What Happens If Your Uber Driver Crashes in New Jersey?

Being involved in an accident as an Uber passenger can be a confusing and frightening experience. You have no control over your driver’s actions and place your safety in their hands when you enter their vehicle. While you may not have been able to prevent the accident, you may wonder, “What happens if your Uber driver crashes?” You can take steps now to understand and protect your legal rights.

Learn what happens if your Uber driver crashes and how to proceed after this type of accident. For more specific legal guidance, consult an Uber accident lawyer.

Who Is Responsible for an Uber Accident?

As a passenger, you likely will not assume liability for the accident unless your negligence caused the vehicle to crash. Instead, the insurance company may assign liability to your Uber driver, another driver involved in the accident, or both parties.

Insurance companies determine liability by examining the details of the accident, reviewing photos and videos, and speaking with witnesses. Determining the liable party is the first step in seeking compensation, as you need to know whose insurance will potentially cover the accident: your driver’s personal auto insurance, Uber’s liability policy, or the other driver’s insurance.

How Does Insurance Work After an Uber Accident?

Uber offers extensive liability coverage for accidents in which its drivers were actively transporting passengers or driving to pick up passengers and were found to be at fault. Consequently, if your driver was responsible for the crash and you hired them through the Uber app, the following would likely apply to your accident:

• Insurance that covers at least $1 million for injuries and property damage to riders and third parties involved in an accident
• Insurance that covers the cost to repair the Uber driver’s vehicle with a $2,500 deductible (contingent on the driver’s personal auto coverage)
• Potential personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to pay for your medical expenses and lost wages

Meanwhile, if another driver struck your Uber driver and was fully responsible for the accident, you would likely start by submitting a claim through that driver’s insurance instead of through Uber. Uber may then extend extra coverage to pay for expenses not covered by the at-fault driver’s insurance, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Steps To Take After Your Uber Driver Crashes

What happens if your Uber driver crashes? Following these steps after an accident may help you streamline the passenger injury claim process. However, an attorney can provide more personalized legal guidance on how to proceed after an accident.

1. Call 911: Your Uber driver might not want to report the accident for fear of losing their Uber eligibility. Call 911 anyway to report the accident and seek medical assistance.
2. Document the accident scene: If possible, take photos and videos of all vehicles involved in the accident and get the contact information of any witnesses. This can provide evidence to support your rideshare insurance claim or a potential personal injury lawsuit.
3. Seek medical attention: Seek medical treatment even if you feel okay. This provides you with medical documentation to use as part of your claim and prevents you from overlooking injuries that may be serious.
4. Report the accident to Uber: You can typically report accidents directly in the Uber app. Connect with a representative and determine whether Uber’s liability insurance applies to your crash.
5. Hire an Uber accident attorney: Uber accident cases can become complicated quickly. Your driver might claim they were not at fault, Uber might deny you coverage, or multiple parties might share partial liability, making it challenging to determine how to seek compensation. An experienced Uber accident attorney can help you throughout this process to help you understand your rights and explore your legal options.

Do You Have the Right To Sue After an Uber Crash?

You may wonder whether you can sue Uber or your Uber driver after an accident in which your driver is at fault. Uber provides generous liability coverage as a way to protect itself against passenger lawsuits. However, you may have the option to explore legal action if any of the following are true:

• Uber’s negligence contributed to the accident, including its failure to properly vet a driver who had been involved in multiple previous accidents.
• Uber’s insurance does not fully cover your damages, or the insurer falsely denies your claim.
• The accident involved extreme recklessness or egregious behavior, in which you may have the opportunity to pursue non-economic damages.

Speak with an Uber accident attorney about whether pursuing legal action makes sense for your case.

Seek Legal Guidance for Your Uber Accident

What happens if your Uber driver crashes? You may have the opportunity to seek compensation through an insurance claim or potential legal action.

At The Law Offices of Peter N. Davis and Associates, LLC, we represent rideshare accident victims across New Jersey. Reach out today at (973) 279-7246(973) 279-7246 or complete our online form to request a free case review with our Uber accident lawyer. Our goal is to protect your rights and seek justice for you

Copyright © 2025. The Law Offices of Peter N. Davis & Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.

The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

The Law Offices of Peter N. Davis & Associates, LLC
72 Essex Street, Suite 2,
Lodi, New Jersey 07644
(973) 279-7246(973) 279-7246
https://peterdavislaw.com/