Rideshare accidents involving Uber and Lyft are a common cause of personal injury in Illinois. Like traditional car accidents, there are steps victims should take to increase their odds of recovering compensation. Specifically, injured victims should report the accident to law enforcement, seek medical attention, identify what the driver was doing at the time of the crash, and notify the rideshare company of the accident, to name a few.Â
Check for Injuries and Call 911
Your safety comes first. Check yourself and anyone else involved for injuries, and call 911 right away to request police and medical assistance if needed. Even if you feel fine, adrenaline can mask pain from injuries like whiplash or internal trauma that may not show symptoms until hours or days later.
You should also request an official accident report, even if the damage seems minor. This report becomes an important piece of evidence when establishing fault and can be difficult to obtain after the fact.
Document What the Driver Was Doing
Before doing anything else, take a screenshot of your rideshare app showing the trip status, driver information, and vehicle details. Under state law, rideshare companies must carry specific liability coverage that changes depending on what the driver was doing in the app when the crash happened:
- App off or driver offline. The driver’s personal auto insurance policy provides coverage in the amount of $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person, $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 in property damage liability coverage.
- App active, waiting for a ride request. Rideshare companies must provide secondary liability coverage during this window, typically $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident. This only applies if the driver’s personal policy denies the claim.
- On the way to pick up or actively driving passengers. Once a ride request is accepted, rideshare companies must provide $1 million in primary liability coverage, significantly increasing available compensation if the rideshare driver was negligent.
Securing this information early before evidence disappears is essential.
Gather Evidence at the Scene
Once you’ve addressed any immediate safety concerns, start documenting the scene.
You should:
- Take photos of all vehicles involved, including damage from multiple angles
- Photograph the accident location, including road conditions, traffic signals, and any relevant signage.
- Photograph any visible injuries you or your passengers sustained.
- Collect contact and insurance information from all drivers involved.
- Get names and contact details for any witnesses who saw what happened.
This evidence will help you prove your claim later on.
Seek Medical Attention Promptly
You should seek medical care right away, even if your injuries seem minor, because some symptoms may not show up immediately. Getting prompt medical attention protects your health and creates an official record connecting your injuries directly to the accident, which insurance companies will carefully review.
Report the Accident Through the Rideshare App
Both Uber and Lyft require drivers and riders to report accidents through the app. Doing so creates an official record with the company and can trigger their internal claims process, which may run alongside any claim against the driver’s personal insurance.
Consult an Attorney Before Accepting Any Settlement
If you were injured in a rideshare accident in Illinois, Feagans Law Group can guide you through each of these steps and fight for the full compensation you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation with our St. Charles Uber accident lawyer.