If you’ve been hurt in an Uber or Lyft rideshare accident that occurred in Texas, don’t go toe-to-toe with their big insurance bullies. They’re trained to not give you a dime.
Our firm is led by Texas’ most renowned civil trial specialist and 50+ year veteran in personal injury law, Jim Adler, and we have the most aggressive car accident attorneys that have won thousands of injury cases and will fight to get you every dollar you deserve — starting with a FREE case review.
With offices in Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Channelview, our attorneys are ready to meet you wherever you are after a serious Uber or Lyft crash.
Call us at 1-800-505-1414 to get your FREE case review today.
A pickup truck struck our client’s vehicle from behind while travelling 70 miles per hour and nearly killed him. He sustained a shattered spine, multiple rib fractures, and an aortic injury that he only survived due to immediate first aid.
Eyewitnesses described the pickup truck driver as weaving through traffic while on his phone shortly before the wreck, and he quit his job afterward to avoid taking a post-crash drug test.
After our client underwent a reconstructive spinal surgery with embedded hardware, we obtained a jury verdict to vindicate him: $5,908,403
Every day, Texans hop into Uber and Lyft vehicles to get around cities like Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio. But a routine rideshare trip can turn tragic in seconds.
Rideshare accidents are on the rise, and innocent passengers and other motorists often pay the price. In fact, over 65% of rideshare crashes in Texas occur when a driver is actively carrying passengers – meaning Uber and Lyft riders are frequently the ones getting hurt.
With Texas roads already dangerous (over 4,200 traffic deaths were recorded in 2023 alone), an Uber or Lyft accident adds another layer of complexity and risk. If you’ve been injured in a rideshare wreck, you’re not just dealing with another driver – you’re up against big companies and their insurers, and you’ll need strong legal firepower on your side.
Don’t try to take on Uber or Lyft’s insurance adjusters alone. These companies fight hard to minimize payouts, and their policies can be full of loopholes. You need a tough, experienced rideshare accident lawyer to hammer back and protect your rights.
Jim Adler – The Texas Hammer® – has a reputation for aggressive advocacy on behalf of accident victims. We know the tactics insurers use to dodge responsibility, and we don’t let them get away with it.
Keep reading to learn your rights after an Uber or Lyft accident and how our Texas rideshare accident attorneys can help fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
Uber and Lyft accidents happen for many of the same reasons as other car crashes – but rideshare drivers face additional challenges on the road. Here are some of the most common causes behind rideshare wrecks:
Distracted Driving: Rideshare drivers rely on smartphone apps for navigation and ride requests. Constantly glancing at GPS maps or incoming ride notifications means eyes off the road. Taking eyes off traffic for even a moment to tap the Uber/Lyft app or text a passenger dramatically increases the risk of a crash. Distracted driving is a leading cause of Uber and Lyft accidents, as drivers may focus on their phone more than on surrounding traffic.
Speeding and Reckless Driving: The faster an Uber or Lyft driver completes a trip, the sooner they can move to the next fare. This can tempt some drivers to speed, tailgate, or run red lights to save time. Reckless driving behaviors like these are a factor in far too many rideshare accidents. When a driver is rushing or aggressive behind the wheel, everyone on the road is in danger.
Driver Fatigue: Many rideshare drivers work long hours or drive late at night after an entire day at another job. Fatigue can slow reaction times and cause drivers to nod off. Drowsy driving is a serious problem in the rideshares industry. An exhausted Uber driver might miss a stop sign or drift into another lane, causing a serious collision.
Unsafe Pickups or Drop-offs: Uber and Lyft drivers often have to find unfamiliar addresses and respond quickly to ride requests. In the scramble to pick up or drop off passengers, drivers may stop suddenly or in unsafe locations – like slamming on the brakes in a traffic lane or double-parking on a busy street. These sudden moves can catch other drivers off guard and lead to crashes. Searching for a rider with eyes off the road or making last-second turns to avoid missing a pickup spot also contributes to accidents.
Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Rideshare vehicles are typically personal cars, which may not always receive regular maintenance. Worn brake pads, balding tires, or other mechanical problems can turn deadly on the highway. If a driver fails to maintain their vehicle and a crucial part fails (like a tire blowout or brake failure), it can cause a serious accident. Uber and Lyft have inspection requirements, but not every driver follows through consistently.
