or Lyft crash put you in the hospital or off work, the adjuster is already building a file. So should you. Borna Houman Law handles rideshare cases across Los Angeles County, from Beverly Hills to Long Beach to Pasadena. We advance all costs, take cases on contingency, and do not get paid unless we win.
Call (888) 42-BORNA for a free consultation.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with Borna Houman Law. For advice on your specific case, contact our office directly.