Van Nuys Uber Accident Lawyer for Uber and Lyft Crashes

A rideshare crash adds a problem an ordinary wreck does not have. The driver's own insurer, Uber or Lyft's insurer, and sometimes a third policy all point at one another, and the one that pays depends on what the app was doing when you were hurt. In Van Nuys, a ride might start at a G Line busway station, the Metrolink and Amtrak station, or the LAX FlyAway terminal, then run down Van Nuys, Sepulveda, or Victory Boulevard. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. represents passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists hurt in Uber and Lyft crashes in Van Nuys, Panorama City, Valley Glen, and Lake Balboa. Attorney Moe Abdallah takes your call himself at any hour, and the first conversation is free. You pay no fee unless he wins. This page explains how the app phases change the coverage, how to save the trip record, where to get your LAPD report, and the deadlines that apply.

Where Van Nuys rideshare trips start, end, and go wrong

A Van Nuys ride often links to something else. A commuter may step off a G Line bus at the Van Nuys or Sepulveda station and call a car for the last mile. A traveler may leave the Metrolink or Amtrak station or the FlyAway terminal at Woodley and Saticoy with luggage and a phone. Residents may head across the I-405 to the US-101 or toward Panorama City, Valley Glen, and Lake Balboa. Drivers working the app can idle at curbs, hunt for the pickup pin, stop in a travel lane, or make sudden turns across Van Nuys Boulevard, Sepulveda Boulevard, Victory Boulevard, Sherman Way, and Vanowen Street. Those habits lead to rear-end hits, door strikes, and crashes with people on foot. We have no rideshare crash counts for Van Nuys, so we make no claim about hotspots. We do know that Van Nuys Airport sits in the neighborhood and that the I-405 runs through it. If an Uber or Lyft hurt you here, note the exact pickup or drop-off location, the time, the car's plate, and the driver's name in the app. Those details lead us to the trip, the cameras, and the right insurer.

The app phase decides which policy pays

California treats a rideshare driver differently depending on the status of the app. With the app off, the driver is an ordinary motorist, and the driver's own policy applies, with state minimums of $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage (Vehicle Code 16056). When the driver is logged on and waiting for a request, state law requires coverage 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 company must also carry $200,000 per occurrence in excess coverage (Public Utilities Code 5433(c)). A personal auto policy does not have to cover that period unless it says so (Public Utilities Code 5434). From the moment a driver accepts a ride until the ride ends, required coverage is $1,000,000 for death, injury, and property damage (Public Utilities Code 5433(b)(1)). Starting January 1, 2026, SB 371 requires the company to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident while a passenger is in the car (Public Utilities Code 5433(b)(2)). These numbers are floors, and the statute does not cap what the company may owe. Our first job is proving the phase.

Save the trip record before it disappears

The app records things a police report never will. It logs when the driver went online, when the ride was accepted, the route, the speed, and when the trip ended. That timeline can prove which insurance period applied and whether the driver was distracted by the app. As a rider, screenshot your trip receipt, the driver's name and photo, the plate, and the route right away, then save the confirmation email. Do not delete the app. As another driver, a cyclist, or a pedestrian, write down the plate and any Uber or Lyft sticker or lit display, and ask witnesses for names. Take photos of the cars, the road, and your injuries. Then we send preservation letters that tell the company to keep its trip data, driver messages, and any dashcam video. Rideshare companies and their insurers move quickly after a crash, and they can use a recorded statement against you. You can say that you are getting medical care and that your lawyer will contact them. We also look for traffic or business cameras on the boulevards and request the LAPD report when it is released.

Hurt as a rider, as the other driver, or on foot

Your role shapes the claim. A passenger usually does not share blame for the crash, and may claim against the rideshare driver, the company's policy, and the other driver if that driver was at fault. The $1,000,000 coverage applies during the trip, and the new UM/UIM coverage may help when the at-fault driver has little or no insurance. If you were in the other car, you can claim against the rideshare driver and whichever policy applies to the app phase. The driver may say the app was off, and we check the records. A pedestrian hit near a Van Nuys station, or a cyclist forced out of a bike lane by a stopped car, has the same right to pursue the driver and the applicable policy. California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover when partly at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of blame (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804). Under Proposition 51, each defendant pays non-economic damages in proportion to its own fault, while economic damages stay joint, which is why naming every responsible party matters.

The LAPD report, the SR-1, and rideshare deadlines in Van Nuys

LAPD's Van Nuys Community Police Station at 6240 Sylmar Avenue, phone 818-374-9500, serves the area, and the Valley Traffic Division at 7870 Nollan Place in Panorama City supports collisions across the Valley Bureau. LAPD asks you to wait at least 45 days before requesting a collision report online. Reports involving an arrest, a fatality, or a juvenile must be requested by mail, and victims and their representatives may request reports under Vehicle Code 20012. If you were driving, report any crash with an injury, a death, or more than $1,000 in damage to the DMV within 10 days using the SR-1 form (Vehicle Code 16000). For a lawsuit, you generally have two years for injury (Code of Civil Procedure 335.1) and three years for vehicle and property damage (Code of Civil Procedure 338(c)(1)). If a public entity is involved, such as a city vehicle or a dangerous road, you must present a written claim within six months (Government Code 911.2). For the City of Los Angeles, claims go to the City Clerk at claims.lacity.org. The Van Nuys Courthouse East at 6230 Sylmar Avenue is part of the Northwest District of the LA County Superior Court, but your lawyer confirms the right venue before filing.

Rideshare injuries, Valley Presbyterian, and how Moe handles the insurers

Rideshare crashes cause whiplash, fractures, concussions, spinal injuries, and injuries to people thrown against a seat or door. Valley Presbyterian Hospital at 15107 Vanowen Street in Van Nuys has an emergency room and 350 beds, and paramedics may take you there or elsewhere. Tell every provider that you were in an Uber or Lyft crash and follow through on treatment. Insurers look for gaps. They may also say the driver was off the app, that you were partly at fault, or that your injuries came from something older. Moe Abdallah Law, P.C. handles motor-vehicle injury cases only, and Attorney Moe Abdallah talks to clients himself and updates them by call and text. He has recovered $30,000 in policy limits on a head-on crash with surgery and $105,000 for an uninsured client with a broken sternum. Past results are no promise of a similar outcome. We take cases on contingency, so you pay no fee unless we win. Moe also explains each offer in plain language before you decide. We gather your medical records, bills, and proof of missed work, and we value future care and pain and suffering too, so an early lowball offer from the company's insurer does not set the number. Se Habla Español.

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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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