An Uber or Lyft crash feels like a regular car accident—until the insurance letters start. Suddenly you are dealing with a transportation network company (TNC), a participating driver’s personal auto policy that may exclude rideshare use, and coverage that changes depending on whether the app was off, on, or mid-trip. California has a statutory framework for that layered coverage. What you do in the first hours and days still matters as much as which period applied.
This article focuses on practical steps after a rideshare collision in California and a high-level look at Public Utilities Code section 5433. For firm-specific rideshare practice information, see our Uber / Lyft rideshare accident page and our car accident lawyer overview.
First priorities at the scene
Safety first. Move out of traffic if you can do so safely. Call 911 for injuries or a hazardous scene. California drivers have post-accident duties under the Vehicle Code, including stopping and exchanging information when required. See Vehicle Code sections 20001 and 20002.
Then document what you can:
- Photos of vehicle positions, damage, license plates, rideshare trade dress, and the street or intersection
- Names, phone numbers, and insurance details for every driver involved
- Witness names and contact information
- The driver’s full name as it appears in the app, the trip receipt, and the approximate time you requested or started the ride
- Whether you were a passenger, a pedestrian hit by a rideshare vehicle, or another motorist involved with a TNC car
Do not rely on the app alone. Screenshots of the trip screen, driver profile, and fare receipt help lock down when the crash happened relative to the ride status—and that timing often drives which insurance layer applies.
Get medical care and keep records
Adrenaline hides injuries. Soft-tissue damage, concussions, and internal injuries may not peak until later. See a doctor or urgent care promptly, follow through on referrals, and keep every bill, explanation of benefits, and work-excuse note. Gaps in treatment give insurers an easy argument that you were not hurt or that something else caused the problem.
If you are a passenger, tell medical providers you were in a rideshare vehicle. If you are another driver hit by a TNC car, say so clearly in your history. Consistency in the medical record matters when adjusters start comparing statements.
Report the crash the right ways
To the TNC. Use the Uber or Lyft in-app help tools to report the incident. Note the confirmation number. The company will typically open an insurance claim channel, but that is not a substitute for protecting your own rights.
To law enforcement. Request a police or CHP response when injuries, significant damage, or disputed fault are involved. Get the report number.
To the DMV when required. Vehicle Code section 16000 generally requires a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR-1) within 10 days when the crash causes injury, death, or property damage above the statutory threshold. Filing a police report does not automatically satisfy the DMV filing.
To your own insurer. Many policies require prompt notice. Tell your carrier what happened without guessing about fault or signing away rights you do not understand. If a claims handler presses for a recorded statement, get advice first—especially if UM/UIM or overlapping TNC coverage may be in play.
How California’s TNC insurance periods work (high level)
Public Utilities Code section 5433 sets minimum insurance requirements for TNCs and participating drivers. The statute was amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 314 (SB 371), effective January 1, 2026. Exact coverage on your claim depends on the crash date, the policy language in force, and the facts. What follows is the statutory framework—not a promise that any particular policy will pay a particular amount.
When the driver has accepted a ride request until the ride/transaction is complete (often described as Periods 2 and 3 in industry shorthand), section 5433(b) requires primary TNC insurance of $1,000,000 for death, personal injury, and property damage. That coverage may be maintained by the driver, the TNC, or a combination, subject to verification rules in the statute.
While a passenger is in the vehicle, section 5433(b)(2) separately requires the TNC to provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. Under the current text, that UM/UIM coverage is primary over other applicable UM/UIM and is solely the TNC’s obligation.
When the app is on but no ride has been accepted (and certain post-trip windows before the next acceptance or logoff), section 5433(c) requires primary coverage of at least $50,000 per person / $100,000 per incident for death and personal injury, plus $30,000 for property damage, and excess coverage of at least $200,000 per occurrence for the TNC and driver.
App off. When the driver is not logged into the TNC platform, ordinary personal auto and third-party liability rules generally control—subject to whatever exclusions the personal policy contains for commercial or TNC use.
Section 5433(f) also states that the article does not limit a TNC’s liability above the required insurance amounts in a damages action. In other words, statutory minimums are a floor for insurance, not a ceiling on civil exposure.
Because period allocation often turns on app logs, GPS timestamps, and the trip record, preserve those digital footprints early. Do not assume the first adjuster letter correctly identifies the period.
Liability still turns on negligence—and deadlines still run
Insurance layers answer who may pay. Liability still asks who was careless. California’s baseline negligence rule is Civil Code section 1714: everyone is responsible for injury caused by a want of ordinary care in managing person or property, subject to comparative fault principles.
Most injury and wrongful-death lawsuits against private parties must be filed within two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. Claims involving public entities can require a government claim in as little as six months. Do not wait on a rideshare insurer’s internal timeline if a filing deadline is approaching.
Watch for claim delays and coverage fights
Rideshare claims generate more paper than ordinary fender-benders: multiple carriers, reservation-of-rights letters, requests for app data, and arguments over which period applies. Unreasonable delay or denial of your own first-party benefits can raise separate issues under California’s implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Learn more on our insurance bad faith page. Do not confuse frustration with the other driver’s carrier with a first-party bad-faith claim against your own insurer—the legal paths differ.
Practical checklist after a California rideshare crash
- Get safe and call for medical help if needed.
- Document the scene, the trip receipt, and every participant.
- Report through the app and obtain a claim reference.
- Follow medical care and keep records.
- Notify your own insurer as required by your policy.
- File an SR-1 with the DMV if section 16000 applies.
- Avoid quick releases while coverage periods are still murky.
- Calendar CCP § 335.1 and any government-claim deadlines.
Advo Law, APC handles rideshare and motor vehicle injury matters throughout California on a contingency fee basis, with offices in Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge.
Contact Advo Law
If you were hurt in an Uber, Lyft, or other TNC crash, get clear advice before coverage arguments harden.
Advo Law, APC
Glendale: 111 E. Broadway, Suite 210, Glendale, CA 91205
La Cañada Flintridge: 1433 Foothill Blvd., Suite 207, La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
Phone: (800) 808-4613
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Attorney advertising. This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutory insurance minimums and policy terms can differ by crash date and carrier; consult counsel about your specific situation.
