Torrance Uber and Lyft Accident Lawyer

Hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash in Torrance? Whether you were a passenger, the driver of another car, a cyclist, or someone walking along Hawthorne Boulevard, a rideshare crash is not handled like an ordinary fender bender. Several insurers may be involved, and the coverage changes depending on what the driver's app was doing when you were hit. Adjusters know those rules. Most injured people do not. Moe Abdallah is a Los Angeles motor-vehicle injury attorney who takes rideshare cases from his downtown office at 527 W 7th St and answers his own phone. Below you will find how the insurance works, what evidence to save, what sets Torrance apart, and what to do next. Do not wait for the insurer to call you first. The sooner the trip record is saved, the stronger your claim. Call (323) 716-1992 any hour. Se habla español.

Which Uber or Lyft coverage was live when you were hit

California sets rideshare insurance by what the driver's app was doing, and that detail often decides how much money is available. With the app off, the driver is an ordinary motorist. The driver's own policy applies, and the state minimum since 2025 is $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage (Vehicle Code 16056). Once the driver logs in and waits for a ride request, the company's policy steps in. State law requires coverage that pays first, of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for injury and death, plus $30,000 for property damage. The driver's rideshare policy, the company's policy, or both can supply it, and the rideshare company must also carry $200,000 per occurrence in excess coverage (Public Utilities Code 5433). During that logged-on time, a personal auto policy does not have to cover the driver unless it says so (Pub. Util. Code 5434). From the moment the driver accepts a ride until the trip is complete, $1,000,000 in coverage that pays first for death, injury, and property damage must be in place, through the driver's rideshare policy, the company's policy, or both. That is the figure people hear about, and it applies only in that window. Since January 1, 2026, the company must also provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident while a passenger is in the car, and that coverage is the company's own duty (SB 371). These amounts are floors, not caps. The statute does not limit the company's liability above them. Moe pins down which period applied by getting the trip log, because the same crash can mean $30,000 or $1 million in coverage.

Passenger, other driver, or pedestrian: your role changes the claim

If you were riding in the Uber or Lyft, you are not blamed for how the driver drove. You can claim against the rideshare driver and the company's policy, and against the other driver if that person caused the crash. If the other driver was uninsured or ran, the rideshare company's UM coverage may apply to you as a passenger. If you were in another car, the claim runs against the rideshare driver and whichever policy was live, with your own insurer in the background. Think twice before giving a recorded statement. Insurers use them to lock in a version of events that shifts fault your way. If you were walking or biking, the rideshare driver may have been looking at the app or pulling to the curb for a pickup. Rideshare drivers stop in odd places, and a stopped car with a door opening is a real hazard for riders on a bike. In its 2023 rankings, the California Office of Traffic Safety counted 43 pedestrian victims and 36 bicyclist victims in Torrance. Fault gets argued in every one of these cases. California follows pure comparative negligence under Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, so you can still recover if you share some blame. Under Proposition 51, each defendant pays pain and suffering only for its own share of fault (Civ. Code 1431.2). One more rule to know: an uninsured owner or someone convicted of DUI for the crash generally cannot recover non-economic damages (Civ. Code 3333.4).

Pickup curbs, shopping lots, and busy Torrance streets

Every rideshare trip starts and ends at a curb. In Torrance, one big draw is Del Amo Fashion Center. The city calls Hawthorne Boulevard the gateway to it and says the street carries about 70,000 vehicle trips a day. Add Crenshaw Boulevard, Torrance Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Western Avenue, Artesia Boulevard, Del Amo Boulevard, and Pacific Coast Highway, and a driver hunting for the pickup pin has plenty of chances to cut across lanes or stop short. We have no ride-count data for these streets, and we will not guess at one. A driver watching a map has less attention for the road. Late-night trips add a second risk. OTS reports 50 alcohol-involved victims and 123 DUI arrests in Torrance in 2023, and the city ranked 12th of 62 similar-size cities for DUI arrests, where a lower rank means more. A passenger in a rideshare car can be hit by a drunk driver through no fault of their own, and that driver's insurance may be thin. In that case the rideshare company's UM coverage, or your own, may matter. Highway crashes count too. A rideshare driver heading to or from the beach cities may be on PCH, I-405, or I-110 when something goes wrong. Which agency writes the report depends on where the crash happened, so we confirm that early.

