AS SEEN ON
Sunset West Legal Group, PC represents passengers, drivers, and others injured in Uber and Lyft accidents across Los Angeles and California, and has recovered over $150 million for injury clients. Founding partner Payton Kashani knows how to pin liability on the rideshare company and reach the $1 million policy that applies during a trip. We work on a no win, no fee basis and offer free consultations. Available 24/7. Hablamos Español.
Uber and Lyft accident claims turn on one question most passengers never think to ask: what was the driver’s app status when the crash happened? The answer decides which insurance pays, and the difference can be enormous. Sunset West Legal Group knows how to prove it and how to reach the coverage you are owed.
Rideshare companies fight liability hard. They argue they are not employers, merely a technology platform pairing drivers with riders, and they use that argument to distance themselves from a crash.
We have helped countless clients cut through that defence and value their claim properly.
Over $150 million recovered. More than 200 five-star reviews. No fee unless we win. Available 24/7. Hablamos Español.
In California, the coverage available after an Uber or Lyft crash depends on what the driver was doing at the moment of impact. Rideshare insurance is divided into distinct periods, and the amounts range from modest to substantial.
Period 1 is when the app is on but the driver has not yet accepted a ride. Here the rideshare company provides only contingent coverage: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $30,000 for property damage.
Periods 2 and 3 cover the moment a driver accepts a ride through to drop-off, whether they are on their way to you or you are already in the car. This is where the rideshare company’s $1 million primary liability policy applies, and it is the strongest position for an injured passenger.
Proving which period applied often decides the value of your case. The proof lives in the app data, the timestamps, GPS records, and trip logs that Uber and Lyft control and do not hand over willingly. That data can be deleted under retention policies, so we move fast to demand its preservation.
California law changed on January 1, 2026. Under Senate Bill 371, the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that Uber and Lyft must carry during a trip dropped from $1 million to $60,000 per person.
That layer matters when the driver who caused your crash was someone else, and that person had no insurance or too little. The rideshare company’s primary liability policy, the $1 million that applies when the Uber or Lyft driver is at fault, did not change.
The practical result is that your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is now more important than ever. We assess every available policy to find the full compensation you are owed.
The rideshare company’s “we only facilitate” defence is not the end of the story. California courts increasingly hold these companies responsible, because they run the background checks and decide who is allowed to drive.
Where a company failed to screen a driver properly, that is negligent hiring. Where it kept a dangerous driver on the platform despite complaints, that is negligent retention. Both are direct claims against the company itself, not just the driver, and both can open coverage the company would rather keep closed.
Several factors drive the value of an Uber or Lyft injury settlement.
The severity of your injuries comes first, established by prompt medical treatment and clear records. Seek care immediately after a crash, so there is no gap a defence lawyer can exploit.
Your current and future medical and rehabilitation costs follow, driven by any long-term injury or disability.
Economic damages cover lost income and lost future earnings. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, sometimes calculated on a per-diem basis that assigns a daily value to what you endure. And where an at-fault party acted in reckless disregard for others’ safety, punitive damages may apply.
Sunset West Legal Group has recovered over $150 million for clients across California, including a $2 million rideshare passenger settlement that required complex, multi-policy liability negotiation. Founding partner Payton Kashani has been licensed in California since 2012 and named to Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars list every year from 2018 to 2022. Attorney Josh Teller supports the firm’s cases and holds Rising Stars recognition for 2025 and 2026.
We advise you at every step, negotiate hard with Uber, Lyft, and their insurers, and try cases before a jury when an insurer refuses to pay fair value.
Your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win. Our team is available 24/7 to review your case and explain your options.
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At Sunset West Legal Group, we understand that every injury case is different. We have recovered millions for our clients by advising them on the next steps, negotiating on their behalf with powerful insurance companies, and even representing clients in court in front of a jury. Your free consultation is the first step in letting us help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
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Yes. The insurance available depends on the driver’s app status at the moment of impact, not on who was hit. If the driver had an active or accepted ride, the same $1 million policy that protects passengers applies to you as well. If the app was merely on with no ride accepted, the lower contingent coverage applies instead. Many people struck by a rideshare vehicle never think to ask what the driver’s app was doing – but it’s often the single biggest factor in what you can recover.
Then none of the rideshare coverage applies. If the driver was logged out of the app entirely, the crash is treated as an ordinary car accident, and only their personal auto insurance responds – often close to California’s state minimum, nowhere near the $1 million policy that applies once the app is active. Confirming the driver’s app status at the exact moment of the crash is one of the first things we do, because it determines which insurance, and how much of it, is actually on the table.
It’s shared, not multiplied. The rideshare company’s $1 million policy is a combined limit for the whole accident, not $1 million per injured person. If several passengers, or a passenger and a third party, were hurt in the same crash, everyone’s claims draw from that same pool, and how it’s divided depends on the severity of each person’s injuries and how well each claim is documented. When more than one person was hurt, building a strong, well-evidenced claim early matters even more than usual.
Whichever company’s ride the driver had actually accepted at the moment of the crash. Drivers running both apps at once – “multi-apping” – is common, and it creates real disputes: if no ride had been accepted on either platform, both companies may try to point to the other’s coverage, or argue the driver wasn’t actively working for them at all. Sorting this out means pulling trip data from both apps, not just one. We know how to request it and how to push back when a company tries to deflect responsibility onto its competitor.
You generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in California. That shrinks to six months if a public agency contributed to the accident – a city bus, a municipal vehicle, or a poorly maintained road – even though Uber and Lyft themselves are private companies. Missing that six-month window usually ends the claim against that public entity regardless of merit, so it’s worth having your case reviewed early rather than assuming the standard two-year clock is the only one running.
WHY YOU NEED US NOW
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
I am very pleased by his work ethic and professionalism.
“I met and became acquainted with Mr. Kashani after my previous attorney was not capable of continuing my case to a trial. Mr. Kashani was able to step in and not only settle my case before trial, but he was able to secure a much larger settlement for me. I would certainly recommend him to my friends and family”
Los Angeles, CA - Car Accident
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