| QUICK ANSWER Who pays depends on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of the crash. If the driver had accepted a ride or had a passenger aboard, a $1,000,000 commercial policy applies. If the app was on but no ride had been accepted, coverage drops to $50,000 per person. If the app was off, only the driver’s personal policy applies. That single fact can swing a claim by hundreds of thousands of dollars. |
Who Pays After an Uber or Lyft Crash in Texas?
Texas splits rideshare coverage into periods based on the driver’s app status, under Chapter 1954 of the Texas Insurance Code. The same rules apply whether you were the passenger, another driver, a cyclist, or a pedestrian.
| Driver’s app status at the moment of the crash | Whose insurance responds | Coverage available |
| App off — driving personally | The driver’s own auto policy only. Uber and Lyft provide nothing. | Texas minimums: $30,000 per person / $60,000 per crash / $25,000 property |
| Logged on, waiting for a ride request | Rideshare company coverage under Texas Insurance Code § 1954.052 | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per crash / $25,000 property |
| Ride accepted, driving to the pickup | The rideshare company’s commercial policy | $1,000,000 |
| Passenger in the vehicle | The rideshare company’s commercial policy | $1,000,000 |
General summary only, not legal advice for any specific case. Limits reflect statutory minimums; actual policies may provide more.
What Factors Affect What Your Claim Is Worth?
Several things drive the value and difficulty of a rideshare claim:
- Which coverage period applies. The app status at impact, which decides which policy applies and what ceiling you are working under.
- Who actually caused the crash. The rideshare driver may be at fault, another motorist may be, or both. More than one insurer may owe money.
- The severity and documentation of your injuries. Immediate treatment and consistent follow-up create the record that proves the injury came from the crash.
- Your own share of fault. Texas follows proportionate responsibility. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing if you are found more than 50 percent responsible (CPRC Chapter 33).
- Available UM/UIM coverage. If the at-fault driver’s coverage runs out, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap. Many people forget they have it.
- Whether the electronic evidence was preserved. Trip records, GPS data, and app logs live with the rideshare company and are the cleanest proof of app status — but they must be requested.
What Should You Do After an Uber or Lyft Crash?
- Call 911 and get a police report. It documents the scene and the parties while everything is fresh.
- Screenshot the trip in your app before you close it — the driver’s name, vehicle, trip status, and timestamps. This is the step people skip, and it is the best contemporaneous proof of which coverage period applies.
- Photograph the vehicles, the scene, and any visible injuries, and get contact and insurance information for every driver involved, not just the rideshare driver.
- Report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app, which opens a claim with the company’s insurer.
- Get medical attention the same day, even if you feel able to walk away. Gaps in treatment are used to argue you were not really hurt.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer before speaking with an attorney.
- Contact a lawyer quickly so a preservation letter goes out for the app data and any nearby video.
How Long Do You Have to File?
Two years from the date of the crash, under CPRC § 16.003. The practical deadline is far shorter, because the app data and any surveillance footage that establishes fault can be gone long before then. For more, see our guide on how long you have to file a lawsuit after an accident in Texas.
Talk to a Texas Rideshare Accident Attorney
| FREE CONSULTATION FOR PERSONAL INJURY CASES Hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash? Save your trip screenshots and call before the app data disappears. The Law Office of Sovmya George, PLLC represents injured people throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and across Texas, and is licensed in both Texas and Massachusetts. We establish which coverage period applies, request the trip and GPS records before they are lost, and deal with the rideshare insurer for you. Call 972-905-0948 today for a FREE consultation about your personal injury case, or email admin@lawofficesg.com. |
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance coverage and filing deadlines depend on the specific facts of each case, and the law can change. If you believe you may have a claim, consult a licensed Texas attorney about your individual situation as soon as possible.