Rideshare Accident Attorney in Pasadena: Uber and Lyft Claims

Your Uber or Lyft driver’s app status at the moment of the crash decides which insurance policy pays your claim. California splits rideshare coverage into three periods under Public Utilities Code § 5433.

If the driver was logged into the app but hadn’t matched with a rider yet, lower coverage applies. This is Period 1, and it carries $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident in liability coverage, plus $30,000 for property damage.

Once a driver accepts a ride request through the drop-off, a $1 million primary liability policy applies. This covers Periods 2 and 3, whether you’re the passenger, another driver, or a pedestrian hit by the rideshare car.

A separate rule changed in 2026. Senate Bill 371 cut the uninsured motorist coverage that applies during Periods 2 and 3 from $1 million down to $60,000 per person. This layer only matters if the driver who caused your crash carries no insurance or not enough. The $1 million liability coverage for a rideshare driver’s own negligence did not change.

Rides that start near Pasadena City College often begin in Period 1, before a match is made. Students calling a ride late at night or early in the morning fall into this lowest coverage tier, and it’s where we see the most disputes.

Not every rideshare crash points to the same party. Who you can hold liable depends on what caused your injury.

If your Uber or Lyft driver caused the crash, the company’s $1 million liability policy applies once a ride is accepted. This covers you as the passenger, and it covers anyone else the driver hits along the way.

If another driver hit your rideshare vehicle, that driver’s own insurance comes first. We look at whether that driver carried enough coverage, since rideshare crashes near the I-210 and SR-134 interchange often involve more than one negligent party.

Pedestrians and cyclists hit by a rideshare car have the same rights as anyone else hurt by a negligent driver. We identify every party who contributed to the crash before we file a claim.

What you collect right after a Pasadena rideshare crash can decide how much your claim is worth.

Take a screenshot of the app before you close it. This shows the trip status, the driver’s name, and the time of the ride. Also get the driver’s license plate and a photo of their rideshare decal.

Save your trip receipt from the app. It records pickup and drop-off times, which help prove which coverage period applies to your crash.

Get contact information from any witnesses at the scene. Old Town pickup zones see frequent rideshare crashes, so note the exact cross street where the crash happened.

Filing a claim against a rideshare company works differently than filing against a regular driver. Uber and Lyft carry layered policies, and the right one depends on the driver’s status at impact.

We start by identifying which period applies to your crash. From there, we file against the correct policy, whether that’s the TNC’s commercial coverage or the driver’s personal insurance.

Most Pasadena rideshare claims route through the company’s statewide claims center, not a local office. We handle that process directly so you don’t have to track down the right department yourself.

Uber and Lyft often push back on which period applies to your crash. A lower period means a lower payout for the company, so disputes over app status are common.

We request the driver’s trip data directly from the rideshare company. This data shows the exact time the driver logged on, matched with a rider, and completed the trip.

Late-night crashes along the Colorado Blvd corridor get disputed this way often. Companies sometimes claim a driver was offline when trip data shows otherwise, and we push back with the evidence.

A few early mistakes can lower what you recover after a Pasadena rideshare crash.

Don’t give a recorded statement to the rideshare company’s insurer before speaking with us. Insurers use these statements to find reasons to reduce your payout.

Skip posting about the crash on social media. Adjusters look for photos or comments that suggest your injuries aren’t as serious as your claim states.

Don’t accept a quick settlement offer. Adjusters move fast after high-traffic Pasadena events, and an early offer rarely reflects the full cost of your injuries.