The rideshare industry first tested its wheels in California. Ever since then companies like Uber and Lyft and several delivery services have been off to the races dropping passengers and food at their destinations.

As a rideshare or food and grocery delivery worker, you represent the face of those companies and you’re expected to juggle a lot of different tasks all while behind the wheel, on a bike, or on foot. That’s not to mention the important customer relations part of your job that earns good ratings for you and your company.

So what happens when you drive for Uber or Lyft or ride a bike or walk for a delivery company like Postmates and you end up the victim of a collision. With so many miles logged, traffic accidents are bound to happen. But when you get hurt in a crash while working for a billion-dollar company how much care and financial assistance can you expect as you recover?

Help for Rideshare and Delivery Drivers After Accidents

After you’ve been seriously injured while you were working for a rideshare like Lyft or a delivery company like Grubhub, it’s important to contact an experienced rideshare accident lawyer.

You probably won’t be up to speed on all of the legal safeguards in place to protect you as a victim. Insurance companies aren’t required to inform you of your rights and they certainly won’t. We can get you up to speed on every option you have.

Tell our attorneys what happened to you by taking advantage of a free consultation that comes with no obligation. We will help you determine your next move to get things like medical expenses and lost wages paid in full so that you can focus on recovery.

What to Do After an Accident as a Rideshare Driver

If you are in an accident as a rideshare driver or on a bike delivering hot meals for Uber Eats, you will do many of the things that any driver should do in the aftermath of a crash. The bottom line is that you’ll need to collect as much evidence as possible to prove that an accident wasn’t your fault.

This evidence is vitally important even when the accident is a clear-cut case of the other driver being careless.

Unfortunately, you could have three different insurance companies questioning your innocence. Your own insurance provider, the at-fault driver’s insurance company, and/or Uber or Lyft’s insurance company can all question your accident liability, your damage, and your injuries.

To leave no doubt, always try to collect these details on the scene of a collision if you are physically able:

• Call 911. Give a full report to investigators and paramedics.
• Take photos of the scene. Take pictures of the damage to the vehicles or your bicycle, any visible injuries, and street signs and lane markings. Lyft requires you to get a clear photo of all four sides of your car. (There’s more on how to report an accident to your employer in the next section.)
• Note the possibility of any security cameras at homes or businesses that might have recorded the accident.
• Get information from any witnesses on the scene. That may include a passenger in a rideshare car. Make sure you know where to locate them later.
• Exchange information with the other driver, but don’t make any statements admitting fault or saying that you’re fine and not injured. Both of these statements could turn out false, but anything you say out loud can be used to weaken your case later.
• Keep any evidence. Don’t throw out a damaged bicycle, clothing, shoes, or a car body part.
• Make an appointment with your doctor. Get full documentation on immediate injuries and any injuries that appear in the days to come.

Report Your Accident to Lyft or Uber

With most companies, you are required to report your accident to your employer and there’s likely a way to do that on the all-important app you use every day:

• Lyft — Your Lyft app will include a “report accident” button. You can click here to get more on how to properly report and document an accident in your Lyft vehicle.
• Uber and Uber Eats — To report a crash to Uber or Uber Eats you’ll pull up the Help section of the driver app. Select Trip Issues and Adjustments, then select “I was in a crash.” For more information on how to report an accident to Uber visit this page.
• Postmates – You’ll work through your app to file an incident and accident report or you can go here for more information. You’ll send your information to this email protection@postmates.com.
• Grubhub And Instacart – These two companies carry zero insurance for their contract employees in accidents. They won’t need to know about an accident unless it’s going to keep you from delivering your current order. If this sounds unfair to you, that’s because it is. A rideshare lawyer working on your behalf can try some different tactics to get these companies to accept some responsibility for their workers. If not, your lawyer can help you get the best outcome when filing against the at-fault driver’s insurance provider or your own.

Do Rideshares and Delivery Companies Provide Insurance for Drivers?

After going through a scary accident working for a rideshare and food delivery company you’ll usually start your injury claim somewhere other than Uber and Lyft. You could be in your Uber car, on your bike for Postmates, or on foot when you’re hit, but all victims will start in the same place when trying to get compensation.

You’re required to file with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If the driver doesn’t have a high enough insurance cap to cover all of your injury bills or carries no insurance, you can then petition your employer.

Transportation companies like Lyft, Uber, and Postmates carry insurance policies but they are only available to employees in certain situations.

For Uber and Lyft you must have a passenger in your car or be on the way to a pick-up when the accident occurs. For Postmates drivers, you’re only covered when you have the food in your vehicle. The coverage ends when it’s dropped off.

If the at-fault driver’s insurance or the rideshare claim fails, you may face filing a claim on your personal car insurance policy. This claim would be on your car insurance company’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

The sad secret is that while all rideshare and delivery drivers are required to carry personal car insurance coverage, it’s not always helpful. Some insurance companies will reject your accident claim because they’ve decided not to cover their policyholders when they work for companies like Lyft or Uber Eats.

Contact a California Rideshare Accident Lawyer

Rideshare and food delivery workers can work hard, long hours, and put up with a lot of stress. It’s a shame that when drivers are in accidents while picking up riders, or delivering food in a car, on foot, or on a bike that companies look to shed blame and liability.

You may have been in an accident while driving for a company like Uber, Lyft, or Postmates and aren’t sure how to get help with the cost of quality medical care and your lost wages while missing work.  Contact us today for a free case evaluation and to get your questions answered. Tell us what happened and let our attorneys fill you in on your best path forward.