Your rideshare driver ran a red light on Ventura Boulevard. Now you’re dealing with the aftermath of the accident: pain, missed work, and medical bills. Meanwhile, the insurance companies are pointing fingers at everyone but their clients.
You didn’t cause this crash, and you shouldn’t have to fight alone to get paid for it. If you were hurt as a passenger, a driver, or even a pedestrian in a rideshare crash, a Tarzana Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can help you figure out how to get paid.
The Law Offices of Steers & Associates in Tarzana can guide you through the confusing insurance rules that come with any Uber or Lyft accident.
4 Immediate Steps After an Uber or Lyft Accident in Tarzana
Taking the right steps right after your crash can help protect both your health and your claim for compensation:
- Call 911 and get checked out, even if you feel fine, since some injuries take hours to show up.
- Photograph the scene, including both vehicles, the app screen showing your trip, and any visible injuries, if you can.
- Report the crash in the app and get the other driver’s name, insurance information, and license plate number.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in Uber and Lyft accident cases.
Acting quickly on these steps gives your Uber and Lyft accident attorney in Tarzana, CA, the strongest possible starting point for your case.
Rideshare accidents are rarely as simple as a normal car crash in Tarzana. This is because insurance coverage depends on what the Uber or Lyft driver was doing in the app at the exact moment of the collision.
California divides Uber and Lyft coverage into three separate periods. The insurance available to you can change dramatically depending on which period applies:
- Period 1 applies when the app is on, but the driver has not accepted a ride yet. Coverage is limited to $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $30,000 in property damage coverage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage.
- Period 2 applies once the driver accepts a ride and is on the way to the pickup. This covers $1,000,000 in primary liability.
- Period 3 applies from the moment you get in the car until you exit. You have the same $1,000,000 in coverage.
Insurance adjusters often try to place your accident in whichever period offers the smallest payout. Proving the correct timeline matters as much as proving fault. Sorting out which period was active when your crash happened can help you recover full compensation for your injuries.
More than one party can share fault after an Uber or Lyft crash. Depending on the facts, liability may fall on:
- The Uber or Lyft driver,
- A distracted or reckless third-party driver,
- The rideshare company’s insurer, or
- A vehicle owner (if the driver was using someone else’s car).
An experienced Tarzana Uber and Lyft accident lawyer can investigate the accident to help uncover if a driver had a suspended license or a history of prior accidents. That can affect who is held accountable for damages, too.
The main causes of rideshare accidents we see across Tarzana and the surrounding San Fernando Valley are:
- Distracted driving while checking the app;
- Drivers unfamiliar with local streets like Reseda Boulevard, Vanalden Avenue, or the Ventura Freeway; and
- Rushed pickups and drop-offs in heavy traffic.
To recover fair compensation, we need to understand the cause of the accident and who was the negligent or reckless party. That’s our job, while you just focus on getting better and returning to work.
Rideshare accidents can happen at city speeds or on the freeway. The injuries often reflect that range, and include:
- Whiplash and other neck or back injuries;
- Traumatic brain injuries from a hard jolt or blow to the head;
- Broken bones, especially in the arms, legs, or ribs;
- Cuts and bruises from broken glass or an airbag; and
- Soft tissue damage that does not show up right away on an X-ray.
Some of these injuries heal in weeks, while others need months of physical therapy or ongoing care. The more serious the injury, the more reason to have a seasoned Uber and Lyft accident lawyer track your medical treatment from the start.
Why You Need a Tarzana Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer on Your Side
Uber and Lyft carry large insurance policies precisely because rideshare crashes can cause serious harm. Insurers know how to protect that money and are often represented by powerful lawyers. Their entire goal is to pay you as little as possible.
Fighting this system alone is very tough. An experienced rideshare accident attorney who knows the local area can:
- Investigate what happened,
- Gather evidence to prove who was at fault,
- Handle all communications with the insurance company,
- Negotiate with the insurers for fair compensation,
- File a lawsuit if necessary, and
- Represent you at trial if the case makes it that far.
Our lawyers work for the outcome you want from day one, aiming to recover what you deserve. Most California civil cases, including Uber and Lyft accident claims, settle before trial. In 2024, jury trials resolved only 0.28% of California civil cases.
Under California personal injury law, you may be able to recover compensation for:
- Past and future medical bills,
- Lost income (past and future),
- Property damage,
- Costs of obtaining substitute domestic services,
- Pain and suffering, and
- Mental suffering and emotional distress.
The value of your claim depends on how severe your injuries are and how they affect your daily life. It helps to have a lawyer document the full extent of your losses from the start.
FAQs
Can I File a Claim Even If I Was Partly Responsible for the Accident?
California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, so even if you were partly at fault for the crash (up to 99% at fault), you can still recover a share of your damages. Your payout is reduced by your percentage of fault. It’s worth having a lawyer review your case even if you think you shared some blame for the accident.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim in California?
California generally gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Waiting too long can make it harder to gather app data, driver logs, and witness statements before they disappear, so it helps to speak with a lawyer soon after your crash.
No. The Law Offices of Steers & Associates works on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing up front and owe no fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your case review is also completely free, with no obligation to hire us afterward.
Why Choose the Law Offices of Steers & Associates?
Elena Steers and Allen Vaysberg bring more than 40 years of combined legal experience to your Tarzana rideshare case. We have served over 3,000 clients.
With experience in medical care and membership in the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, and the American Association for Justice, we pursue aggressive settlement negotiations. We’re ready to take your case all the way to trial if that serves you best.
Let us handle the insurance companies while you focus on getting better. Contact the Law Offices of Steers & Associates today for a free case review.