Other Drivers’ Negligence: Not every rideshare crash is the Uber/Lyft driver’s fault. Sometimes another motorist’s bad decisions cause the collision. For example, if a drunk driver plows into the side of your Lyft, that third party is to blame. Drunk and drug-impaired drivers remain a major threat on Texas roads (about 25% of Texas traffic deaths involve drunk drivers). Likewise, a texting driver who rear-ends an Uber carrying passengers could be fully liable. Rideshare passengers can fall victim to all the same dangers of the road – reckless, distracted, or intoxicated drivers in other vehicles.
No matter what caused your Uber or Lyft accident, our attorneys will get to the bottom of it. We investigate every angle to prove how the crash happened – and who should be held responsible.
A rideshare accident can leave you shocked and injured, but your actions in the moments after the crash are crucial. Follow these steps to protect your health and your legal rights:
Call 911 and Check for Injuries: Safety comes first. If anyone is hurt (yourself, other passengers, drivers, or pedestrians), call 911 immediately to get medical help on the scene. Ask for the police as well – Texas law requires you to report accidents with injury or significant damage to law enforcement. A police report will document the crash, which will be vital evidence later. Even if injuries seem minor, getting an official report and medical evaluation is important, as some injuries (like concussions or internal pain) may not show symptoms right away.
Move to a Safe Area (If Possible): If you are able and it’s safe to do so, move your vehicle out of traffic. Getting to the roadside or a parking lot can prevent secondary accidents. Turn on hazard lights and use cones or flares if available to warn other drivers. However, don’t stray far from the scene – you want police to find you easily when they arrive.
Gather Information from All Parties: Treat this like any car accident when it comes to exchanging info. Get the Uber/Lyft driver’s name, contact number, license plate, and insurance details. If you were a passenger, use the app to screenshot the ride details (driver’s name, vehicle info, time of ride) as extra proof you were in their car. Also get contact and insurance info from any other drivers involved in the collision. If there were witnesses (bystanders or other passengers), politely ask for their names and phone numbers – their testimony could help your case later.
Document the Scene: Use your phone to take photos and videos of everything relevant. Snap pictures of the vehicle damage (all cars involved), skid marks or debris, traffic signals or signs nearby, and the overall scene from multiple angles. Also photograph any visible injuries you have. This evidence can be invaluable in showing what happened. Memories fade, but photos taken right after the crash provide hard evidence of vehicle positions and damage. If you notice anything like a broken traffic light or poor road condition that contributed, document that as well.
Report the Accident to Uber or Lyft: If you were the passenger, report the crash through the rideshare app or customer support as soon as you can. Uber and Lyft have in-app accident reporting. This step is important to trigger the company’s insurance coverage. If you’re the rideshare driver, you likewise need to report the crash to Uber/Lyft in addition to your own insurance. Provide basic facts, but do not admit fault or downplay injuries. Simply state that an accident occurred and that you are getting medical treatment. You can also expect the rideshare company’s insurance adjuster to reach out after you report – consider consulting a lawyer before giving a detailed statement.
Notify Your Own Insurance Company: Texas is an at-fault state, which means claims will primarily go through the at-fault driver’s insurance. However, you should still inform your auto insurance company that you were in an accident, even if you were just a passenger. If you were driving your own car when hit by an Uber/Lyft, reporting to your insurer is required by your policy. Keep the conversation short and factual – do not give a recorded statement or speculate about fault until you have legal advice. If you have personal injury protection (PIP) or uninsured motorist coverage on your policy, you may later use it, so timely notice is important.
Consult an Experienced Rideshare Accident Lawyer: Rideshare accidents involve complex insurance policies and multiple parties, so it’s wise to contact a lawyer quickly. Before you talk in depth with any insurance adjuster (Uber’s, Lyft’s, or another driver’s) or sign any settlement offer, get legal advice. A Texas Uber accident attorney will guide you on your rights, deal with the insurance companies for you, and help preserve evidence. The sooner you have a lawyer fighting for you, the better – critical evidence like vehicle data or surveillance video can be lost if not gathered promptly. Jim Adler & Associates offers free consultations, so it costs nothing to learn your options. Our legal team can take the pressure off you so you can focus on healing.
By following these steps, you’ll safeguard your health and build a strong foundation for any injury claim you pursue. Your well-being and your case will be much stronger if you act decisively at the accident scene and in the days immediately after.
