Lyft Accident Lawyer in Louisville, KY

Kentucky regulates Lyft 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).

Lyft says it provides at least $1 million in third-party auto liability coverage from the time a driver accepts a ride until the ride ends in most markets, and more limited coverage while a driver is in driver mode waiting for a request. Lyft also notes that coverage may be lower or not provided in some markets (source: Lyft driver insurance page).

Because Lyft states its coverage varies by market, we confirm the Kentucky policy in force on the date of the crash.

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.

• Lyft passengers: claims against the Lyft driver’s coverage, the other driver if someone else caused the crash, or both.
• Other drivers: claims against the Lyft driver and the applicable coverage.
• Pedestrians and cyclists: see our pedestrian accident lawyer page.
• Lyft 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.

1. Call 911 if anyone is hurt and get a police report.
2. Screenshot the trip in the Lyft 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 Lyft 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 Lyft’s insurer before reading our recorded statement guide.

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.