Does Uber’s $1 million policy always apply?

No, and this is the most consequential misunderstanding in rideshare claims. The $1,000,000 limit generally applies only while the driver is en route to a pickup or carrying a passenger. With the app on but no ride accepted, a much smaller contingent policy applies. With the app off, only the driver’s personal insurance does.

I was an Uber passenger. Who do I claim against?

It depends on who caused the collision. If your driver was at fault, the rideshare trip policy generally responds. If another driver was at fault, their insurer is primary, with the rideshare policy’s uninsured or underinsured coverage potentially applying if their limits are inadequate.

What should I document right after a rideshare crash?

Screenshot the trip in your ride history, including the driver’s name, vehicle, and timestamps. Photograph the scene and vehicles, get the police report number, and identify witnesses. App records establish which coverage tier applies and can become unavailable later.

Am I partly at fault as a passenger?

Almost never, since you had no control over the vehicle’s operation. Absent something unusual — interfering with the driver, or not wearing an available seatbelt in a way that measurably worsened your injuries — comparative fault is typically zero.

Does this apply to Lyft and delivery apps too?

The same tiered structure applies to Lyft, with comparable limits. Delivery platforms such as DoorDash and Instacart also use period-based coverage, but the limits and terms differ, so confirm the specific policy rather than assuming the rideshare figures.

Does surgery increase settlement value?

Surgery or a surgery recommendation is often a high-impact severity signal, but value still depends on liability, causation, coverage, prior history, and recovery outcome.

Why do settlement ranges vary so widely?

Two claims with the same diagnosis can settle very differently depending on liability, available policy limits, treatment continuity, wage loss, and how well the file is documented.

Do medical bills set the value of a claim?

Bills are one input, not the answer. Insurers weigh causation, necessity, the treatment timeline, and what a jury in that venue is likely to do.

Can ClearCaseIQ tell me exactly what my case is worth?

No tool can guarantee a result. ClearCaseIQ provides a preliminary intelligence report based on available facts, documents, and underwriting signals.

Is this legal advice?

No. ClearCaseIQ is not a law firm. The report is educational and can help organize information for possible attorney review.

Rideshare claims

Uber and Lyft accident settlement calculator

In a rideshare claim, the single most important fact is what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of the collision — it can change available coverage from a personal auto policy to a million dollars. This estimates a range and explains which coverage tier applies.

Nothing you enter leaves your browser. ClearCaseIQ is not a law firm, this is not legal advice, and no calculator can predict what a specific claim will settle for.

Documented losses

Medical bills to date$Total billed, before insurance adjustments.Estimated future medical care$Optional. Surgery, injections, or ongoing therapy.Lost wages or income$Time missed from work, documented.Other out-of-pocket costs$Optional. Mileage, devices, household help.

Injury and faultInjury severityImaging confirms an injury. Months of physical therapy or chiropractic care. Multiplier 2× to 3.5×.Who was at faultRear-end collision, citation issued, or a liability admission.Your own share of fault0%California reduces recovery by your share of fault but never eliminates it, even above 50%.Claim type

Insurance (optional)Known insurance policy limit$Coverage depends entirely on app status. Off the app, only the driver’s personal policy applies. App on but no ride accepted, a contingent policy applies with limits commonly around $50,000 per person. En route to a pickup or carrying a passenger, a $1,000,000 third-party liability policy generally applies.

How this is calculated

Economic loss is the sum of medical bills, future care, lost wages, and out-of-pocket costs.
A non-economic component is medical costs multiplied by a severity multiplier between 1.5× and 10×. This stands in for pain and disruption, which have no invoice.
If fault is disputed, the total is discounted, because carriers pay less when liability is contested.
The result is reduced by your share of fault under California’s pure comparative negligence rule.
If you entered a policy limit, the range is capped at it.

The method has real limitations. Tying non-economic damages to treatment cost undervalues a serious injury treated cheaply and overvalues a minor injury treated expensively. It ignores venue, the specific adjuster, your credibility as a witness, and liens that reduce what you actually keep. Treat the output as a starting point for a conversation, not a target.

What actually drives value in these claims

App status decides the coverage tier: Three distinct regimes apply depending on whether the app was off, on but idle, or engaged in a trip. The difference between the idle tier and the on-trip tier is roughly twenty-fold, which usually matters more to the outcome than the injury itself.
Proof of the trip period: A trip receipt, the ride history in the app, driver identity, and the timestamp of the request all establish which tier applies. Screenshot them promptly — riders lose access to app history when accounts change or are closed.
Passengers are rarely at fault: As a passenger you had no control over the vehicle, so comparative fault is usually zero regardless of which driver caused the collision. That removes the reduction that often shrinks a driver’s claim.
The company disputes employment, not just fault: Rideshare companies characterize drivers as independent contractors to limit vicarious liability. The dispute typically plays out through the insurance tiers rather than as a direct claim against the company.
Uninsured and underinsured coverage on the trip policy: When the other driver caused the crash and has little or no insurance, the rideshare policy’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may still respond during an active trip. This is regularly overlooked.

Common questions

Does Uber’s $1 million policy always apply?: No, and this is the most consequential misunderstanding in rideshare claims. The $1,000,000 limit generally applies only while the driver is en route to a pickup or carrying a passenger. With the app on but no ride accepted, a much smaller contingent policy applies. With the app off, only the driver’s personal insurance does.
I was an Uber passenger. Who do I claim against?: It depends on who caused the collision. If your driver was at fault, the rideshare trip policy generally responds. If another driver was at fault, their insurer is primary, with the rideshare policy’s uninsured or underinsured coverage potentially applying if their limits are inadequate.
What should I document right after a rideshare crash?: Screenshot the trip in your ride history, including the driver’s name, vehicle, and timestamps. Photograph the scene and vehicles, get the police report number, and identify witnesses. App records establish which coverage tier applies and can become unavailable later.
Am I partly at fault as a passenger?: Almost never, since you had no control over the vehicle’s operation. Absent something unusual — interfering with the driver, or not wearing an available seatbelt in a way that measurably worsened your injuries — comparative fault is typically zero.
Does this apply to Lyft and delivery apps too?: The same tiered structure applies to Lyft, with comparable limits. Delivery platforms such as DoorDash and Instacart also use period-based coverage, but the limits and terms differ, so confirm the specific policy rather than assuming the rideshare figures.

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