Rideshare accidents often involve multiple parties, and figuring out who is legally responsible (liable) can be complicated.
In a typical car crash, you’d pursue the at-fault driver. In an Uber/Lyft accident, the at-fault driver is still key – but determining who that is and whose insurance applies can be tricky.
Here’s an overview of potential liable parties in a rideshare wreck:
1. The Rideshare Driver: If your Uber or Lyft driver caused the accident through negligence – say they were speeding, ran a red light, or got distracted by the app – they can be held liable. As independent contractors, rideshare drivers are personally responsible for their conduct on the road.
However, unlike a normal driver, a rideshare driver has two layers of insurance: their personal auto policy and the rideshare company’s insurance. Which insurance applies depends on whether they were “on the clock.”
If the driver was offline (not logged into the app) at the time of the crash, then only their personal car insurance applies, just like any other accident in Texas. But if the driver was actively working (logged into Uber/Lyft or carrying a passenger), Uber or Lyft’s insurance coverage kicks in – up to $1,000,000 in liability coverage for victims of the crash.
In other words, if your rideshare driver was at fault while working, you typically will be pursuing a claim against the $1 million commercial insurance policy rather than just their potentially minimal personal policy. (Their personal policy might even deny coverage, since most personal insurers exclude accidents during commercial use.)
2. Another Negligent Driver: Many Uber and Lyft accidents are actually caused by a third-party driver.
For instance, imagine you’re a passenger in an Uber when another car runs a stop sign and T-bones you. That other driver’s negligence caused the wreck, so that driver (and their insurer) is liable for your injuries. In such cases, you would file a claim against the at-fault third party’s auto insurance, just like in any car accident. If that driver has insufficient insurance or flees the scene (hit-and-run), Uber and Lyft’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can cover you in many situations.
Uber carries up to $1 million in UM/UIM coverage for everyone in the rideshare vehicle if another driver caused the crash and lacks adequate insurance.
The bottom line: whether your injuries were caused by your Uber driver or someone else, all negligent drivers involved can be held accountable for their portion of fault.
3. The Rideshare Company (Uber or Lyft): Victims often ask if they can sue Uber or Lyft directly. These companies will argue that their drivers are independent contractors, not employees, which shields the corporation from direct liability in most cases.
Generally, you won’t sue Uber/Lyft for ordinary driver negligence – you’ll pursue the insurance policy they provide. However, the rideshare company is effectively involved through its insurance.
Uber and Lyft are required by Texas law to carry substantial insurance for their drivers, and they do provide that coverage when their driver is at fault. In certain rare situations, the company itself could be directly liable – for example, if a problem with the app contributed to the crash, or if Uber/Lyft knowingly kept a dangerous driver on the platform despite past complaints or a bad driving record. Those cases are uncommon, but our lawyers will investigate if corporate negligence played a role.
In most scenarios, though, Uber or Lyft’s role is to furnish the insurance money, not to be sued outright.
4. Other Third Parties: Occasionally, other parties may share blame. If a vehicle manufacturer produced a defective part (like bad brakes or airbags) that contributed to the accident or your injuries, they could be liable under product liability laws.
Or if poor road design or maintenance (like a malfunctioning traffic light or an obscured stop sign) was a factor, a claim against a government entity might be possible.
These situations are less common in rideshare crashes, but an experienced attorney team should not overlook any contributing factor.
Importantly, Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule (the “51% Bar Rule”) for determining liability in accidents. This means each party can be assigned a percentage of fault.
If you as an injured victim are found to be 51% or more at fault, you would be barred from recovering anything. If you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.
In most Uber/Lyft accidents, passengers won’t be at fault at all (since you weren’t driving), but if you were another driver injured by a rideshare vehicle, the insurance companies might try to argue you were partly to blame.
Don’t let them pin unfair blame on you. Jim Adler & Associates will fight to prove the rideshare driver or other parties were at fault – and even if you share a small portion of blame, we work to minimize it so you can still recover the maximum compensation possible.
A serious Uber or Lyft accident can seriously upend your life.
As an injury victim, you have the right to seek compensation (“damages”) for all the losses you suffer due to the crash. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may come from the rideshare driver’s personal insurance, the Uber/Lyft $1 million policy, or another driver’s insurance – sometimes a combination of these.
