10 Important Facts About Uber Accidents

Wanna know the top 10 important facts about Uber Accidents? Since the inception of rideshare companies, such as Uber in 2009 and Lyft in 2012, there has been major scrutiny regarding the safety and protection of both drivers and passengers. Rideshare companies are regulated state by state, and the rules differ across many parts of their services. This includes: driver background checks, vehicle inspections, insurance requirements, pick-up locations, as well as service fees and costs.

One thing is for certain – rideshare companies have changed the way people travel worldwide. While the debate around the safety of additional rideshare options rages on, accidents can and will continue to occur.

Whether you are a driver for a ridesharing service, or a passenger, UberLawyer.com can review your Uber accident claim. You should know the facts about when and how we can protect your rights.

Here are some facts and statistics to know about Uber accidents:

1. More than 99.9% of Uber trips in 2019–2020 ended without any safety report. This comes from Uber’s 2019–2020 US Safety Report, published in 2022.

In the same report, 0.1% of trips had a support request for a safety-related concern, and most of those concerns were about less-severe issues such as complaints about driving or a verbal argument.

1. Uber’s 2017–2018 US Safety Report found that about 90% of Uber-related fatal crashes occurred in urban areas. The 2019–2020 report put the urban share of fatalities at 91%. This partly reflects where Uber operates: mostly in cities.

1. The arrival of ridehailing is associated with an increase of approximately 3% in traffic fatalities and fatal accidents, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper by researchers at the University of Chicago and Rice University.

Why this occurs may be due to the increased number of cars on the road. Theoretically, more traffic and more car density, results in more accidents.

Regardless if you are the driver or passenger in an Uber accident, talking to an Uber accident attorney early helps protect your rights from the start.

1. When filing an accident claim, it is important to note the phase the ride is in at the time of the accident. The following regards to driver rights and Uber insurance compensation.

   1. Period 0 (Offline) – claims must be covered by personal insurance
   2. Period 1 (Online, Waiting for a Request) – Uber will provide some coverage
   3. Periods 2 and 3 (Fare Accepted, Passenger Pickup) – Uber’s $1 million liability coverage applies

Speak with an attorney today to learn more about the specific coverages for each period.

1. If you are in an accident as a passenger, protection under Uber’s insurance policy extends to you as well. You may also be entitled to file a personal injury claim against the party at fault for the accident and any damages incurred.

1. Accidents can be defined as more than vehicular. Uber drivers may become the victim of assault or property damage from their passengers. In the unlikely event that this should occur, drivers are entitled to coverage under Uber’s insurance policy.

In these situations, it is important for drivers to contact an attorney to represent their rights, and UberLawyer.com handles Uber accidents and other rideshare-related incidents.

1. Uber shares specific safety tips for their drives as recommendations to avoid accidents and other potentially dangerous situations. These include:

   1. Using only correct drop-off and pick-up zones when collecting passengers.
   2. Encouraging passengers to always ride in the backseat.
   3. Making sure seatbelts are always fastened for the duration of the ride for both the driver and passenger(s).
   4. Giving feedback on the riders in order to protect others from a potentially dangerous situation in the future.

1. If an accident with an Uber driver and vehicle was caused by another driver who does not have insurance coverage, Uber has uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage for passengers. In California it is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident for crashes on or after January 1, 2026, and it applies only while the passenger is in the car.

1. It could take anywhere from a few months to two years to settle an accident claim with Uber. There are many parts to this process, and each take a unique amount of time.

Again, it is vital to contact an Uber accident attorney as soon as possible after the accident has occurred. Your attorney can begin this lengthy process and shorten the amount of time it takes for you to receive the compensation owed to you.

Understanding the policies involved, the coverages within these policies, and the timeframes in which the policies apply can get incredibly complicated.

Uber has taken specific precautions to protect themselves in the event of driver and rider accidents, which makes it harder to file claims against the company.

That is why it helps to have an Uber accident attorney on your side. Your attorney represents your interests and pursues the compensation the law allows.