Rideshare Accident Attorney in New York

More Than a Century of Trial Experience for New York Rideshare Claims

A rideshare or car accident can leave you hurt, confused, and suddenly dealing with calls from multiple insurance companies and messages in the app. If you were injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft, driving your own car, or walking or cycling when a vehicle hit you, you may be wondering who is going to pay your medical bills and lost income. You shouldn’t have to sort out complex insurance rules on your own while you’re trying to recover.

At Godosky & Gentile, we represent people injured in rideshare collisions throughout New York City and across New York State. We’re a personal injury trial firm whose prior results include record-breaking verdicts and significant settlements in high-stakes cases. Our team determines which coverage applies, preserves trip and crash evidence, and pursues the compensation supported by the facts and New York law.

Call (212) 742-9706 to discuss your rideshare injury claim in a free consultation.

Why Injured Rideshare Passengers & Drivers Turn to Our Firm

After a rideshare accident, you may face physical pain, competing insurance positions, and uncertainty about who is responsible. Claims may involve the driver, the rideshare company, one or more other vehicles, and several insurance policies. When a rideshare collision causes catastrophic harm or death, we draw on our work in fatal car accident cases and complex truck accident claims to investigate long-term losses and the conduct of multiple parties.

David Godosky was appointed to the bench by Mayor Michael Bloomberg before returning to our firm as a lead trial attorney. His courtroom perspective helps us evaluate evidence, credibility, and damages in rideshare claims. Lawyers and judges across the state have trusted us with their own legal matters.

Our attorneys bring more than a century of combined trial experience, including Anthony P. Gentile’s more than 50 years in personal injury litigation. Our prior results include a $65 million medical malpractice verdict recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records and a $25.2 million civil rights verdict. These results arose from other types of litigation and don’t predict the outcome of a rideshare claim, but they demonstrate our ability to develop complex evidence for trial.

We approach rideshare crashes with the same intensity we bring to construction accidents and other complex litigation. Our focus is on identifying every responsible party, documenting the full impact of your injuries, and building a case around the compensation available under the facts and law. We prepare every case as if it may proceed to trial.

Liability & Insurance After a New York Rideshare Accident

Rideshare collisions often start like any other crash, but the legal issues that follow can be different. The driver’s Uber or Lyft app status, the location of the collision, the vehicle’s licensing, and the injured person’s role can all affect the insurance analysis. A passenger’s claim may involve different policies and procedures than a claim brought by the rideshare driver, a pedestrian, a cyclist, or an occupant of another vehicle.

Who May Be Responsible

Liability depends on how the collision happened. Our investigation may examine the rideshare driver, other motorists, vehicle owners, transportation entities, and any other party whose conduct contributed to the crash. New York’s comparative negligence rules can divide responsibility among multiple parties, so evidence about each person’s actions matters.

Evidence used to evaluate fault can include:

• Police Reports: Officer observations, driver information, and the reported crash sequence.
• Witness Accounts: Statements from passengers, motorists, pedestrians, and other people who saw the collision.
• Video and Photographs: Traffic cameras, surveillance footage, vehicle damage, road conditions, and visible injuries.
• Trip and GPS Records: App receipts, driver status, route information, pickup details, and drop-off information.
• Medical Documentation: Records connecting the collision to the injuries, treatment, and resulting limitations.

How App Status Affects Coverage

New York State’s transportation network company framework recognizes different coverage periods. The analysis may change depending on whether the driver was logged out, logged onto the platform and waiting for a request, traveling to pick up a passenger, or carrying a passenger. Personal automobile coverage, transportation network company coverage, and another driver’s policy may need to be reviewed before determining which insurer may be responsible.

An insurer may dispute the driver’s status or argue that another policy applies first. We review trip records, app screenshots, insurance correspondence, vehicle ownership, and the timing of the ride request. We don’t assume that a platform’s highest advertised limit applies to every collision.

New York City TLC Rules

New York City for-hire vehicles are regulated under Taxi and Limousine Commission requirements. Those requirements include minimum liability and personal injury protection coverage that differs from the transportation network company framework used elsewhere in New York State. The crash location and the vehicle’s licensing must therefore be confirmed before coverage limits or insurance layers can be evaluated.

A New York rideshare accident lawyer should review whether the vehicle was operating under Taxi and Limousine Commission authority, which policies covered it, and whether uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply. The responsible insurer still depends on the facts, policy language, and parties involved.

No-Fault Benefits & the Serious-Injury Threshold

New York no-fault insurance can cover defined economic losses, including medical expenses and part of a person’s lost income, without requiring proof of fault. The source of those benefits depends on the injured person’s role, available household coverage, and the insured vehicle. No-fault benefits aren’t the same as a fault-based claim for losses beyond that system.

