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You trusted an app, a rating, and a stranger with your life. You got in the back seat. Now you’ve been in a wreck and you don’t know what to do next.
Or you were crossing the street when a driver watching for a pickup pin never saw you.
Every day in Houston, tens of thousands of Uber and Lyft trips move through the Medical Center, Midtown, EaDo, Montrose, the Galleria, and out to IAH and Hobby. The drivers are timed, rated, and paid by the trip — rushing to a pin, glancing at the app, and taking a fare they’ve already been on the road twelve hours to earn.
When one of them crashes, you don’t have one insurance company to deal with. You have two, three, or none — and which one it is depends entirely on what the driver’s app was doing at the exact second of impact.
If you were injured as a passenger, as a pedestrian, in another vehicle, or as a rideshare driver yourself, and you suffered serious injuries or needed hospitalization, the company’s answer will be that the driver is an independent contractor. That is not the end of your case. It’s the beginning of ours.
Your well-being is our priority. We listen with respect, we’re committed to every case, and we fight for every dollar you need to recover.
Free and confidential consultation. You pay nothing unless we win your case.
You don’t have to be the passenger in the back seat. Rideshare crashes injure other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists too — and all of them may have a claim.
What makes these cases different from an ordinary car wreck is the insurance. A rideshare driver isn’t covered by one policy. They’re covered by a stack of them, and which one applies depends entirely on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of impact. A driver logged in and waiting for a request carries very different limits than one who accepted a ride thirty seconds earlier.
That detail decides what coverage is available to you. The rideshare company’s insurer already knows it. Most injured people find out much later, after the trip data they needed is gone.
The single most important fact in a Houston rideshare case is not the damage to the car. It is the driver’s status in the app at the moment of impact.
Texas regulates Uber and Lyft as Transportation Network Companies under Chapter 1954 of the Texas Insurance Code. That law splits rideshare driving into stages, and the available coverage swings from $30,000 to $1 million depending on which stage was active when you were hit. Insurance companies know this. It is why the first thing their adjuster wants to establish is that the app was off.
No rideshare coverage applies. The only policy available is the driver’s personal auto insurance, which in Texas can be as low as $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash, and $25,000 in property damage. For a crash that sends you to the emergency room, that limit can be gone before you leave the hospital.
This is the gap. The driver is logged in and working, but has not accepted a passenger yet. Texas Insurance Code § 1954.052 sets coverage here at $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash, and $25,000 in property damage — a fraction of what is available minutes later. This coverage is also contingent, meaning the rideshare company’s policy sits behind the driver’s personal insurance. And most personal auto policies contain a livery exclusion that voids coverage the moment the driver logs in for commercial work. That is how injured people end up caught between two insurers, each pointing at the other.
The moment the driver accepts a request, the prearranged ride begins and the rideshare company’s commercial policy takes over. Under § 1954.053, that means at least $1 million in liability coverage — even though no passenger is in the car yet.
The full $1 million commercial policy remains in place until the last passenger has exited the vehicle. Uber and Lyft also carry uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage during this stage, which can matter when the at-fault party is someone other than the rideshare driver.
Rideshare crashes happen where the app sends the driver — dense city streets, double-parked pickups, airport ramps, and bar districts at 2 a.m. Even at low speed, that’s enough to cause catastrophic injuries.
The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian represents people hurt in every kind of Uber and Lyft crash, including:
Each of these can leave you with permanent injuries, medical bills you never agreed to, and a life that doesn’t work the way it did last week. Our legal team knows how these companies are structured — and we fight to make sure their business model doesn’t become your burden to carry.
Houston runs on rideshare — to the Medical Center, out of Midtown at closing time, to two of the busiest airports in Texas. But every one of those trips puts a personal vehicle into commercial service, driven by someone the company insists doesn’t work for them.
Houston is also one of the deadliest cities in America for people on foot, with 99 pedestrian deaths in 2025 and a third-in-the-nation ranking by federal data. Pickup and drop-off zones are exactly where drivers and pedestrians collide. Most serious rideshare crashes trace back to negligence by the driver — or by the platform that put them on the road. Common causes include:
These aren’t accidents in the true sense of the word. They’re the predictable result of a business model built on speed, volume, and distance from responsibility.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a rideshare crash — whether you were a passenger, on foot, in another vehicle, or driving for the platform yourself — you have the right to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, physical pain, and emotional suffering.
Attorney Hilda Sibrian and her legal team are here to help you fight for justice. Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We represent rideshare accident victims across the greater Houston area.
Crashes involving large trucks are often devastating. The force of impact can cause serious, sometimes life-changing injuries. At the Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian®, we represent people who have suffered serious injuries including:
Head and Brain Injuries
Neck and Back Injuries
Broken Bones and Joint Damage
Chest and Internal Injuries
Burns and Scarring
Facial Injuries
Even if you feel fine after a crash, some injuries may take days or weeks to show symptoms. These injuries don’t just affect your body, they can threaten your job, your family’s stability, and your future. And while you’re suffering, the insurance companies are already working on ways to pay you as little as possible.
We won’t let that happen. We’ll fight for your medical care, lost wages, and everything you’ve lost because of someone else’s negligence.
Don’t speak to insurance adjustors alone and don’t wait to get checked by a doctor. Contact the injury attorney that truck accident victims trust with their recovery. The Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian are here to help you every step of the way.
Rideshare cases are not regular crashes. You aren’t up against one driver — you’re up against a multibillion-dollar platform, its national insurance carrier, and the driver’s personal insurer, and all three have a reason to point at each other. Their first move is almost always the same: “That driver is an independent contractor.”