Here are the main types of compensation you can pursue after a rideshare accident in Texas:
Medical Expenses: This includes all hospital and medical bills related to your injury – emergency room care, ambulance rides, surgery, doctor visits, medication, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and any future medical treatment you’ll need. Rideshare accident injuries can be severe (broken bones, spinal injuries, head trauma, etc.), and medical costs add up fast. You deserve to have 100% of your medical expenses covered, from the initial ER visit to any ongoing care or specialist appointments down the line. Keep copies of all medical records and bills as documentation for your claim.
Lost Wages and Future Earnings: If your injuries force you to miss work, you can claim compensation for your lost income. This isn’t just limited to the days you spent in recovery; it also covers any reduced ability to work going forward. For example, if you suffer a long-term disability or chronic pain that limits your job prospects, the loss of future earning capacity should be factored into your compensation. Our attorneys often work with economic experts to calculate the value of lost promotions, benefits, and raises you would have earned if the accident hadn’t happened.
Pain and Suffering: Not all damage from an accident shows up on a hospital bill. Physical pain, emotional distress, and mental trauma are very real consequences of a violent car crash. Texas law allows accident victims to recover monetary damages for pain and suffering. This can include compensation for things like severe physical pain, permanent scars or disfigurement, depression, anxiety, insomnia, PTSD symptoms after the crash, and the overall loss of enjoyment of life you experience during recovery. There’s no fixed price on these intangible losses, but our skilled lawyers know how to document and demand a high value for your suffering.
Property Damage: If you were driving your own vehicle and it was damaged or destroyed by a collision with a rideshare driver, you can claim the cost of repairs or the total loss value of your vehicle. Even if you were a passenger, you might have personal property damaged in the crash (for example, a broken phone, laptop, or other valuables). The at-fault party should pay to repair or replace any property that was damaged in the accident.
Permanent Injury or Disability: Some Uber/Lyft accidents result in catastrophic injuries – traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, paralysis, amputations, etc. If you have a permanent impairment or disfigurement, you should receive compensation for the lifelong impact on your abilities and quality of life. This can encompass costs like home modifications (wheelchair ramps), prosthetics, mobility devices, in-home nursing care, and the profound loss of life’s enjoyment due to disability. Our lawyers will work with medical experts to illustrate how your life has been altered and seek appropriate compensation.
Wrongful Death Damages: Tragically, some rideshare accidents are fatal. If you lost a loved one in an Uber or Lyft crash, you can pursue a wrongful death claim. While no amount of money replaces a life, Texas law provides damages for the surviving family’s losses – including funeral and burial expenses, loss of the deceased’s income and financial support, the emotional anguish of losing a spouse/parent/child, and loss of companionship and guidance. We handle wrongful death cases with compassion and tenacity to get families justice.
Punitive Damages: In ordinary accident cases, damages aim to compensate you. But in cases of gross negligence or egregious wrongdoing, Texas courts may also award punitive damages (also called exemplary damages) to punish the wrongdoer. This isn’t common but consider a scenario where a rideshare driver was extremely intoxicated, or an Uber driver intentionally harmed a passenger – a jury might award punitive damages to send a message. Texas caps punitive damages in most cases, but we will pursue them when warranted to hold the at-fault party fully accountable.
Keep in mind that the insurance coverage available can set practical limits on recovery. The good news is that Uber and Lyft’s policies offer up to $1 million per accident, which can cover a lot of damages. Additionally, if another driver was responsible and they have their own liability policy, that adds to the pool of funds.
Insurance companies often try to quickly settle rideshare accident claims for far less than their true value – especially if they think you’re not aware of all the damages you can claim. Don’t accept any settlement without legal advice. A qualified attorney will compile thorough evidence of all your losses – economic and non-economic – to demand full and fair compensation.
(Important: Texas statute of limitations for car accident injury cases is typically two years from the date of the accident. That means you generally have up to two years to file a lawsuit, or you lose your right to seek compensation. There are some exceptions, but in most cases, if you wait too long, you’ll be barred from recovery. Don’t delay.)
With offices all over Texas, we have attorneys ready to help you after a car accident. For more information, choose a city below:
At Jim Adler & Associates, we’ve been helping injured Texans for over 50 years and have recovered BILLIONS for our clients. We handle every case aggressively and compassionately.
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