Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyers in Colorado Springs

A crash involving an Uber or Lyft driver is a car accident with one added question that often decides the case: what was the driver’s app doing at that moment? Colorado law ties the insurance available to the answer.

Why the app status matters

Colorado law calls Uber and Lyft transportation network companies and sets minimum insurance for three situations.

When the driver has accepted a ride, is on the way to the pickup, or has a passenger in the car, the company or the driver must carry at least $1 million in primary liability coverage for the trip.

When the driver is logged into the app and waiting for a request, the required coverage drops to at least $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per crash, and $30,000 for property damage.

When the app is off, the driver is just a driver. Only their personal auto policy applies, and many personal policies exclude driving for hire.

The difference between a waiting driver and a driver who has accepted a ride can be a few seconds and a very large difference in coverage. The companies hold the trip data that shows which it was.

If you were a passenger

A passenger in a rideshare car is covered by the trip coverage whoever caused the crash. If another driver caused it, there may be a claim against that driver’s insurance as well, and your own policy’s underinsured motorist coverage may apply on top of both.

If another car or a pedestrian was hit

Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians hit by a rideshare driver have the same coverage questions, with one more: proving the driver was working. If the driver denies it, the company’s records settle it.

If you drive for Uber or Lyft

A driver hurt by another motorist has a claim against that motorist like anyone else. Whether the company’s coverage protects the driver’s own injuries depends on the policy terms the company carries, and we read those rather than assume.

Evidence we request early

Trip records, app status logs, GPS data, and in-app communications are held by the rideshare company. We send preservation demands early so that data is kept, along with the usual crash evidence.

The deadline is the same as other car accidents, three years for injury claims, but the investigation needs to start much sooner.