Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft have become a regular part of getting around Montana’s cities, but accidents involving these vehicles raise insurance questions that don’t come up in a typical car accident claim. Knowing how coverage works can help you understand your options after a crash, whether you were a passenger, another driver, or someone else affected by the collision.
Why Rideshare Accidents Are Different
Uber and Lyft drivers use personal vehicles, but the companies provide layered insurance coverage that applies differently depending on what the driver was doing at the time of the crash: waiting for a ride request, en route to pick up a passenger, or actively transporting one. This layered structure means the same accident can trigger very different insurance responses depending on a detail as small as whether the driver had accepted a ride request yet.
Coverage Depending on Driver Status
If the app was off, the driver’s personal auto insurance typically applies, just as it would for any other driver. If the driver was logged in and waiting for a ride request, limited liability coverage from the rideshare company may apply as a backup to the driver’s personal policy. Once a ride is accepted or in progress, rideshare companies generally provide much higher coverage limits, since the driver is actively working at that point and the company’s own commercial-level coverage takes over.
Who Can File a Claim
You may have a claim whether you were a passenger in the rideshare vehicle, a driver or passenger in another car involved in the crash, or even a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a rideshare driver. Each scenario can involve a different combination of insurance policies, and figuring out which one applies is often the first major step in a rideshare accident claim.
Montana's Fault Rules Still Apply
Montana’s modified comparative fault rule applies to rideshare accidents just as it would to any car accident, meaning you can recover damages as long as you were less than 51% at fault, with your award reduced by your share of responsibility.
Compensation You May Be Entitled To
- Medical expenses, current and future
- Lost wages and future income
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Why These Claims Can Take Longer to Resolve
Because a rideshare accident can involve the driver’s personal insurer, the rideshare company’s insurer, and potentially another driver’s insurance policy all at once, these claims often take more time and coordination to resolve than a standard two-car accident. Each insurer may try to point to another policy as the primary source of coverage, which can delay a fair resolution without persistent follow-up.
The Statute of Limitations
Montana generally gives you 3 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim, including one involving a rideshare vehicle. Given how many parties and insurance policies can be involved, it’s worth starting the process sooner rather than later so evidence about the driver’s app status at the time of the crash can be properly documented.
Why These Claims Benefit From Legal Help
Sorting out which insurance policy applies, and how much coverage is actually available, can be far more complicated in a rideshare accident than a typical two-car collision. An attorney can help identify every available source of compensation and deal directly with the rideshare company’s insurer on your behalf, rather than leaving you to sort out competing insurance claims on your own.
Documenting the Driver's App Status
Because coverage depends so heavily on what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash, preserving evidence of the driver’s app status is one of the most important early steps in a rideshare claim. Screenshots of the ride history, trip receipts, and the rideshare company’s own internal records can all help establish whether a ride was in progress, accepted, or not yet started, which in turn determines which insurance policy actually applies to the claim.
What If the Rideshare Driver Was at Fault
When the rideshare driver caused the accident, whether through distracted driving, speeding to meet a fare, or simply failing to watch the road, the applicable rideshare insurance policy is generally the first place a claim is directed. Passengers in the vehicle at the time have a particularly strong position, since they were not responsible for the collision and can typically pursue compensation through the driver’s coverage without having to prove their own lack of fault.
What If Another Driver Hit the Rideshare Vehicle
When a rideshare vehicle is struck by another driver who ran a red light, failed to yield, or was otherwise at fault, that driver’s own liability insurance is typically the first source of compensation, regardless of the rideshare company’s coverage. If that driver is uninsured or underinsured, the rideshare company’s supplemental coverage, which often includes its own uninsured motorist protection while a ride is in progress, may then come into play to fill the gap.
Reporting the Accident to Uber or Lyft
Both major rideshare companies have their own internal process for reporting accidents through the app, separate from any police report or insurance claim. Completing this report promptly helps preserve the trip data and driver status information that often becomes central to determining which insurance policy applies, and delays in reporting can sometimes make that information harder to retrieve later.
Talk to Big Sky Defender Today
If you were injured in a rideshare accident in Montana, Big Sky Defender handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning there’s no fee unless we win. We’ll review the facts of your case, explain your options clearly, and work to get you the compensation you’re entitled to. Call (406) 552-4653 or visit /contact-us/ for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coverage depends on what the driver was doing at the time: waiting for a ride, en route to a pickup, or actively transporting a passenger, each of which triggers different coverage levels.
Yes. Passengers injured in a rideshare accident can generally pursue a claim against the applicable insurance coverage.
You may still have a claim as a pedestrian or cyclist, depending on the driver’s status and insurance coverage at the time.
Generally 3 years from the date of the accident under Montana’s statute of limitations.