A claim for pain and suffering generally requires an injury that meets New York’s serious-injury threshold. The statutory categories include death, dismemberment, significant disfigurement, fracture, loss of a fetus, permanent loss of use, permanent consequential limitation, and significant limitation of a body function or system. Eligibility is fact-sensitive and often turns on diagnoses, objective testing, treatment history, and evidence of functional limitations.

What to Do After an Uber or Lyft Accident

Prioritize safety and medical care:

• Call 911 immediately. Ensure emergency responders and law enforcement, such as the NYPD, are dispatched to the scene.
• Identify the rideshare. Inform responding officers that a rideshare vehicle was involved.
• Seek medical attention. Accept treatment at the scene and follow up with a doctor promptly. Immediate care can identify injuries that aren’t obvious and create medical documentation.

Preserve evidence:

• Document the scene. If safe, photograph all vehicles, the intersection, traffic signals, and visible injuries.
• Collect contact information. Gather names and numbers from the rideshare driver, other involved motorists, and witnesses.
• Save digital records. Retain your Uber or Lyft receipt, trip details, and screenshots of the driver’s name, license plate, and route.

Report the crash:

• Notify the app. Report the collision through Uber or Lyft using basic facts, including the time, location, and occurrence of the crash.
• Limit statements. Avoid speculating about fault or the extent of your injuries.
• Manage insurers. Tell insurance representatives you are receiving treatment and consulting legal counsel before providing recorded statements.

Injuries, Losses & Potential Compensation

Rideshare collisions can cause a wide range of injuries, from relatively short-term soft tissue trauma to life-changing harm. Even if your injuries aren’t immediately obvious, they may develop over time.

Common injuries:

• Physical Trauma: Fractures, head injuries, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries.
• Spinal and Nerve Damage: Neck and back injuries, herniated discs, and nerve damage affecting mobility.
• Psychological Effects: Anxiety about vehicle travel or post-traumatic stress disorder related to the collision.

Potential economic and non-economic losses:

• Medical Expenses: Costs for emergency care, diagnostic imaging, follow-up visits, physical therapy, medication, potential surgeries, rehabilitation, and assistive medical devices.
• Lost Wages: Income lost during recovery and reduced earning capacity caused by lasting limitations.
• Pain and Suffering: Physical pain, emotional effects, and diminished quality of life when permitted under New York law.
• Loss of Enjoyment: Reduced ability to participate in hobbies, family activities, and ordinary daily tasks.

The potential value of a claim depends on the diagnosis, treatment history, effect on work and daily life, available insurance, and proof of fault. No-fault benefits and a separate liability claim address different categories of loss and shouldn’t be treated as interchangeable remedies.

How Our New York Trial Team Handles Rideshare Claims

When you contact Godosky & Gentile about a rideshare crash, we begin by reviewing your police report, trip details, medical records, and insurance correspondence. We then identify the evidence, coverage questions, and legal issues that require further investigation.

Our attorneys analyze liability, identify potentially applicable insurance policies, and examine the crash sequence, app status, vehicle ownership, policy language, medical documentation, lost income, and the conduct of each potentially responsible party. We gather photographs, video, trip data, vehicle records, and witness accounts while evaluating how New York’s no-fault rules and serious-injury threshold may affect the claim.

We prepare every case for litigation. By developing the evidence and arguments that may be presented to a judge or jury, we can negotiate from a record built to withstand scrutiny. If filing a lawsuit becomes necessary, that preparation continues through discovery, depositions, motion practice, and trial preparation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
New York allows three years for many negligence claims arising from car accidents, but that isn’t a universal deadline. The time can change based on the defendant, claim type, and applicable notice requirements. Claims involving public entities may carry much shorter notice periods, so prompt review is important.

Will My Rideshare Accident Case Go to Court?
Many rideshare injury claims are resolved through settlements without a full trial, but there’s no way to guarantee how an individual case will conclude. The liability evidence, injuries, available coverage, and insurers’ positions can determine whether litigation is necessary.

What Should I Bring to a Consultation?
Bring whatever documentation you have, including the police report or report number, medical records, bills, photographs, and witness information. Screenshots from the rideshare app, ride receipts, route details, and correspondence from Uber, Lyft, or an insurance company are also useful.

Discuss Your New York Rideshare Injury Claim

Whether you were a passenger, rideshare driver, pedestrian, cyclist, or occupant of another vehicle, we can review the crash, available insurance, and evidence supporting your injuries. A free consultation gives you an opportunity to ask questions and understand the potential next steps without committing to a particular course of action.

When you contact Godosky & Gentile, we review the facts and explain the insurance and legal issues that may affect your claim. We represent injured people throughout New York City and across New York State, and we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. Use our Contact Legal Help page to request a prompt review of the available evidence, potentially applicable insurance, and communications from adjusters.

For a free consultation about an Uber or Lyft collision, contact Godosky & Gentile or call (212) 742-9706 today. You won’t owe legal fees unless we obtain a verdict or settlement on your behalf.