An Uber or Lyft crash raises the same core questions of fault, causation, and damages as any other motor vehicle collision. It can also create an added insurance issue: whether the driver was logged off, waiting for a request, traveling to pick up a passenger, or completing a trip. LeFante Law Offices, P.C. investigates those facts, identifies the parties and policies that may apply, and pursues compensation supported by the evidence.
LeFante Law Offices, P.C. is a personal injury law firm founded in 2009 that represents individuals and families throughout Illinois injured in rideshare accidents. From offices in Peoria and Bloomington, the firm’s attorneys handle rideshare accident claims across the state, guided by an approach that centers on full recovery, not just a settlement check: physical healing, financial stability, and the support to move forward.
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Rideshare crashes are governed by the same core negligence principles as other vehicle collisions, but identifying the applicable insurance can be more complicated. Under Illinois law, coverage changes at specific points, including when the driver logs into the app, accepts a ride request, completes the ride, or logs off. Those facts can affect which policy applies and the minimum coverage available. They do not, by themselves, decide who caused the crash or whether the rideshare company is legally responsible.
Rideshare accidents can affect more than just the passenger in the car. The firm represents people hurt in Uber accidents, Lyft accidents, and accidents involving other rideshare services, including:
Your role in the crash, who caused it, the rideshare driver’s app status, and the available insurance must be evaluated together. App status affects coverage, but it does not establish fault or company liability on its own.
Illinois law establishes minimum insurance requirements during different stages of a rideshare driver’s work. The precise coverage available in a particular case still depends on the facts, policy terms, fault, and the identity of the person making the claim.
If the driver was not logged into the rideshare app at the time of the crash, their personal auto insurance generally applies, the same as it would for any other driver.
From the time a driver logs into the app until the driver accepts a ride request, Illinois requires liability insurance of at least $50,000 for death or bodily injury per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. These requirements also apply after a ride is completed until the driver accepts another request or logs off.
The TNC must maintain contingent coverage at those limits when the driver’s personal liability policy excludes the claim or does not provide the required minimum coverage. These are statutory minimums, not merely industry figures.
From the moment the driver accepts a ride request until the transaction or ride is complete, whichever occurs later, Illinois requires $1 million in primary automobile liability coverage for death, personal injury, and property damage. The driver, the TNC, or both may maintain the required coverage. It does not depend on the driver’s personal insurer denying the claim first.
The required coverage must also include $50,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage from the time a passenger enters the vehicle until the passenger exits.
These insurance limits do not guarantee that a claim will be paid at those amounts. Liability, causation, damages, exclusions, and other policy provisions still matter. Uber and Lyft also warn that coverage varies according to app status, fault, policy terms, and state law.
Because coverage levels change so dramatically based on the driver’s status, confirming exactly what was happening at the time of your crash is often the most important step in a rideshare claim.
Whether Uber, Lyft, or another TNC can be held legally responsible depends on the facts and the legal theory involved. Illinois made its former statutory provision declaring that TNCs and their drivers were not common carriers inoperative as of January 1, 2024. That change does not automatically establish liability in every rideshare case, but it means the draft should not treat independent-contractor status as a categorical shield.
A claim may also involve the rideshare company’s own conduct, including whether it complied with Illinois driver-screening and safety requirements. Claims based on the company’s conduct, responsibility for a driver’s conduct, and the availability of TNC insurance raise separate legal questions that require case-specific analysis.
Potential sources of payment may include an at-fault driver’s policy, the required rideshare-period liability coverage, UM/UIM coverage, and other applicable insurance. The primary source depends on fault, app status, the claimant’s role, and the applicable policy terms.
In most cases, the rideshare company’s insurance policy, rather than the company itself, is the primary source of recovery.
Rideshare accident lawyers at LeFante Law Offices build your case by looking closely at several pieces of evidence:
The driver’s status in the app at the time of the crash. Because insurance coverage depends on whether the driver was offline, waiting for a request, or on a trip, confirming this status is often the starting point of an investigation.
Trip records and app data. Uber and Lyft retain records of when a trip started, where it went, and who was driving, which can help establish an accurate timeline of the accident.
Police reports and witness statements. An official accident report and any available eyewitness accounts help corroborate what happened and who was at fault.
Insurers may dispute fault, causation, the severity of an injury, or which policy applies. James P. LeFante’s former insurance defense experience helps the firm anticipate how insurers evaluate liability, medical evidence, and damages. LeFante Law Offices prepares its cases with litigation in mind by preserving evidence and documenting losses from the outset.
Rideshare accidents can involve significant force, particularly during highway travel or in dense traffic. Injuries our clients have experienced include:
If your injury involves a brain or spinal cord injury, our Illinois brain injury attorneys can walk you through what that means specifically for your claim.
After any collision, protect your health and safety first. Call 911 when necessary, seek appropriate medical care, report the collision to the police, exchange identifying and insurance information, photograph the scene and vehicles if it is safe to do so, and obtain witness contact information. You can find that guidance on our Illinois car accident page.
