Rockford Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyers
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Rockford Uber/Lyft Accident Lawyers
Published on: June 12, 2023 | Last Updated on: September 4, 2025
Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss
- Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at 844SeeMike Personal Injury Lawyers.
- Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
- Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor (2004).
Here at 844 See Mike, we proudly serve citizens of Rockford in personal injury cases, including when you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, and our Uber/Lyft accident attorneys are fully committed to protecting your rights and ensuring that the other party is held legally accountable when negligence occurs. We will fight until the very end to ensure that you receive full financial compensation for all injuries and losses resulting from the accident, including medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering, and you won’t owe us a dime for our services. Contact our rideshare accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
Uber and Lyft Accidents
Uber and Lyft are “rideshare companies” which provide the services of a taxi by employing rideshare drivers as independent contractors. These rideshare services operate throughout the United States and in other countries around the world, and they may be more common than you think: from 2017 to 2018, Uber was used for more than 4 billion trips in the United States alone.
Car accidents often involve the negligence of a driver on the road, and common forms of driver negligence include distracted, intoxicated, or reckless driving. While fault is usually clear in car accident cases, those which involve a rideshare car may raise questions for those who aren’t familiar with how these companies operate. If you’ve been involved in a car accident with a Lyft or Uber driver, speak with an experienced accident attorney today to find out if you have a case.
Driver Negligence
Most car accidents, including rideshare accidents, result from a driver’s negligence on the road, and these drivers must be held legally accountable for the victim’s injuries, medical expenses, and pain and suffering. Here are the most common forms of driver negligence:
Disregard for other vehicles
Many car accidents result from a driver’s failure to check his/her blind spot or identify vehicles, motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians who have the right-of-way in a given situation; these situations are particularly common at night and in poor weather conditions.
Distracted driving
Distractions to drivers have always existed, but not to the extent that smartphones and similar devices have taken it today. Distraction by electronic devices while driving now results in serious and even fatal car accidents on a daily basis and is a contributing factor in more auto accidents than ever before, and we strongly encourage all drivers to put their phones and other devices away when behind the wheel.
Intoxicated driving
Intoxicated driving remains a problem, and drunk driving now results in as much as one-third of all auto-related deaths. These are very serious and preventable accidents and intoxicated drivers must be held accountable for the damages that result from their negligence.
Speeding
Speeding and reckless driving correlate strongly to serious injuries sustained in car accidents, and it remains a common factor in accidents overall. It’s important for drivers to understand that speeding is ultimately ineffective for getting them to their destinations quicker, as violating speed-limits may only result in one or two minutes saved at most and is not worth the increased risk of an accident.
Uber or Lyft Accidents as a Passenger
If you are involved in an Uber or Lyft accident as a passenger of an Uber or Lyft vehicle, you may assume that the rideshare company would be the defendant in a personal injury claim. However, because Uber and Lyft drivers are employed as “independent contractors” rather than official employees, this protects the companies, to certain extents, from liability for auto accidents involving their drivers and can result in complex vehicle accident claims. Uber and Lyft may also force drivers and riders to use arbitration for legal disputes, which may further complicate the process.
As such, similar rules for other auto accidents may or may not apply to accidents involving Uber or Lyft: if you’re involved in a car accident with an Uber or Lyft driver who was responsible for the accident, that driver – not the company – will be legally liable. If you’re an Uber or Lyft passenger and you’re involved in an accident, either your Uber or Lyft driver or the other driver may be held legally liable, depending on the circumstances of the accident. No matter the circumstances, contact an experienced car accident lawyer today for a free consultation to find out if you can pursue the negligent party for compensation as the accident victim.
Uber/Lyft Drivers’ Insurance
Here is how insurance coverage works for a ride sharing accident claim involving an Uber or Lyft driver:
When the app is off
When an Uber/Lyft driver’s app is not activated, only the driver’s personal auto insurance coverage applies.
App is on, waiting for ride request
When an Uber/Lyft driver’s app is on and the driver is waiting for a ride request, both Uber and Lyft provide third party liability coverage if the driver’s personal auto insurance coverage does not apply:
- $50,000/person for bodily injury
- $100,000/accident for bodily injury
- $25,000/accident for property damage
Transporting or picking up passengers
When an Uber/Lyft driver is actively transporting or picking up a passenger, both Uber and Lyft provide the following auto insurance for covered accidents:
- $1,000,000 3rd-party auto liability
Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury
Contingent comprehensive & collision up to the actual cash value of the car ($2,500 deductible)
What to Do After an Uber or Lyft Accident
Contact the Police
Rideshare accident victims should simply relay the facts of the case and follow any instructions when an officer arrives on the accident scene. Before leaving, be sure to request a copy of the police report or instructions for how to obtain it once it is filed.
Receive medical attention
Seek a full medical evaluation as soon as possible, even if you do not believe you’ve been seriously injured. Some car crash injuries, even severe injuries like TBIs (traumatic brain injuries), do not produce symptoms until hours or even days later, so it’s important that any potential injuries are identified and evaluated immediately.
Exchange information with the other driver
Exchange full legal names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance carriers, license plate numbers, and other necessary contact information with the drivers involved.
Take necessary notes and photographs
Write down any important details or circumstances pertaining to the accident, at-fault driver, or surrounding scene, as they will be valuable later in determining liability. Car accident injury victims should also, if possible, take pictures of the damaged vehicles, the accident scene, any visible injuries, and anything else relevant to the accident.
Obtain witness statements
If anyone directly witnessed the accident, use a notepad or even a smartphone or similar recording device to obtain statements if they are willing to provide them; these statements will help to prove negligence later.
Report the accident to Uber or Lyft
- where and when the accident occurred,
- the type of accident,
- the vehicles involved,
- and any witnesses, if applicable.
Remember, with Uber and Lyft accident claims, like with an insurance adjuster, be careful of what you say and only provide the basic facts as you would for any other motor vehicle accident:
Do not provide detailed descriptions of your injuries or your interpretation of the accident; save these for your attorney when the attorney client relationship applies to you and your rideshare accident claim. Your attorney can also handle communications with the negligent driver’s personal insurance company.
Contact an Uber/Lyft rideshare accident lawyer
Speak with an experienced car accident lawyer to ensure that your rights are protected and you receive maximum compensation for your injuries and losses. Call our personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation regarding your car accident case.
Compensation
If your auto accident resulted from another driver’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses in a personal injury case, including:
Medical expenses
This includes all medical care incurred directly due to the accident (including ongoing/long-term care) such as ambulance trips, assistive medical devices, emergency room treatment, medications, nursing care, and rehabilitative/surgical expenses. Be sure to keep copies of all medical records.
Lost wages
Includes income you would have earned if you had not missed work to recover from the accident, and may also include future lost wages if you cannot return to the same job you held before the accident due to serious injury.
Pain and suffering
You may be entitled to compensation for physical and/or psychological pain and suffering which resulted directly from the accident.
Contact us Today!
If you or a loved one has been injured in an Uber or Lyft accident due to another’s negligence, you need an experienced personal injury attorney. Contact 844 See Mike today for a free legal consultation. We are a team of personal injury lawyers in Chicago, and helping our clients is about counseling, advocating, and ultimately solving problems. With years of experience successfully representing the people and not the powerful, we will file your car accident claim and take care of the insurance company, future medical expenses, property damage, and lost income. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you. Lastly, our personal injury lawyers are not paid attorney fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. You have nothing to risk when you hire us – only the opportunity to seek justice.
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