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What the driver was doing in the app
California requires rideshare companies such as Uber to carry $1 million in primary liability coverage from the time a driver accepts a ride request until the ride is complete or the driver completes the transaction in the app, whichever is later. That covers the drive to pick you up and the ride itself.
While the driver is logged into the app but has not accepted a ride, the required coverage is at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. If the app was off, those rules do not set the coverage, and the driver’s own policy becomes the main question. The app’s records show which period applied.
Passenger, other driver or pedestrian
If you were the passenger, the $1 million coverage generally applies when the Uber driver caused the crash. If another driver caused it and had little or no insurance, the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage Uber must provide for passengers applies. Since January 1, 2026, that coverage is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, down from $1 million.
If you were driving another car or walking, the claim depends on the app status at the time. Your own policy may also help: California policies must include uninsured motorist coverage unless you signed a written agreement to drop it, and MedPay, if you bought it, pays reasonable medical bills up to your limit regardless of fault.
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Uber crashes in Washington
Washington has its own rideshare rules. Under RCW 46.72B.180, the company or driver must carry at least $1 million in combined liability coverage from when a driver accepts a ride until the passenger leaves the vehicle. While the driver is logged in without a ride, the minimum is $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $30,000 for property damage.
Washington also requires underinsured motorist coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident while a passenger is in the vehicle. The general deadline to file an injury lawsuit in Washington is three years. If you were hurt in Seattle, Spokane or anywhere else in the state, the same app-status question comes first.
What to do now
Get medical care right away. Take screenshots of the trip in the app, including the driver’s name, the car, the plate, and the time. Take photos of the vehicles, the scene and your injuries. Get the names of witnesses and the police report number, and report the crash through the app.
Keep bills, receipts and pay records. Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to Uber’s insurer or any other insurer before you talk with a lawyer. In California, an injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years. California uses pure comparative fault, so your share of any blame lowers what you recover but does not bar it.
How Beverly Law can help
We can get the trip records, confirm which coverage period applied, and handle the insurers so you can focus on getting better. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Call (310) 552-6959 or use the form on this page, and our team will review your crash and explain what comes next.
Rideshare cases share many of the same questions, and the answers often depend on the app records and the policies. These pages go deeper: who pays when an Uber passenger is hurt, whose insurance applies between rides, what affects an Uber settlement, and how to get an Uber or Lyft accident report.
Common questions
Does Uber have to pay for my injuries?
Uber’s insurance must cover $1 million in liability from the time a driver accepts a ride until the ride is complete. Whether it pays your claim depends on the app status and on who caused the crash. If another driver caused it, other coverage may apply first.
What if the Uber driver was not on a ride?
If the driver was logged in but had not accepted a ride, California requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. If the app was off, the driver’s own policy is the main question.
How long do I have to file an Uber accident claim?
In California, a personal injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years of the crash. In Washington, the general deadline is three years. Insurance claims should be opened much sooner, while app data and video are still easy to get.
Should I talk to Uber’s insurance company?
You can report the crash through the app, but do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before talking with a lawyer. Adjusters may ask questions that shift blame to you, and California’s comparative fault rule means any blame lowers your recovery.
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If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Lyft accident claims: coverage, steps and deadlines · Uber passenger injured: who pays your bills? · A Lyft driver hit me while I was driving: what now? · Rideshare driver between rides: whose insurance applies? · Uber accident settlement: what affects it · All car and truck accident questions
Sources
- Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 5433(b)(1)-(2), (c)(1)-(2) (as amended by SB 371, Stats. 2025, ch. 314)
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- California Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Terms glossary; policy terms
- RCW 46.72B.180(1)(b) (recodified from RCW 48.177.010 by Laws 2022, ch. 281, § 35); RCW 48.177.005(6)
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.