Chicago Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in an Uber or Lyft accident in Chicago, the crash is only part of the problem. The other part is figuring out who pays when more than one driver, more than one insurance policy, and a rideshare company may all be involved.
Were you a passenger? Did an Uber or Lyft driver hit your car? Were you walking or riding a bike? Was the driver waiting for a ride request, on the way to pick someone up, or already carrying a passenger?
At Goldberg & Goldberg, we investigate the collision, preserve the trip and app records that may matter, and determine which insurance policies apply. We build serious injury cases with trial in mind from the beginning, and we tell you the truth about what the evidence shows.
In a rideshare case, one of the first questions is what the driver was doing in the app when the crash happened. That can affect the coverage, the evidence, and the way the case needs to be built. Our job is to find those answers early and be ready if the insurer decides to fight.
Tell us what happened, and we will tell you where you stand, including which insurance policies may be in play. Call our Uber and Lyft accident lawyers at Goldberg & Goldberg at 312-368-0255 for a free consultation.
What Makes an Uber or Lyft Accident Different From Other Car Accidents?
What makes a rideshare accident different is that the insurance coverage may change depending on what the driver was doing in the app when the crash happened.
The driver’s status matters. A driver using a vehicle for personal reasons may present a different insurance situation from a driver who is logged into the app and available for requests. Coverage can change again after a driver accepts a ride and while a passenger is in the vehicle.
That distinction matters whether you were the rideshare passenger or someone outside the Uber or Lyft vehicle.
The circumstances can also affect what information should be preserved. Trip details, app activity, pickup and drop-off information, electronic communications, and insurance records may help establish the driver’s status around the time of the crash.
Our investigation focuses on identifying those facts and determining how they affect your claim.
Whose Insurance May Cover Your Uber or Lyft Accident?
There is no single insurance answer for every rideshare collision. Coverage can depend on the driver’s app status, who caused the crash, the people who were injured, and the policies that apply. Illinois law requires transportation network companies and participating drivers to maintain specified automobile liability coverage while a driver is using the rideshare network.
When the Driver Is Offline
If the driver is not logged into the rideshare app and is using the vehicle for personal purposes, the driver’s personal automobile insurance generally applies rather than rideshare coverage.
When the Driver Is Logged In and Waiting
Illinois requires liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person for death or personal injury, $100,000 per incident for death or personal injury, and $25,000 for property damage during the period when a participating rideshare driver is logged into the network but has not yet accepted a ride request. The insurance issues should still be evaluated based on the policies and facts involved in your collision.
After the Driver Accepts a Ride
Once a rideshare driver accepts a ride request, Illinois law requires $1 million in primary automobile liability coverage for death, personal injury, and property damage until the driver completes the transaction in the app or the ride is complete, whichever happens later. Illinois law also requires $50,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage from the time the passenger enters the vehicle until the passenger exits.
Determining which coverage applies requires knowing what stage of the rideshare process the driver was in when your crash happened.
Can You Recover More Than Uber or Lyft’s $1 Million Insurance Policy Limit?
In a serious rideshare injury or wrongful death case, Uber or Lyft may point to an insurance policy with a $1 million limit as though that number defines the value of the claim. It does not.
Insurance is always an important consideration, but an insurance policy is simply one potential source of recovery. Uber and Lyft are enormous companies with billions of dollars in assets, and an arbitrary insurance limit should not determine what constitutes full and fair compensation for a catastrophic injury or the loss of a life.
At Goldberg & Goldberg, we evaluate these cases based on the harm that was done, the responsibility of the parties involved, and what justice requires, not simply the amount of insurance a defendant chose to purchase.
When the damages justify pursuing recovery beyond available insurance, we are prepared to do exactly that.
What if You Were Injured as an Uber or Lyft Passenger?
If you were riding as a passenger, you may have had no control over the events that caused the collision. The rideshare driver may have made an unsafe maneuver, another motorist may have caused the crash, or the actions of more than one driver may require review.
Your position as a passenger can make the aftermath confusing because you may have information about your ride without knowing what happened between the drivers. You may also have been focused on getting medical attention rather than gathering information at the scene.
As an injured passenger, your priority should be documenting your injuries and the losses caused by the crash. An Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can investigate how the collision occurred and determine which insurance coverage may apply to your claim.
What if an Uber or Lyft Driver Hit Your Vehicle?
You do not have to be a rideshare passenger to have a claim involving Uber or Lyft. You may have been driving your own vehicle when a rideshare driver struck you.
You may not have known at the scene that the other driver was working through a rideshare platform. The driver may have provided ordinary automobile insurance information without explaining whether Uber or Lyft was involved. Information obtained after the collision may reveal that the driver was using a rideshare platform at the time.
That can affect how your claim is handled even though you never requested a ride. Goldberg & Goldberg can identify the parties and insurers involved while documenting the injuries and losses you experienced because of the collision.
What if You Were Walking or Riding a Bicycle?