For a rideshare collision, also save the trip receipt and take screenshots showing the driver, vehicle, route, pickup and destination information, and any in-app messages. Report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app and retain the confirmation. Avoid guessing about fault in the report. Before giving a recorded statement or signing a release, consider speaking with an attorney.
A rideshare accident can affect far more than your immediate medical bills. If you were injured, you may be able to recover compensation for:
How much of this is actually recoverable often comes back to the same question at the center of every rideshare claim: which insurance policy applies, and how much coverage it provides. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, and the value of any claim depends on the specific facts of your case.
No single factor determines the value of a rideshare accident claim. Important considerations include:
Which insurance period applied. Whether the driver was offline, waiting for a request, or actively on a trip can significantly change how much insurance coverage is available, as described above.
The severity of your injuries. More serious injuries that require extended treatment, surgery, or long-term care generally increase the value of a claim, since they involve higher medical costs and a greater impact on daily life.
Confirmation of the driver’s status. Because coverage depends so heavily on what the driver was doing at the time of the crash, clear documentation, such as trip records or app screenshots, can directly affect how much coverage is available.
The insurance coverage actually available. Even a strong claim is limited by the coverage that exists across all responsible parties, which is why identifying every applicable policy matters from the start.
Rideshare collisions are part of LeFante Law Offices’ broader motor vehicle practice. If your crash did not involve a rideshare vehicle, or you are unsure which type of claim you have, the firm’s Illinois car accident attorneys can still help. The same approach applies whether your accident involved a rideshare vehicle, another passenger car, or a commercial vehicle: identify every insurance policy that may apply and prepare every case as though it may go to trial.
Former Insurance Defense Experience. Founding attorney James P. LeFante spent years representing insurance companies before switching sides to represent injured people. That experience shapes how the firm approaches the multiple insurance policies involved in a rideshare claim.
Thorough Investigation. The firm works to identify which insurance policy applies to your accident and pursues compensation from every available source.
No Fee Unless We Win. You pay nothing upfront, and legal fees only come out of money the firm recovers on your behalf.
Post-Settlement Advocacy. The firm’s work does not stop once a settlement or verdict is reached. LeFante Law Offices also negotiates with medical providers to help reduce outstanding bills and liens, so clients keep more of what they recover.
LeFante Law Offices has recovered tens of millions of dollars for injured clients throughout Illinois, with 135+ five-star Google reviews from past clients. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome in any future case.
Rideshare claims may involve several drivers, insurers, and coverage periods. Early investigation can help preserve app information, video, witness details, and other evidence that may become harder to obtain later.
When you contact the firm, provide any available photographs, police information, medical records, trip receipts, screenshots, and insurance correspondence. Do not delay contacting the firm simply because you have not collected everything. An attorney can explain what additional information may be needed.
Call LeFante Law Offices, P.C. today at (309) 999-1111, or request your free case review online, to talk with an attorney about what happened. There is no fee unless we win.
LeFante Law Offices, P.C. – Peoria 456 Fulton Street, Suite 410, Peoria, IL 61602 (309) 999-1111
LeFante Law Offices, P.C. – Bloomington 121 N Main St, Suite 210, Bloomington, IL 61701 (309) 869-8309
The type of claim differs, but you may still have a right to compensation in any of these situations. Whether you were riding in the rideshare vehicle, driving another car that was struck by one, or walking or biking nearby, the driver’s insurance, and potentially the rideshare company’s insurance, may apply depending on what the driver was doing at the time.
Potentially, but company liability requires a case-specific legal analysis. Illinois’s former statutory provision excluding TNCs from common-carrier treatment became inoperative on January 1, 2024. A claim may also involve the company’s own conduct, including compliance with driver-screening and safety requirements. The availability of rideshare insurance is a separate question from whether the company itself is legally liable.
It depends on whether the driver remained logged into the app. If the driver had completed a ride but remained logged in and available for another request, Illinois generally requires the waiting-period limits of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. If the driver logged off, the driver’s personal policy is usually the starting point.
Illinois requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage while a driver is logged in and waiting for a request. After the driver accepts a request, Illinois requires $1 million in primary liability coverage until the transaction or ride is complete. The law also requires $50,000 in UM/UIM coverage while a passenger is inside the vehicle. These amounts are coverage requirements, not guaranteed claim payments.
You may still be entitled to compensation. As a passenger, you are generally not at fault for an accident caused by your driver, and the rideshare company’s insurance may apply if the driver was actively on a trip at the time.
Generally, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois. Some circumstances can change that deadline. Because rideshare claims can involve multiple insurance companies, starting the process early is important.
You pay nothing upfront. LeFante Law Offices works on a contingency fee basis, meaning the firm only gets paid a percentage of what it recovers for you. If there is no recovery, you owe nothing for legal representation.
