Hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash in or near Baltimore — as a passenger, another driver, or a pedestrian? Rideshare cases have extra layers: the driver's insurance, the rideshare company's coverage, and whether the app was on. The Pinder Plotkin Legal Team sorts it out and pursues compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain across Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel, Howard, and Harford counties. You pay nothing unless we win.
At Pinder Plotkin, the initial consultation is free, whether by phone or in person. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis — we only charge you after we recover compensation on your behalf, typically 33% of your insurance settlement. Our fee is increased if a lawsuit is filed. There won't be any charges if we don't win.
The increase of rideshare vehicles on the road has significantly contributed to different types of accidents. Here are the most common types of Lyft and Uber accidents:
Different parties can be found liable in an Uber or Lyft accident. The Uber or Lyft driver can be held liable if they caused the crash — for instance, by running a red light. The rideshare company can be held liable when its cars are involved in an accident, though rideshare companies rarely accept liability on their own. Other related third parties may include an at-fault pedestrian, a parts or vehicle manufacturer, the government, or the driver of another vehicle.
If possible, contact local law enforcement and get medical attention right away, even if you feel fine after the crash — symptoms of injury can appear later.
Take photos of the vehicles and note the weather, traffic, and road conditions, the date and time of the crash, and the names, license plate numbers, and insurance information of all drivers involved. Screenshot your trip details in the Uber or Lyft app before they disappear.
Contact a Baltimore Uber and Lyft accident lawyer from Pinder Plotkin before you talk to any insurance company. Rideshare claims involve extra layers — the driver's insurance, the rideshare company's coverage, and whether the app was on — and we sort it out so you don't have to.
These damages are compensatory and seek to compensate injured victims for financial losses incurred after a rideshare accident, including current and future lost wages, rehabilitative costs, and all medical expenses.
It is often challenging to quantify non-economic damages. These include loss of consortium, emotional anguish and trauma, reduced earning capacity, scarring and disfigurement, and physical pain and suffering.
These are meant to punish the at-fault party for malicious actions and are only used in cases where the defendant intended to cause harm. There is no cap on punitive damages in Maryland, unlike in many other states.
Uber does have a $1 million insurance policy relative to the driver's employment status at the time of the crash. Their liability insurance covers damages caused by the driver to individuals involved in the accident — but who pays depends on how the driver was using the app when the accident happened.
In a regular car accident, the negligent driver's personal insurance covers your injuries — Maryland's minimum is $15,000 for property damage, $30,000 for bodily injury per person, and $60,000 per accident for two or more people. In a rideshare accident, you may recover up to $1 million under Uber's liability coverage.
In a regular car accident, the negligent driver is usually responsible for compensating the victim. In a Lyft or Uber accident, both the rideshare company and the rideshare driver can be held liable — and if another driver was also negligent, you could hold them liable too.
When it comes to insurance, rideshare accidents can be complicated. It's often challenging to establish whether the rideshare company's insurance, the driver's insurance, or both will cover your injuries.
We prepare and compile all the evidence needed to build a successful case. We also work closely with other attorneys to ensure your claim accounts for all the injuries you sustained and losses incurred.
We conduct negotiations on your behalf, ensuring you are fully compensated, and handle all the paperwork and requirements necessary for filing your claim.
If we cannot settle with the insurance company out of court, we represent you at trial, ensuring you get the compensation you deserve.
Every car accident case is unique, and the amount you recover depends on the circumstances — as determined by the insurance company or a jury. Factors that affect your settlement's value include:
In Maryland, juries typically aren't told whether the defendant has insurance. Since your settlement is ultimately negotiated between your attorney and the insurance company, take your time to find an attorney you trust and can work with throughout the process.
It can be extremely difficult to predict the value of a settlement — even experienced attorneys can only give a rough estimate. Juries use human logic and reasoning, guided by a judge; insurance companies use standardized software with predetermined formulas. Any real prediction comes from a fact-intensive look at how the accident happened and the damage, injuries, and treatment that followed.
