San Francisco Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer

Liability in a rideshare accident depends on several factors, including which phase of the trip was active at the time of the crash. If your driver was transporting you or en route to pick you up, Uber and Lyft maintain up to $1 million in commercial liability coverage that may apply. If a third-party driver caused the collision, we pursue that driver’s insurer — and if their coverage is insufficient, we look to the rideshare company’s underinsured motorist policy. We analyze every layer of coverage to ensure you are compensated by every responsible party.

Yes — when a driver is actively on a trip or en route to pick up a passenger, both Uber and Lyft provide $1 million in third-party liability coverage, plus uninsured/underinsured motorist protection. This coverage kicks in above the driver’s personal policy and is available to injured passengers regardless of whether the rideshare driver or another driver caused the crash. California law also requires rideshare companies to carry this coverage under Public Utilities Code §5433. We work directly with these insurers and know the tactics they use to minimize payouts.

Under California Code of Civil Procedure §335.1, you generally have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government vehicle or city-owned infrastructure was involved, you may have as little as six months to file a government tort claim — missing this deadline can bar your case permanently. We strongly recommend contacting us as soon as possible, because evidence disappears quickly and witness memories fade. Acting early gives us the best chance to build a strong case on your behalf.

First, call 911 so San Francisco Police Department officers document the scene and a medical report is created — this record is critical evidence. Take photographs of all vehicles, road conditions, and any visible injuries, and capture the driver’s name, vehicle information, and rideshare trip details from the app. Seek medical evaluation even if you feel fine, because adrenaline can mask serious injuries like whiplash or internal trauma. Do not give recorded statements to any insurance adjuster before speaking with us.

Uber and Lyft classify their drivers as independent contractors, which they use to argue they are not directly liable for driver negligence — however, California courts and regulators have increasingly challenged this classification. We can pursue claims against the rideshare company directly where its own policies, app design, or driver screening failures contributed to your injury. We also pursue the driver personally and any third-party drivers involved in the crash. Our goal is to identify every source of compensation available to you.

You may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and property damage. San Francisco’s high cost of living and medical care means these amounts can be substantial, particularly if your injuries require ongoing treatment at facilities like UCSF Medical Center or SF General. California does not cap pain-and-suffering damages in personal injury cases, so we fight to recover the full value of what you have endured. We work with medical and economic experts to document every element of your loss.

California follows a pure comparative fault rule, meaning you can still recover compensation even if you were partially responsible for the accident. Your total award is simply reduced by your percentage of fault — so if you were 20% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you can still recover $80,000. Rideshare insurers routinely try to inflate your fault percentage to reduce their payout, which is why having experienced legal representation is so important. We counter these tactics with evidence, accident reconstruction, and aggressive negotiation.

We handle rideshare accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict, and we advance all costs — including investigation, expert witnesses, and court filing fees — at no upfront expense to you. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing. This arrangement allows seriously injured people to access top-tier legal representation regardless of their financial situation.

Most rideshare accident cases in San Francisco settle within six to eighteen months, depending on the severity of injuries, the number of parties involved, and how aggressively the insurance companies dispute liability. Cases that require litigation and proceed through San Francisco Superior Court can take two to three years or longer. We will not recommend a settlement until you have reached maximum medical improvement, so we know the full extent of your damages. We keep you informed at every stage and move the case as efficiently as possible without sacrificing value.

Both Uber and Lyft are required under California law to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage of up to $1 million during active trips. If a third-party driver who caused your crash is uninsured or underinsured, we can make a claim against the rideshare company’s UM/UIM policy. We also review your own auto insurance policy for additional UM/UIM coverage that may apply. You should never assume there is no coverage — our job is to find every available source of compensation.

While a police report is not legally required to file an insurance claim, it is one of the most important pieces of evidence we can have. An SFPD report documents the location, date, parties involved, and often includes the officer’s initial assessment of fault. If officers did not respond to your accident, we can still file a Traffic Collision Report with the DMV and gather supporting evidence. The absence of a police report does not prevent you from recovering compensation, but it does make our job of proving liability more challenging.

While your case is pending, your health insurance, MediCal, or Medicare will typically cover your treatment — and we coordinate with your providers to ensure care is not delayed due to billing concerns. In many cases, we can arrange for medical providers to treat you on a medical lien, meaning they defer payment until your case resolves. You should never delay or skip treatment because of cost concerns, as gaps in care can reduce the value of your claim. We handle all medical bill negotiations as part of our representation.

Yes, but delayed treatment can complicate your case because insurance adjusters will argue your injuries were not serious or were caused by something other than the accident. We advise clients to see a doctor as soon as possible after any rideshare accident, even if injuries seem minor. If you have already delayed treatment, we work with medical experts to establish the causal link between the crash and your current condition. Many serious injuries — including traumatic brain injuries and spinal damage — are not immediately apparent after an accident on a busy San Francisco street.

If another vehicle caused the collision — for example, a driver running a red light at Market and Van Ness or rear-ending your rideshare on the Bay Bridge approach — we pursue that driver and their insurer as the primary defendants. If the at-fault driver is underinsured, we also look to Uber or Lyft’s UM/UIM policy, which provides up to $1 million in coverage during active trips. As a passenger, you bear no fault in these scenarios and are entitled to pursue full compensation. We file against all responsible parties simultaneously so nothing falls through the cracks.

During your free consultation, we listen to the full account of your accident, review any documentation you have — police reports, medical records, app trip data — and give you an honest assessment of your case and its potential value. There is no pressure and no obligation to hire us. We explain the claims process, what to expect from the rideshare insurers, and how we would approach building your case. You leave the consultation with a clear understanding of your rights and your options, so you can make an informed decision about how to proceed.