Rideshare Injury Cases

Uber Accident Lawyer in Louisville, KY

Hurt in an Uber accident? Which insurance applies depends on what the driver was doing in the app. How Kentucky’s rideshare insurance rules work and what to do next.

Reviewed by Larry Forman, Attorney.

A crash involving a Uber driver can involve three or more insurance policies: the driver’s personal auto policy, the coverage Uber carries for its drivers and your own Kentucky no-fault and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Which one pays, and how much is available, depends on the driver’s status in the Uber app at the moment of the crash. Forman & Associates is a Louisville based trial firm that handles Uber accident claims for passengers, other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.

Key takeaways

  • Kentucky law sets minimum insurance for Uber drivers based on whether they are logged in, waiting for a request or on a ride.
  • During a ride, Kentucky requires at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash in liability coverage.
  • Uber publishes higher coverage for trips in many markets.
  • Kentucky no-fault (PIP) generally pays your first medical bills regardless of fault.
Passenger in the back seat of an Uber holding a phone on a rainy city night, before an accident

Why the driver’s app status matters

Kentucky regulates Uber as a transportation network company (TNC) under KRS 281.655. The insurance that applies changes with what the driver is doing:

  • App off: the driver’s personal auto policy applies, as in any crash.
  • Logged in and waiting for a request: Kentucky requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage (KRS 281.655(12)).
  • Accepted a request or carrying a passenger: Kentucky requires the higher limits that apply to prearranged rides: at least $100,000 per person, $300,000 per crash and $50,000 for property damage for vehicles of up to seven passengers (KRS 281.655(4) and (12)).

Kentucky’s regulation also requires TNC coverage to include basic reparation (PIP) benefits and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage while the driver is logged in (601 KAR 1:113).

What Uber says it carries

Uber says that in the U.S. it maintains at least $1 million in third-party liability coverage from the time a driver accepts a trip until it ends, and that uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage applies where required. While a driver is online and waiting for a request, Uber says it maintains third-party liability coverage when the driver’s personal policy doesn’t apply, at lower limits (source: Uber’s driver insurance page, uber.com).

Uber Eats and other delivery trips can be treated differently from passenger trips. Tell us exactly what the driver was doing.

Coverage can change, and the policy in force on the date of your crash controls. We request the actual policies rather than relying on summaries.

Who can make a claim

  • Uber passengers: claims against the Uber driver’s coverage, the other driver if someone else caused the crash, or both.
  • Other drivers: claims against the Uber driver and the applicable coverage.
  • Pedestrians and cyclists: see our pedestrian accident lawyer page.
  • Uber drivers themselves: when another driver causes the crash. Kentucky courts have enforced UIM policy terms strictly in rideshare driver cases (see Rogers v. Erie Insurance Exchange, No. 2023-CA-0447-MR, Ky. App. 2024), so read your policies carefully.

What to do after a Uber crash

  1. Call 911 if anyone is hurt and get a police report.
  2. Screenshot the trip in the Uber app: the driver’s name, vehicle, route and time.
  3. Photograph the vehicles, plates and scene; get witness names and numbers.
  4. Report the crash in the Uber app, but be careful what you say about fault or injuries.
  5. Get medical care and keep records.
  6. Don’t give a recorded statement to Uber’s insurer before reading our recorded statement guide.

Kentucky rules that apply

Your own no-fault (PIP) coverage, or the coverage on the vehicle you were in, generally pays the first medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault; see how Kentucky PIP works. To recover pain and suffering from an at-fault driver, Kentucky’s no-fault law generally requires more than $1,000 in medical expenses, or an injury such as a fracture, permanent injury, permanent disfigurement or permanent loss of bodily function (KRS 304.39-060). Kentucky uses pure comparative fault: your share of fault reduces your recovery but doesn’t bar it (KRS 411.182).

Most Kentucky personal injury claims must be filed within one year (KRS 413.140). Most motor vehicle injury claims have two years from the injury or the last PIP payment, whichever is later (KRS 304.39-230). Use our statute of limitations calculator to estimate your dates.

50+ jury trialsReady to take your case to court
Free consultationTalk with us at no cost
Louisville basedServing injured people across Kentucky
We come to youPhone, video or in person

Frequently asked questions about Uber accident claims

Can I sue Uber directly?

Usually the claim is against the driver and the insurance Uber provides. Whether Uber itself can be liable depends on the facts. We look at every source of coverage.

What if the Uber driver was between rides?

If the driver was logged in and waiting for a request, Kentucky’s lower “waiting” minimums apply, and Uber’s coverage may be limited. If the app was off, only the driver’s personal policy applies.

Will my PIP pay if I was a passenger?

Kentucky no-fault rules decide which PIP coverage pays first. Our team can help sort out which policy applies.

What if my Uber driver was delivering food?

Delivery trips can carry different coverage than passenger rides. Screenshots and app records help show what the driver was doing.

Hurt in an Uber accident?

Call us or request a free case review. We’ll sort out which insurance applies.

Get a free case evaluation or call 502-931-6788.

This page is general information about Kentucky law as of October 2026, not legal advice. Every case is different.

Call (502) 931-6788 Request a free consultation

Contact us for Your FREE Case Evaluation