The same injury can be worth $50,000 or $1,000,000 depending on whether the driver had tapped “accept” — and the insurance company decides which story to tell. They routinely argue the lower period applied. The only thing that settles it is the app data, GPS, and trip logs, which they hold and you don’t.
If you don’t have a legal team that knows how these platforms work, you run the risk of:
We keep you informed along the way. Every step, we take it with you and for you.
Who is Attorney Hilda Sibrian?
Attorney Hilda Sibrian has spent her career standing up for people who get hurt and then get overlooked — passengers, pedestrians, working families, and immigrant clients that big companies count on to stay quiet. With more than 22 years of experience, she has taken on major corporations and the insurance carriers who treat an injured person as a number to be negotiated down.
She personally leads every legal strategy alongside her team, so every client gets direct, honest, and clear communication — in English or Spanish, from someone who knows their name and their case. No cold middlemen here. At our firm, you’re treated like family.
Why Choose Us?
Frequently Asked Questions About Rideshare Accidents in Houston
Q: Who pays if an Uber or Lyft driver hits me in Houston?
A: It depends on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of the crash. If they had accepted a ride or had a passenger in the car, a $1 million platform liability policy generally applies. If the app was on but no ride was accepted, coverage drops to roughly $50,000 per person. If the app was off entirely, only the driver’s personal policy applies. Establishing the correct period is the single most valuable thing a lawyer does in a rideshare case.
Q: I was a passenger in an Uber that crashed. What are my rights?
A: As a passenger you are almost never at fault, which puts you in the strongest possible position. Because a trip was active, the platform’s $1 million liability coverage typically applies — and it covers you whether your driver caused the crash or another motorist did. You may have claims against multiple parties at once.
Q: What’s the difference between Period 1, 2, and 3 in a rideshare claim?
A: Texas regulates Uber and Lyft under Chapter 2402, which ties required insurance to driver status. Period 1 is app on, no ride accepted — the lowest limits, often contingent on the driver’s own insurer denying first. Period 2 begins when the driver accepts a request and drives toward the rider. Period 3 is the ride itself. Periods 2 and 3 carry the $1 million policy. Insurers frequently argue for the cheaper period, which is why app data matters so much.
Q: The Uber driver hit me while I was walking. Does the $1 million policy still apply?
A: Yes, if the driver had accepted a ride — even with no passenger in the car yet. A driver racing toward a pickup pin is in Period 2, and the platform’s full liability coverage is in play. This surprises most pedestrians, and it’s exactly the fact insurers are least eager to volunteer.
Q: The rideshare company says the driver is an independent contractor. Does that mean I can’t recover?
A: No. Contractor status limits when a platform is directly liable for a driver’s negligence — it does not eliminate the insurance the platform is required to carry, and it doesn’t touch the driver’s own policy or your uninsured motorist coverage. There is almost always coverage somewhere. Finding all of it is our job.
Q: Uber’s insurance denied my claim. What now?
A: Denials are common and are rarely the final word. They often rest on a disputed coverage period, an argument that the driver’s personal insurer should pay first, or a claim that your injuries came from something else. Each of those is challengeable with the right evidence — and a denial letter is a reason to call an attorney, not a reason to stop.
Q: I drive for Uber or Lyft and I was hurt. What can I do?
A: You have options, though they’re different from an employee’s. Because drivers are classified as contractors, workers’ compensation generally isn’t available through the platform. Depending on the period and who caused the crash, you may have a claim against the at-fault driver, the platform’s UM/UIM coverage, or your own policy. We can walk you through it at no cost.
Q: The police report says the crash was my fault. Do I still have a case?
A: Very possibly. A police report is an initial opinion, not a final ruling — and it’s often written when the injured person is unconscious or in an ambulance and can’t give their side. In Houston, more than 70% of pedestrian deaths are attributed to the pedestrian failing to yield. We regularly challenge those findings using GPS, trip data, and video.
Q: What evidence matters most in a rideshare case?
A: The platform’s own records. Trip logs, GPS pings, timestamps showing exactly when a ride was accepted, in-car camera footage, and the driver’s history on the platform. If you were a passenger, your own trip receipt is powerful evidence — it has the driver, the vehicle, the route, and the times. Screenshot it now, before you do anything else.
Q: How long do I have to file a claim in Texas?
A: Generally two years from the date of the crash, with important exceptions. But the real deadline is earlier: trip data, dash footage, and nearby surveillance video can be overwritten in a matter of days.
Q: Should I accept the settlement Uber or Lyft’s insurer offered me?
A: Don’t sign anything first. Early offers arrive before anyone knows what your injuries will actually cost, and accepting one typically closes your claim permanently — including for surgeries you don’t know you need yet. We’ll review any offer at no cost.
Q: What should I do right now, today?
A: Screenshot your trip receipt and driver details before anything else — that record can vanish from your app. Get medical attention even if you feel okay. Photograph the vehicle, plate, street, and your injuries. Don’t give a recorded statement to any insurer. Then call us at 713-714-1414.
Q: What does it cost to hire the Law Offices of Hilda Sibrian?
A: Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee — we’re paid only if we recover compensation for you.*
Q: Can I have a case if I don’t have papers or a driver’s license?
A: Yes. Your right to compensation for someone else’s negligence does not depend on your immigration status. We have helped many families in exactly that situation, and we will help yours.
Q: How much is my case worth?
A: Every case is different, and no honest attorney will quote a number over the phone. But the coverage period alone can swing the ceiling from $50,000 to $1 million — which is why the first call matters so much.
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