Uber & Lyft Accidents matters in San Mateo
Rideshare Crashes on the Peninsula
Uber and Lyft are everywhere in San Mateo, carrying tech commuters between the Caltrain station and the office, late-night riders home from the bars and restaurants on B Street and Third Avenue, and travelers up US-101 (the Bayshore Freeway) toward San Francisco International Airport just north of the city. That heavy volume means rideshare crashes are common, whether you were a passenger in an Uber, a driver struck by a distracted Lyft driver glancing at the app, or a pedestrian hit near a busy pickup zone downtown. Collisions happen on US-101, on El Camino Real (SR-82), on Hillsdale Boulevard, and along the SR-92 approach to the bridge.
Rideshare crashes raise an extra layer of complexity beyond an ordinary collision, because the coverage that applies depends on what the driver was doing in the app at the moment of the crash.
The App Periods and the One Million Dollar Coverage
Uber and Lyft insurance is tied to the driver's app status. When the app is off and the driver is using the car personally, only the driver's own personal auto policy applies. When the driver has the app on and is waiting for a ride request, Uber and Lyft provide limited liability coverage. The critical change comes once the driver has accepted a trip or has a passenger in the car: during that period, the companies carry a one million dollar third-party liability policy, along with uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. That means a passenger injured during a ride, or another road user struck by a driver who was on a trip, may have access to substantial coverage.
Determining which period applied requires the trip records and app data, and the rideshare companies and their insurers do not hand that over freely. We obtain the records, identify every policy that could respond, and pursue the full available coverage. California's pure comparative negligence rule applies, so your recovery is reduced only by your share of fault and never eliminated, and as a passenger you are almost never at fault for the crash.
Deadlines and the San Mateo County Court
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a public entity such as the city, county, or Caltrans contributed through a dangerous road condition, Government Code section 911.2 requires a written claim within six months. Rideshare crash lawsuits in San Mateo are filed in the San Mateo County Superior Court, with civil matters heard at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City. Seriously injured crash victims are often treated at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, with major trauma transferred to Stanford. We work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost and no fee unless we recover for you.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with uber & lyft accidents
Uber and Lyft cases come down to which policy applies at the exact moment of the crash, and Mihran M. Ghazaryan maps that timeline precisely. He pulls the trip data, pinpoints the driver's app status, and pursues the up-to-$1M coverage that applies during an active ride — coverage adjusters won't volunteer. You work with the attorney untangling those layered policies, start to finish.
Types of rideshare accidents we handle
Passenger injury during an active ride
Uber's or Lyft's $1M policy is in force. The driver's personal policy is irrelevant to your recovery in most cases.
Driver as plaintiff (rideshare driver injured)
Uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage from the platform applies during active periods. We make sure rideshare drivers know what they have.
Pedestrians and other vehicles struck by rideshare drivers
App-status windows determine which policy responds. Trip data is the central piece.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every rideshare accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Get medical attention immediately.
- Screenshot your trip — both the receipt and the driver profile.
- Save the in-app trip details before the app updates them.
- Photograph the scene, the vehicle, and the rideshare placards.
- Do not give a recorded statement to either insurer before contacting us.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.