Call 911 immediately. Louisiana law requires reporting any accident involving injury, death, or property damage over $500. Seek emergency medical care even if you feel okay — rideshare accident injuries including whiplash, concussions, and soft tissue damage often have delayed onset. A same-day medical record is critical to your claim.

This is one of the most important and most overlooked steps. Before you close the Uber or Lyft app, take screenshots showing the trip details — the driver’s name and photo, the trip start and end times, the route, and the fare. This establishes that a rideshare trip was in progress at the time of the accident, which determines which insurance policy applies. Once the trip is ended or the app is closed, this information may be harder to retrieve.

Photograph all vehicles involved from multiple angles, all visible damage, the point of impact, skid marks, road conditions, traffic signals, and any visible injuries. Get the rideshare driver’s full name, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate, and the vehicle’s make, model, and color. Note whether the Uber or Lyft logo was displayed on the vehicle.

If another vehicle was involved in the crash, get that driver’s full name, phone number, driver’s license number, license plate, and insurance information. In a rideshare accident, multiple drivers may share liability — the rideshare driver, another at-fault driver, or both.

Get names and phone numbers from anyone who witnessed the crash. Independent witnesses are especially valuable in rideshare cases where multiple parties are pointing fingers at each other. Witnesses leave quickly — get their information before they go.

Both Uber and Lyft have in-app accident reporting features. You should report the accident, but be careful about what you say. Do not provide a detailed account of your injuries or admit any fault. Keep your report factual and brief. The rideshare company’s claims team will use whatever you say in the app against you.

Both Uber and Lyft have insurance adjusters whose job is to minimize payouts. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance representative — including the rideshare company’s insurer — before speaking with an attorney. They will ask leading questions designed to minimize your injuries or shift blame onto you.

Rideshare accident claims involve layered insurance coverage that most people — and many attorneys — are not familiar with. Which policy applies depends on the driver’s status at the time of the crash. Getting this right requires an attorney who handles these cases regularly. Contact us before accepting any offer or signing anything.

If the Uber or Lyft driver was not logged into the app at the time of the crash, no rideshare coverage applies. The driver’s personal auto insurance policy is the only coverage available — which may or may not be adequate depending on their policy limits.

If the driver was logged into the app and waiting for a ride request but had not yet accepted one, Uber and Lyft provide limited contingent liability coverage: $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage — far above Louisiana’s minimum car insurance requirements. This coverage only applies if the driver’s personal insurance denies the claim or is insufficient.

Once the driver has accepted a ride request or has a passenger in the vehicle, both Uber and Lyft provide up to $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage, plus uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This is the most favorable phase for injured passengers and other accident victims. The screenshots from the app you took at the scene help establish that the trip was in progress.

If a third-party driver — not the Uber or Lyft driver — caused the accident, you may have claims against that driver’s personal insurance and potentially against the rideshare company’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage if that driver is uninsured or inadequately insured. Multiple claims may run simultaneously, and coordinating them correctly requires legal expertise.

In Louisiana, you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This applies whether you were a passenger, another driver, a pedestrian, or a cyclist. Do not wait — evidence disappears and deadlines are strictly enforced.

Louisiana follows pure comparative fault. Even if you were partially at fault — for example, if you were jaywalking when the rideshare vehicle hit you — you can still recover damages proportional to the other party’s fault. Insurance companies will try to assign you as much blame as possible to reduce what they pay. An attorney protects your share.

Louisiana allows accident victims to sue an at-fault party’s insurance company directly. In rideshare cases, this means you can bring a claim directly against Uber’s or Lyft’s insurer without having to first sue the driver individually — which can significantly streamline the recovery process.

You can bring a claim against Uber’s or Lyft’s insurance company directly under Louisiana’s direct action statute. Whether you can sue the company itself depends on the driver’s status at the time of the crash and whether the company’s coverage applies. Uber and Lyft classify their drivers as independent contractors — not employees — which they use to limit direct liability. An attorney can identify all available avenues of recovery.

As a passenger, you are not at fault for the crash. If the Uber driver caused the accident and the trip was active, Uber’s $1,000,000 liability policy applies to your injuries. You should document the trip details in the app, seek immediate medical care, and contact an attorney before communicating with Uber’s claims team.

You may have claims against the at-fault driver’s personal insurance and against Uber’s or Lyft’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage if the other driver’s policy is insufficient. Both claims can run simultaneously. An attorney ensures all available coverage is identified and pursued.

Generally two years from the date of the accident. Do not wait — rideshare companies and their insurers move quickly to investigate and build their defense, and evidence such as app data and driver records needs to be preserved early.

You may be entitled to economic damages — medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity — and non-economic damages including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. The available coverage amount depends on which insurance phase applied at the time of the crash.

Nothing upfront. Mansfield Melancon handles rideshare accident cases on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. If we win your case or reach a settlement, you pay an agreed percentage of the recovery. If we do not win, you owe us nothing.