Rideshare services in Houston are becoming more popular, with Uber and Lyft being the best-known options. As more people rely on these services to get around the city, everyone should know what to do if an accident happens.
Insurance and legal liability work differently when rideshare cars are involved. The Stephens Law Firm is here to help you understand what to do after an Uber or Lyft accident. Whether you’re an Uber driver or a Lyft passenger, knowing what to do after a collision will help you protect your health and legal rights.
Immediate Actions To Take After a Rideshare Accident
What you do after an Uber accident can help keep you safe and protect others on the road. Follow these essential first steps to stay in control and make the process as smooth as possible.
Ensure Safety
No matter the circumstances of the accident, it’s essential to prioritize the safety of everyone involved. Before taking any other action, such as calling the police or exchanging information, check to see if anyone is injured.
Seek medical attention immediately for any injuries, and encourage everyone to see a doctor regardless of symptoms. Early checkups can identify hidden issues and reduce the likelihood of long-term damage.
Move vehicles to a secure location away from traffic if it’s possible and safe to do so. Stopped cars can cause more accidents. Turn on hazard lights to warn other drivers, and stay clear of oncoming traffic.
Do not move anyone who may have a back or neck injury. Any wrong movements with this type of injury can lead to paralysis. For safety’s sake, leave them in place and protect them from traffic.
Contact Emergency Services
The safest default action after an accident is to call 911. Texas law requires a driver to contact law enforcement services if an accident causes injury, death, or damage that prevents a vehicle’s safe operation. Even if you don’t consider it a serious accident, injuries can happen, and they are not always immediately apparent, so it’s safest to file a report every time.
Injuries can happen even if the incident doesn’t seem like a serious accident. Because wounds may not always be obvious right away, it’s safest to file a report every time.
Provide clear and specific information about the accident to the operator. When the police arrive, state what happened and save the report number. As official documentation, the police report will be essential evidence when establishing fault in a lawsuit or filing an insurance claim.
Exchange Information With All Parties Involved
Once you have ensured everyone’s safety and contacted emergency services, exchange information with the other drivers. Under Texas law, this is a mandatory step after any car accident in Texas.
Collect each driver’s name, license number, insurance details, and contact information, and distribute yours. It can also help your case if you collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses from bystanders and passengers. Their statements about the accident may be the supporting evidence that validates your version of events.
Document the Accident Scene
Documentation is key in any accident claim. Use your cell phone camera to record the scene as thoroughly as possible, photographing it from multiple angles. Take photos of the exterior and interior of all vehicles, even those you were not riding in.
These photos may be valuable evidence in supporting your injury claim. Consider also taking pictures or videos if you have any visible injuries, such as cuts, bruises, or swelling.
It’s also valuable to document any environmental factors that may have contributed to the accident, such as traffic signs, road conditions, or obstacles. Your statement that a sign was not visible will carry much more weight if you have photographic evidence backing it up.
The more documentation you have, the easier it will be to claim compensation for medical expenses and other accident-related costs.
Steps To Protect Your Claim After an Uber or Lyft Accident
Texas is an at-fault state for car insurance, meaning the party who caused the accident is responsible for covering any damages they cause. If you’re involved in a crash—whether as a passenger, driver, or rideshare user—it helps to have as much documentation as possible to prove what happened and support your claim.
Gather Evidence Beyond the Scene
To claim compensation for your losses after an accident, you need documentation of your costs. This is especially important in at-fault states like Texas, where the responsible party’s insurance is expected to pay. Collect all car repair receipts and medical records documenting your injuries and treatment, starting on the day of the accident.
Consider also journaling your symptoms, especially those that crop up later. These records can help to prove that your injuries were not pre-existing.
Obtain a copy of the police report and keep it with your other accident documentation. If you haven’t collected witness statements, do so as soon as possible. Memories fade, and you need details to back up your claim.
Obtain a copy of the police report and keep it with your other accident documentation. If you haven’t collected witness statements, do so as soon as possible. Memories fade, and you need details to back up your claim.
Notify Uber or Lyft
Rideshare companies have insurance policies that activate when the driver accepts or gives a ride. To activate that coverage, you must notify the company after a collision.
If you are an Uber driver, you can report a crash through the Safety Toolkit in your driver app or via Uber’s driver website. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to speak directly to support staff, navigate to the Safety Incident Reporting Line in the app’s Help section. Uber passengers can get support by reporting a crash on the website.
Lyft drivers can report an accident in the Help section of the app. Select “Accident, damage, or unsafe ride” to navigate to the accident report process. If you were a passenger, go to the Lyft website to report a crash via your account.
Uber and Lyft Insurance Coverage
Uber and Lyft provide insurance coverage for drivers and passengers, the extent of which depends on the driver’s activity status at the time of the accident.
For example, if a Lyft driver is available for requests and the app is on, Lyft provides third-party liability coverage up to $50,000 per person for injuries, up to $100,000 per accident for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. If the app is on and the driver is en route to pick up a passenger or a ride is in progress, that coverage increases to at least $1 million for third-party liability insurance. Uber maintains comparable coverage for these situations.
Drivers for Uber and Lyft may also have additional first-party coverage, including potential uninsured or underinsured coverage, to protect themselves in case they’re ever in an accident with someone who doesn’t have enough insurance or any insurance at all.
Inform Your Personal Insurance Company
You may be asking, do I call my insurance if a Texas car accident is not my fault? Although Houston Uber accident laws hold the at-fault party responsible for damages, you still need to tell your insurance company what happened. Informing them keeps them in the loop and lets them assist in the compensation process. They can also tell you if you have personal coverage that may supplement the at-fault driver’s policy, an essential factor if your costs are high.
Having your insurance number handy allows you to contact the company as soon as possible. File a report including all facts, but avoid admitting fault or using fault-related words because the insurance company will conduct its own investigation.
Be aware that either insurance company may submit a low offer at first. This is usually an attempt to settle quickly, and you don’t want to accept immediately. Wait to agree to any settlement until you understand the full extent of your injuries.
Be aware that both the at-fault driver’s insurance and your own insurance may submit low offers at first. This is usually an attempt to settle quickly, and you should not accept immediately. Wait to agree to any settlement until you fully understand the extent of your injuries and can consult with a trusted attorney.
Consult a Rideshare Accident Attorney at the Stephens Law Firm for Guidance
As an experienced Houston car accident attorney, Joe Stephens can guide you through what happens if your Lyft or Uber gets in an accident. You deserve compensation for your injuries, and Joe can help you navigate that process.
He’ll start by explaining your rights and options so you can decide what to do next. If you proceed with our representation, Joe will gather and organize the necessary evidence, such as witness statements and accident reports. As an attorney for 40 years and one of Texas’s few double board-certified lawyers, Joe has the knowledge and connections to access detailed evidence beneficial to the claim. This evidence would be difficult for most people to access on their own.
Joe also has the expertise to assess the full extent of your losses, including medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. He uses that information to negotiate with insurance companies and argue for a fair settlement on your behalf.
Get Help From an Experienced Rideshare Accident Lawyer
If you have Lyft or Uber accident injuries in Houston, the Stephens Law Firm is here to help. Call (281) 623-1701 or contact online to schedule a free case evaluation. There’s no obligation and no fee unless Joe wins your case.
