Hurt in an Uber or Lyft crash anywhere in Maryland — as a passenger, another driver, or a pedestrian? Who pays depends on what the app was doing at that moment.
Maryland law requires a rideshare driver to carry only $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash, and $25,000 in property damage — the same minimum whether the app is merely switched on or a passenger is in the car. Source: Md. Code, Public Utilities § 10-405(a)(2)(i)
Which policy answers — the driver’s, the company’s, or your own uninsured motorist coverage — turns on that timing, and it is the first thing we pin down. There is no cost to talk to us, and 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 Maryland 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.
After an Uber or Lyft crash the first question is not who was careless. It is what the app was doing at that moment. That single fact decides which policy answers, and the gap between phases is enormous.
The driver is off duty, driving as a private motorist.
Whose insurance: Driver’s personal auto policy only.
Maryland private auto minimum: $30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash, $15,000 property damage.
The driver is logged in and waiting for a request.
Whose insurance: Rideshare company contingent coverage. The personal auto insurer is allowed to exclude this window entirely under Md. Code, Ins. § 19-517(c)(1).
Published company coverage: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash.
The driver is on the way to collect a passenger.
Whose insurance: Rideshare company coverage steps up.
Uber publishes $1,000,000 in third-party liability; Lyft publishes a $125,000 combined limit.
The trip is underway.
Whose insurance: Rideshare company coverage at its highest.
Both companies publish at least $1,000,000 in third-party liability.
What Maryland actually requires is smaller than any of that. Under Md. Code, Public Utilities § 10-405(a)(2)(i), a driver providing transportation network services must carry $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash and $25,000 in property damage — the same floor in every phase — plus uninsured motorist coverage under Ins. § 19-509 and personal injury protection under Ins. § 19-505. The larger figures above are company policy, not Maryland law. That is exactly why the phase you were in when the crash happened decides what is actually available to you.
Get the free Maryland Rideshare Accident Manual — our plain-English guide to the insurance phases, the evidence, and your rights after an Uber or Lyft crash.
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).
Maryland’s heaviest traffic runs through Baltimore City and the counties around it, 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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Free guide to Maryland auto insurance and how policy limits affect your recovery.
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Free guide covering what to do after an Uber or Lyft accident in Maryland.
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Free guide on how chiropractic care can support your recovery after an auto accident injury.
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 Maryland 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.
Jake’s Law is Maryland Transportation Article section 21-1124.3. It makes it a crime to cause a crash that kills or seriously injures someone while texting or using a handheld phone behind the wheel. A conviction carries up to one year in jail, a fine of up to $5,000, or both, and that sentence is separate from any other charge brought over the same crash. The law is named for Jake Owen, a five-year-old boy killed when the family car was struck from behind by a driver on a cell phone, and it was signed in April 2014 after his parents campaigned for it. If a distracted driver hurt you, a Jake’s Law charge is a criminal matter handled by the State. Your civil claim for medical bills, lost income and pain is separate, and you can bring it whether or not the driver is charged.
Maryland is one of a small number of states that still follows contributory negligence. In most states, being found partly at fault reduces what you recover. In Maryland it can bar your claim entirely, even if the other side was far more to blame. Maryland’s highest court reaffirmed the rule in Coleman v. Soccer Association of Columbia, 432 Md. 679 (2013), over a strong dissent, and said any change to it is for the General Assembly rather than the courts. That is why an insurance adjuster’s first move is so often to suggest you did something wrong. Being blamed is not the same as being at fault, whether the rule actually bars a claim depends on the specific facts, and it is the reason to be careful about what you say and to get advice early.
Three Maryland offices — Baltimore (Nottingham), Laurel and Bel Air — and we travel statewide to meet clients who cannot travel to us. Call (888) 844-5373 to schedule a visit.
We handle Uber and Lyft accident cases throughout Maryland.
We take cases anywhere in Maryland. The figure on each card is that jurisdiction’s total traffic deaths in 2023, across every crash type — Maryland does not publish crash data broken down by county for individual crash types. Each name links to its official local government website.
Source: MDOT Zero Deaths Maryland jurisdiction crash data summaries, 2023. Statewide totals: 577 fatal crashes and 621 traffic deaths.
Jason Plotkin was born and raised here, and he has lived in six Maryland jurisdictions — Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, Howard County, Allegany County and Worcester County. Mountains to shore. That is not a marketing line; it is where he has actually lived.
Marc Hassan, Tony Balasamo and Joshua Fannon were born and raised in Maryland too, and Christian Miele served in the Maryland House of Delegates. When you work with our firm, you are working with people who know this state — its roads, its courts and its neighbors.
Free case review, no pressure, no fee unless we win. Reach out and one of our attorneys will walk you through your options.
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