If an Uber or Lyft driver struck you while you were walking or riding a bicycle, you may have left the scene with limited information about the driver’s rideshare activity. You may know the driver’s identity or vehicle information without knowing whether a ride was underway.
Preserve whatever information you received at the scene, along with photographs or other information already available to you. Your medical records can also document the injuries caused by the impact and the treatment you required afterward.
You do not need access to the driver’s rideshare records before contacting an attorney. Goldberg & Goldberg can pursue additional information as part of the investigation into your claim.
What Evidence Can Matter in Your Rideshare Accident Claim?
A rideshare claim can involve information that would not exist after an ordinary car accident. Trip records, app activity, pickup and destination information, and electronic communications may help establish what the driver was doing around the time of the collision.
Those records can help clarify whether the driver was available for ride requests, traveling to a pickup, or transporting a passenger. They may also help connect a particular trip with the time and location of the crash.
Other information may be held by the driver, rideshare company, insurers, or other parties. You should not assume that the information available through your own account represents everything that may exist.
Goldberg & Goldberg can identify which records may matter based on the circumstances of your accident and pursue information that is not already available to you.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Rideshare Accident?
A rideshare accident claim should reflect the losses the collision caused you. The damages available depend on your injuries, medical care, ability to work, recovery, and other circumstances specific to your case.
Depending on your situation, compensation may address:
- Medical expenses related to your injuries
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Disability or disfigurement
- Property damage
- Other accident-related losses supported by the evidence
Your injuries may affect much more than your medical bills. You may have difficulty working, caring for your family, driving, exercising, sleeping, or handling activities that were part of your life before the crash.
The value of your claim should reflect your individual circumstances, including how your injuries have affected your work, daily activities, independence, and future needs.
How Long Do You Have to File an Uber or Lyft Accident Lawsuit in Illinois?
Illinois generally provides two years to bring a lawsuit seeking damages for personal injuries. You should not assume, however, that every rideshare claim has the same deadline.
The parties involved and circumstances of the collision can affect the legal and procedural issues in your case. Waiting can also make evidence more difficult to obtain. Electronic information may not remain available indefinitely, vehicles can be repaired, and witnesses can become harder to locate.
An attorney can determine which deadlines apply to your claim and take steps to preserve information that may matter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uber & Lyft Accidents
Rideshare crashes can leave you with questions that are difficult to answer from the information available at the scene. These FAQs address several practical issues that may arise after an Uber or Lyft accident.
What if I Did Not Get the Uber or Lyft Driver’s Insurance Information?
You may still be able to pursue a claim even if you left the scene without the driver’s insurance information. Other information, such as the driver’s name, vehicle information, your Uber or Lyft trip details, photographs, and the crash report, may help identify the driver and insurance coverage involved. Goldberg & Goldberg can investigate the available information and determine what additional records may need to be obtained.
Should I Report an Uber or Lyft Accident Through the Rideshare App?
Reporting the collision through the rideshare platform can create a record that the accident occurred, but you should also preserve the information available to you. Save any confirmation, messages, trip information, or other communications you receive after making the report. An in-app report does not provide all the evidence needed to evaluate a personal injury claim, so other records related to the collision should also be preserved.
Can More Than One Insurance Policy Apply to an Uber or Lyft Accident?
More than one insurance policy may need to be reviewed after a rideshare collision. The policies that may apply depend on factors such as who caused the accident, the rideshare driver’s activity at the time, and the available coverage. Identifying one insurance policy does not necessarily establish that it is the only potential source of coverage. An attorney can investigate the policies and determine which may apply to your injuries.
Should I Save My Uber or Lyft Trip Information After a Crash?
Yes. If you can safely access it, preserve your trip receipt, driver information, route details, screenshots, messages, and other information connected with your ride. These materials may help establish that you were a passenger and provide details about the trip. Do not worry if some information is unavailable. Additional records may be obtained during the investigation.
What if My Injuries Got Worse After the Uber or Lyft Accident?
Continue documenting your medical treatment if your symptoms worsen or new problems develop after the collision. Some injuries and their effects may become clearer after the day of the crash. Medical records can document your symptoms, treatment, limitations, and changes in your condition over time. This information may also help establish how the accident has affected your health, ability to work, daily activities, and other losses.
Talk With Goldberg & Goldberg About Your Rideshare Accident
You may leave a rideshare collision with injuries but few answers about the driver, insurance coverage, or information connected with the ride. Goldberg & Goldberg works to fill those gaps. We reconstruct what happened, identify the parties and coverage involved, and document how your injuries have affected your life.
You do not need to gather every record or understand the insurance issues before contacting us. Our job is to find the facts that matter and build your claim around them. If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in Chicago, call our Uber and Lyft accident lawyer at Goldberg & Goldberg at 312-368-0255 for a free consultation.
Get in Touch
1 Free Consultation
2 Brutal Honesty
3 Tender Loving Care
Fill out the contact form or call us at 312-368-0255 to schedule your free consultation.