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Uber Accident Lawyer in California: What Injured Riders and Drivers Should Know

If you were hurt in a crash with an Uber or Lyft vehicle in California, you may have a claim against the at-fault driver. In some cases, the rideshare company may also be responsible. Rideshare crashes raise extra questions, such as what the app was doing at the moment of impact. This page explains those differences, who may be responsible, and the steps that protect your claim.

How an Uber Crash Differs From a Standard Car Accident

An Uber crash is still a car accident, but the driver’s app status can change the questions you need to answer. The driver may have been logged off, waiting for a request, or on a trip. Each status can affect which insurance and which facts matter most.

That is why records need early attention. Trip logs, app screenshots, and timestamps can be lost if no one asks for them in time. Acting early keeps those details available for review.

Each crash is built on its own facts. Who was at fault, what injuries occurred, and what coverage applies all turn on the specifics. Passengers, other drivers, and the rideshare company may each be part of the picture. California law makes a person responsible for injuries caused to another by want of ordinary care, except so far as the injured person brought the injury on themselves (Civ. Code § 1714). For the broader rules on car claims, read our car accident claims guide.

Who Can Be Responsible After an Uber Accident

The other driver who caused the crash can be responsible. An Uber driver who caused the crash can be responsible too. The rideshare company may also share responsibility. That depends on the driver’s role and status when the crash happened, so the records need a close look.

If the driver was working for the company at the time, the company may be liable for the driver’s negligence. Whether that applies turns on the specifics of the trip.

Damages are reduced by that person’s share of fault (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804).

When more than one party is at fault, each party generally pays non-economic damages in proportion to its own fault (Civ. Code § 1431.2). Non-economic damages include pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

Passengers are not automatically at fault. An injured passenger may bring a claim against the at-fault driver and, depending on the facts, the rideshare company.

Steps to Take Right After an Uber Accident

Call the police, get medical care, and write down what you can before details fade. California law requires a driver in an injury crash to stop at the scene (Veh. Code § 20001). If the crash caused bodily injury, a death, or more than $1,000 in damage to any one person’s property, the driver must also report it to the DMV within 10 days, personally or through an insurance agent, broker, or legal representative (Veh. Code § 16000).

Work through these steps:

• Call 911 or the police. Get the police report number and the officer’s name and contact details.
• Get medical care even if pain is mild. Some injuries, including soft-tissue injuries, may not be felt right away. A blow or jolt to the head can cause a traumatic brain injury, and its severity varies widely, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
• Save the evidence. Take photos of the scene and both vehicles. Save app trip details and screenshots. Write down witness names and insurance information for every driver.
• Track your losses. Keep records of medical visits, missed work, and out-of-pocket costs. The California Department of Insurance guide covers documenting injuries and related expenses for an insurance claim.
• Send a preservation request. A written request asks the other side to keep trip records and phone data instead of deleting them.

Injured Passengers, Other Drivers, Pedestrians, and Cyclists

Each group has a different path, based on where they were and who caused the crash. Passengers, drivers in other cars, pedestrians, and cyclists may all have claims, but the facts differ.

Drivers must yield to people walking in marked crosswalks. Under Veh. Code § 21950, a driver must yield to a pedestrian crossing within a marked crosswalk or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection. Pedestrians still must use due care. They may not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is an immediate hazard.

For someone struck while riding, see our bicycle accident page.

If a rideshare crash causes a death, certain family members may bring a wrongful death claim. Under Code Civ. Proc. § 377.60, the decedent’s surviving spouse, domestic partner (meaning a person in a registered domestic partnership with the decedent at the time of death), children, and issue of deceased children may assert the claim or, if there is no surviving issue, the persons, including the surviving spouse or domestic partner, entitled to the decedent’s property by intestate succession. Certain dependent persons may also do so, or the personal representative may act for them.

Deadlines matter here. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit generally must be filed within two years (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). If a public agency is involved, a claim must be presented much sooner. For death or injury claims against a public entity, the deadline is six months (Gov. Code § 911.2).

Can You Sue Uber After an Accident?

Yes, a lawsuit against a rideshare company or its driver is possible in California. Whether it fits your crash turns on the specifics. The same California rules apply in Kern County, Fresno, Visalia, Lancaster, Palmdale, Delano, and Tehachapi.

Many claims start with an insurance claim. Some resolve through negotiation. Others need a lawsuit. The general steps are investigation, an insurance claim, a written demand, and, if needed, a lawsuit. No step has a set length, so timing varies from case to case.

The evidence that typically matters includes the police report, app and trip records, medical records, witness statements, and photos. Keep copies of everything you receive from an insurer, too. Those records help show what happened and what it cost you.

What Shapes the Value of an Uber Accident Claim

This page gives no dollar amounts. No lawyer can predict how a particular case will end.

Factors commonly considered include how serious and long-lasting the injuries are, medical costs, lost income, how strong the liability evidence is, and what insurance is available. California law separates economic damages from non-economic damages. Economic damages are objectively verifiable monetary losses, such as medical expenses and loss of earnings. Non-economic damages are subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress (Civ. Code § 1431.2).

Results in other cases turn on their own facts. Different facts lead to different results.

How Fees and Case Costs Work

California requires a contingency-fee contract to be in writing and signed by the attorney and the client. Read every fee term before you sign anything. You can also review our fees and case costs guide.

Our first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue.

Talk With Colvin Accident Lawyers About Your Uber Crash

A consultation lets you review the app, insurance, and medical questions together. If you were in or struck by an Uber or Lyft vehicle, you may be deciding now whether to see a doctor, whether to speak with an insurer, and whether to keep app records.

Bring these questions to the consultation:

• Which parties may be responsible for my crash?
• What records should I keep, and how do I request app trip data?
• How are fees and case costs handled?
• What would the next steps look like?

Frequently Asked Questions