Who Is Liable for an Uber or Lyft Accident in Studio City?

Brian Liu, Esq. — Founding Partner

Local Studio City Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Brian Liu is a founding partner at L&F Brown. He previously lived in Studio City and knows the Ventura Boulevard corridor and surrounding neighborhoods firsthand. He graduated from UCLA Law School and has spent his career representing injured clients across Los Angeles.

Rideshare accidents in Studio City happen on Ventura Blvd, on the US-101 through the Cahuenga Pass interchange, and throughout the neighborhood streets that Uber and Lyft drivers use every day. When one of these crashes produces injuries, determining who is liable and which insurance policy covers your claim is the first critical step.

The Rideshare Driver

The Uber or Lyft driver bears personal liability for any crash caused by their negligence, regardless of whether the app was active. Common driver failures in Studio City rideshare crashes include distracted driving while checking the Uber or Lyft app, speeding on Ventura Blvd or Laurel Canyon Blvd, failure to yield at busy intersections, and unsafe lane changes on the 101.

The driver's personal auto insurance provides the primary coverage when the app is off. However, most personal auto policies exclude coverage for commercial driving activity. This creates gaps that the rideshare company's policy is designed to fill.

Uber and Lyft's Insurance Coverage

Uber and Lyft each maintain insurance policies that cover their drivers while the app is on. The coverage amount depends on the phase of the ride:

App on, no ride accepted: contingency coverage of $50,000 per injured person, up to $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. App on, ride accepted or passenger in vehicle: up to $1 million per incident in third-party liability coverage.

California law requires Uber and Lyft to maintain this coverage, and it applies to injuries to passengers, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians injured by the rideshare driver. Determining which phase the driver was in at the moment of impact requires obtaining the driver's app activity logs, which typically requires legal action.

Other Drivers

If another driver caused or contributed to the crash, that driver's liability insurance also comes into play. Rideshare crashes frequently involve multi-vehicle scenarios on Studio City's busy roads. For example, if a negligent driver on the 101 cut off a Lyft vehicle and caused a chain-reaction crash, both the Lyft driver and the other driver's insurer may be sources of recovery.

The Rideshare Company Directly

While Uber and Lyft typically argue that their drivers are independent contractors rather than employees, there are circumstances in which the companies can face direct liability. An experienced Studio City rideshare accident lawyer will evaluate whether any direct liability theory applies alongside the insurance claims.

Building the Liability Case

The CHP report for 101 crashes and LAPD North Hollywood Division reports for street incidents provide initial documentation. Driver app logs, dashcam footage, traffic camera recordings from Ventura Blvd intersections, and witness statements round out the evidence. All of this is gathered and analyzed by your attorney before insurance negotiations begin.

If the case proceeds to litigation, it is filed at Van Nuys Courthouse West in LA County.

Contact L&F Brown's Studio City team for a free consultation to identify who is liable in your rideshare accident and how to pursue each responsible party.