Save the trip record before the app erases the story

In a rideshare case, the strongest proof is in the app, and you may be the only person who can save it. Open your Uber or Lyft account right away and screenshot the trip. Capture the date, the pickup and drop-off points, the driver's name and photo, the car's make and plate, and the receipt. If you rode, ask the app for the trip details while you can still log in. Do not delete the app, and do not cancel the account. Moe's team sends a preservation letter to the company asking it to keep the trip data, the driver's login history, and the app's location records for the day. That record can show whether the driver was on a trip, waiting for a request, or offline when the crash occurred. That fact decides which insurance policy applies. At the scene, photograph the cars, the damage, and the street. Ask whether the driver has a dash cam. Get the driver's license, plate, and insurance details, and take witness names. If the driver says the app was off, write that statement down word for word. Rideshare companies often point at the driver's personal policy, and drivers sometimes change their story after they talk to the company. Do not post about the crash online, and do not accept a quick offer from the rideshare insurer. Early offers often arrive before you know the full cost of your injuries.

Torrance police reports, the SR-1, and where your case is heard

The Torrance Police Department, at 3300 Civic Center Dr., writes the report for crashes inside the city. You can order it through LexisNexis eCrash at least 15 days after the crash, for a convenience fee, or by mail or in person from the Records Division at (310) 618-5529 with a request form, photo ID, and an $18.00 check or money order. Reports go to drivers, owners, injured people, and their representatives. California law requires you to report the crash to the DMV within 10 days using the SR-1 form if anyone was hurt or damage topped $1,000 (Vehicle Code 16000). Do not skip it because a rideshare company is handling the claim. You generally have two years to sue for injury (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1) and three years for vehicle damage (CCP 338). If a city or other public agency played a part, such as a city vehicle, a bus, or a road defect, you have only six months to present a claim (Gov. Code 911.2). The City of Torrance takes claims by mail or in person at 3031 Torrance Blvd, and it does not accept email or fax. The city also notes that Caltrans maintains PCH, Western Avenue, and Hawthorne Boulevard north of PCH, so a road-defect claim there may belong to a different agency. The Torrance Courthouse is at 825 Maple Ave, but unlimited injury suits may be assigned to a downtown courthouse. Moe checks the Filing Court Locator before filing.

Rideshare injuries, Torrance hospitals, and how Moe handles the claim

Rideshare crashes often involve side impacts, rear-end hits, and passengers who are not braced. Common injuries include whiplash, concussions, shoulder and knee tears, fractured ribs, and spinal injuries that show up days later. See a doctor even if you feel fine, and tell them you were in a car crash. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, just outside Torrance in West Carson, is listed by the California Emergency Medical Services Authority as a Level I adult and pediatric trauma center. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance on Torrance Boulevard runs a 24/7 emergency department. Torrance Memorial Medical Center on Lomita Boulevard also treats emergency patients. Insurers will argue about pre-existing conditions and gaps in treatment. Moe has handled a highway rear-end case where a passenger's pre-existing condition was aggravated, and it ended in a $30,000 policy-limit recovery. In another matter, an insurer offered $900 and the case ended at $75,000 total. Every case is different, and past results do not promise a similar outcome. The process is simple. Call for a free review at any hour. Moe takes the call himself, gets the trip record preserved, identifies every policy, and handles the insurers. You do not pay a fee unless he wins, and he updates you by call and text.

Talk to a Torrance uber & lyft accident lawyer

Call (323) 716-1992 for a free, no-obligation case review. You pay nothing unless we win, and we'll handle the insurance companies for you. Learn more about our uber / lyft accidents representation →

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