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If your Uber driver caused the crash
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, California requires $1 million in primary liability coverage. As a passenger, you were inside that period. When the Uber driver caused the crash, this coverage is usually the main source of payment for your injuries.
The insurer will still look at the evidence and your medical records before it pays. It may question how bad the injuries are or whether all your treatment was needed. That is why consistent medical care and good records matter. Even though you were not driving, adjusters still ask questions, so be careful with statements.
If another driver caused the crash
When another car caused the crash, that driver’s insurance is the first place to look. If that driver had no insurance, too little insurance, or drove off, the coverage Uber must provide for passengers can help. Since January 1, 2026, that uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, down from $1 million.
Sometimes both drivers share the blame. California uses pure comparative fault, which splits responsibility between the people at fault by their shares. As a passenger, you can bring a claim against each driver who shares the blame. Each insurer will point at the other, and the police report, video and witnesses help sort it out.
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Your own coverage while you wait
Claims take time, but your medical bills do not wait. If you bought MedPay on your own auto policy, it pays reasonable medical expenses from a covered crash up to your limit, regardless of who was at fault. Its exact terms come from your policy, so ask your insurer for a copy of the coverage page.
Health insurance can also pay for treatment, though it may ask to be paid back from a settlement. Your own uninsured motorist coverage may apply as well, depending on your policy. Tell every doctor that your injuries came from a car crash, and keep a list of providers so nothing is missed when the claim is put together.
Uber passengers in Washington
In Washington, the rideshare company or the driver must carry $1 million in combined liability coverage from when a driver accepts a ride until the passenger leaves the vehicle. While a passenger is in the car, underinsured motorist coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident must also be in place.
Your own Washington policy may include personal injury protection (PIP), which pays medical bills and some lost income regardless of fault unless you rejected it in writing. The general deadline to file an injury lawsuit in Washington is three years. In California, it is generally two years. Either way, open the claims early, while the trip data is easy to get.
What to do now
Get medical care right away. Screenshot the trip in the app, including the driver’s name, the car, the plate and the time. Take photos of the cars, the scene and your injuries. Get the other driver’s name and insurance, witness names and the police report number. Report the crash through the Uber app and save every message.
Keep bills, receipts and records of missed work. Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to any insurer before you talk with a lawyer. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959, or read how Uber claims work, what affects an Uber settlement, how MedPay works and who pays medical bills.
Common questions
Who pays if I was hurt in an Uber as a passenger?
If your Uber driver caused the crash, the $1 million liability coverage Uber must carry during a ride generally pays. If another driver caused it, that driver’s insurance pays first, with Uber’s passenger uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as backup when that driver lacks enough insurance.
How much uninsured motorist coverage does Uber have for passengers?
Since January 1, 2026, the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage a rideshare company must provide for passengers in California is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. Before that date, it was $1 million. Washington requires $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
Can I sue both drivers?
Yes, a passenger can bring a claim against each driver who shares the blame. California’s pure comparative fault rule splits responsibility by each person’s share. The police report, witness statements and video help show who did what.
Will my health insurance pay my bills from an Uber crash?
Health insurance can pay for treatment while the claim is open, though it may ask to be paid back from any settlement. MedPay on your own auto policy can also pay reasonable medical bills up to your limit. Tell every provider the injuries came from a car crash.
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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
Uber accident claims: how the insurance works · Lyft accident claims: coverage, steps and deadlines · 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)
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
- California Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Terms glossary; policy terms
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- RCW 46.72B.180(1)(b) (recodified from RCW 48.177.010 by Laws 2022, ch. 281, § 35); RCW 48.177.005(6)
- RCW 48.22.085(1)-(2), 48.22.095(1)
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
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.