No two cases are worth the same, but insurers lean on two common methods to estimate pain and suffering. Understanding them helps you spot a lowball offer. Try our free Maryland Car Accident Settlement Calculator for a personalized estimate.
Add up your "economic" damages — medical bills plus lost wages — then multiply by a number (usually 1.5 to 5) based on how serious and lasting your injuries are.
Example: $12,000 in medical bills + $3,000 in lost wages = $15,000 in economic damages. A moderate injury at a 2x multiplier puts pain and suffering around $30,000, for a rough total near $45,000.
Insurers work aggressively to push the multiplier down. Part of our job is fighting to keep it tied to the real impact on your life.
Assign a daily dollar value to your pain — often tied to your daily earnings — and multiply by the number of days you're affected.
Example: $200 a day for 180 days of recovery = $36,000 in pain and suffering, added on top of your economic damages.
Under Maryland's contributory negligence rule, even a strong-value case can be reduced to zero if you're found partly at fault — so the number that matters is what you can actually prove and recover.
We generally advise against it. Insurers will most likely make an immediate offer well below the true cost of your damages. If you work with us, we handle all discussions and negotiations so you're protected from being victimized in the claims process.
The adjuster's first offer is in most cases very low and doesn't represent what the case is actually worth. Negotiations typically go back and forth for a few months before settling — at which point we file a lawsuit based on the value of the case.
These injuries can temporarily or permanently hinder your quality of life. Anyone requiring extended medical care or dealing with a lack of mobility is also likely to be affected by job loss, expensive hospital bills, depression, lost wages, inability to perform routine tasks, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Baltimore area spans the city and several surrounding counties, and rideshare trips run through some of the same high-traffic corridors where serious crashes cluster. Here is where the numbers are worst, and where injured drivers are treated.
An in-depth study by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business found that rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft have contributed to a 3% increase in accident fatalities. Between 2017 and 2018, Uber vehicles were involved in 97 fatal crashes, resulting in 107 deaths — 21% of the crash victims were drivers.
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Download the guideIt will be best to speak with a rideshare accident lawyer before accepting a settlement offer. With a settlement, you are guaranteed to receive money, but there is a chance the insurance company is taking advantage and not giving you the compensation you deserve. Consulting our Baltimore rideshare accident lawyers ensures you have a fair chance at getting maximum compensation.
Our Uber accident lawyers have a contingency fee arrangement with clients — we do not charge a fee to work with or consult our team. You only pay us if we win your case.
The time limit for filing an Uber accident claim in Maryland is three years from the time of the accident. If you do not file your claim within this period, you lose out on the chance of getting compensated.
No. Coverage depends on the driver's status at the time of the crash — whether the app was off, on and waiting for a ride request, or actively transporting a passenger — so the amount available can vary significantly.
If the app was off, it's treated like a regular car accident: the driver's personal auto insurance applies, subject to Maryland's minimum coverage requirements, not Uber or Lyft's $1 million policy.
Maryland follows contributory negligence, so if the insurer can show you were even slightly at fault, it can reduce or completely bar your recovery. A lawyer can help protect against that argument.
It depends on the driver's app status and who's actually liable. Our attorneys identify every available source of coverage — the driver's personal policy or Uber/Lyft's contingent or $1 million policy — and pursue the right one(s).
Get medical care, report the crash through the Uber or Lyft app, take photos of the scene and vehicles, collect witness information, and talk to a lawyer before giving a statement to any insurance company.
4300 Ridge Rd, Baltimore, MD 21236 · Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit. · View on Google
We handle Uber and Lyft accident cases throughout the Baltimore area and the surrounding counties.
Jason Plotkin was born and raised in Baltimore City and County, and he shows up in the community he grew up in. He is the former President of the Parkville Carney Business Association, served on the Board of Directors of the Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, Inc. from 2017 to 2020, and sat on the YMCA's Parkville/Perry Hall Community Advisory Board from 2017 to 2018. When you work with our firm, you are working with people who know this city — its roads, its courts, and its neighbors.
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