Uber and Lyft Accidents in New York Are More Complicated Than Standard Car Crashes.
Who Pays When a Rideshare Driver Causes an Accident in NY?
Rideshare accidents in New York involve multiple overlapping insurance policies depending on what phase of the trip the driver was in when the crash happened. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission requires TLC-licensed rideshare vehicles to carry specific insurance minimums. When the app is off, the driver’s personal auto insurance applies. When the app is on and waiting for a ride request, TLC-mandated coverage provides at least $75,000 per person. When a passenger is in the vehicle, Uber and Lyft must provide at least $1.25 million in liability coverage. Passengers injured during a ride are covered by that $1.25 million policy. Pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers have third-party claims against both the driver and the company’s policy. New York no-fault rules apply: your no-fault application goes to the rideshare vehicle’s insurer. The three-year statute of limitations under CPLR 214 controls.
What you need to know
Plain-English answers to the questions that come up most often on these cases.
TLC Insurance Tiers
NYC TLC regulations create three insurance phases: app off (personal insurance only), app on waiting (minimum $75,000 per person), and passenger in vehicle ($1.25 million liability minimum). Your recovery potential depends heavily on which phase applies to your crash.
Read morePassenger Claims
If you were a passenger when the crash occurred, you are covered by the $1.25 million Uber or Lyft commercial policy. You can file a no-fault application with the rideshare insurer and pursue a third-party claim against the at-fault party simultaneously.
Read moreThird-Party Driver, Pedestrian, and Cyclist Claims
If a rideshare vehicle caused your injuries and you were not a passenger, you have a third-party claim against the driver and potentially against Uber or Lyft directly. The applicable insurance tier depends on the driver’s app status at the moment of impact.
Read moreApp Status Disputes
Rideshare companies sometimes dispute whether their driver was on the app or actively carrying a passenger to limit their coverage exposure. We subpoena trip records, app logs, and dispatch data to prove the driver’s status at the time of the crash.
Read moreNY No-Fault Still Applies
New York no-fault rules apply to rideshare crashes just as they do to standard car accidents. File your no-fault application within 30 days. The serious injury threshold under Insurance Law §5102(d) still governs your ability to sue for pain and suffering.
Read moreThree-Year Deadline
Most rideshare accident lawsuits must be filed within three years under CPLR 214. If a government vehicle or road defect was a contributing factor, the 90-day Notice of Claim requirement under General Municipal Law §50-e applies.
Read moreHow we handle these cases
Step 1
Subpoena app logs, trip records, and dispatch data to establish the driver’s status at the time of the crash.
Step 2
File no-fault applications with the correct insurer for the applicable coverage tier.
Step 3
File claims against all potentially applicable policies simultaneously: personal, TLC, and corporate.
Step 4
Challenge any corporate attempt to deny app-on status and limit coverage to the personal policy.
Step 5
Coordinate the no-fault claim with the third-party lawsuit for maximum recovery.
Real cases. Real results.
Three recent Personal Injury outcomes — case context and result. No client identifying information.
App status established through subpoenaed trip data, locking in the highest applicable coverage tier.
No-fault benefits flowing while the third-party claim proceeds.
Full recovery against TLC-mandated commercial policy limits for serious injuries.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is evaluated on its own facts. The case outcomes shown are representative examples; details have been altered or generalized to protect client confidentiality.
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