If a rideshare vehicle slammed into you while riding, you need a personal injury lawyer to protect your legal rights. Your situation isn’t a simple traffic collision; it’s a complex legal claim against a massive corporation with a sophisticated insurance system designed to confuse you.
The rideshare company is already working to protect itself, and you need a powerful advocate to protect you. A Dallas bike accident lawyer knows how to navigate the corporate red tape, preserve the essential electronic evidence, and fight for the full compensation you need.
7 Steps To Take After a Bike Accident With a Rideshare Vehicle
After receiving initial medical care, take these seven proactive steps to protect your personal injury claim and maximize your chances of receiving fair compensation..
1. Follow All Medical Advice
Your top priority is your physical recovery. Attend every single follow-up appointment, go to all your physical therapy sessions, and fill every prescription your doctor gives you.
Following your treatment plan creates an official medical record that documents the severity of your injuries and demonstrates to the insurance company that you’re taking your recovery seriously.
If you miss follow-up appointments or rehab sessions, insurers may use it against you to show your injuries aren’t very severe.
2. Document Everything You Remember
Memories fade quickly, especially after a traumatic event. Write down every single detail you can recall about the accident. Note the time of day, the weather, what the driver said, whether they appeared to be looking at their phone, and the exact location of the crash.
3. Get the Official Police Accident Report
The document you received from the officer at the scene is probably just an information exchange form. You need the full report, which contains the officer’s narrative, diagrams, and any citations issued.
You can get a copy from the agency that responded to your accident, or you can order one online.
4. Create a File for All Your Expenses and Records
Save everything related to the accident in a physical folder or create a digital one. Include items such as:
- All Medical Bills and Receipts: Save every expense from your hospital stay, ambulance transport, doctor appointments, and prescription medications.
- Proof of Lost Wages: Collect pay stubs or other official documents that show the wages you have lost while being out of work.
- A List of Damaged Property: Document your bike, helmet, and any other gear that was damaged, including its original value or replacement cost.
5. Don’t Speak With Insurance Adjusters
You’ll likely get a call from an adjuster representing the driver's insurance and another from the rideshare company's insurance. Don’t give them a recorded statement without first speaking with a lawyer.
Their job is to get you to say something that can be used to deny or devalue your claim. Simply get their name and contact information and tell them your lawyer will contact them.
7. Stay Off Social Media
Insurance companies will actively search your social media profiles for any reason to deny your claim. Even a simple photo of you smiling with family could be twisted and used as "proof" that your injuries aren’t as bad as you say.
The safest action is to avoid all social media platforms or set all your accounts to the highest privacy settings until your case ends.
6. Call a Rideshare Accident Lawyer
This isn’t a fight you should face by yourself. Contacting a personal injury law firm with experience in rideshare accident claims puts a powerful advocate in your corner.
A lawyer will immediately take legal action to preserve crucial electronic evidence from the driver's app, handle all communications with the insurance companies, and build a case to get you full compensation.
Why a Rideshare Bike Accident Is Complex
An accident involving an Uber or Lyft fundamentally differs from a standard car crash. The presence of the rideshare company adds layers of corporate procedure and insurance confusion. As a cyclist, you face the additional challenge of battling the unfair bias that often works against riders.
These large corporations and their insurance carriers have a powerful legal apparatus. Their goal is to limit their financial exposure by paying injured victims as little as possible. From the moment the crash is reported, they take steps to build a defense against your claim.
The Complicated Insurance Puzzle
Rideshare companies have a multi-layered insurance structure. The amount of available coverage depends entirely on the driver’s status in the app at the exact moment of the crash. Identifying which policy applies is one of your case's first and most difficult hurdles.
An adjuster for one of these companies might try to deny your claim by arguing it falls under a different policy.
The three-tiered system usually works like this:
- App Is Off: If the driver wasn’t logged into the app, your claim goes against their personal auto insurance policy, which often has low coverage limits.
- App Is On, Waiting for a Request: A company policy typically applies if the driver was logged in and available but had not accepted a ride. These limits are lower than their full commercial coverage.
- On the Way to a Pickup/Transporting a Passenger: If the driver had accepted a ride or was carrying a passenger, the rideshare company’s full $1 million commercial insurance policy applies.
The Problem of Disappearing Electronic Evidence
The rideshare company owns and controls critical evidence: the driver's electronic ride data. This electronic data is the key to unlocking the company’s million-dollar insurance policy. However, this digital proof may be "lost" or deleted if you don't act quickly.
It proves the driver's status, their GPS location, and their driving behavior leading up to the crash. A personal injury attorney’s first move is to take legal action to preserve this critical data before the corporation has a chance to hide it.
Potential Liable Parties in a Rideshare Crash
Determining liability in a rideshare accident is a multi-step process. While the driver who hit you is the obvious starting point, the negligence often extends to the corporation they work for. A thorough investigation uncovers every party whose actions contributed to your injuries.
Your claim may involve several entities, each with a different role in the accident.
The Rideshare Driver
The driver is directly responsible for operating their vehicle safely. If they were distracted by their phone or the rideshare app, speeding, or otherwise driving negligently, they’re liable for the harm they caused. Their actions are the focal point of the crash investigation.
The Rideshare Company
Companies like Uber and Lyft are more than just software companies; they’re Transportation Network Companies (TNCs). They’re often liable for the actions of their drivers.
The company is also directly negligent if it failed to conduct a proper background check, allowed an unsafe driver on its platform, or designed an app that encourages distracted driving.
Other Third Parties
In some cases, another party's negligence contributes to the crash. For example, if a defective part on the rideshare vehicle, like faulty brakes, caused the accident, the manufacturer of that part shares the blame.
An investigation may also find a mechanic or maintenance shop responsible for a poor repair that led to the collision.
Combatting Cyclist Bias
Cyclists often face an uphill battle after an accident. The other driver and their insurance company may try to argue that you, the cyclist, were at fault. They use old stereotypes and false narratives to shift the blame and avoid paying for your injuries.
The rideshare driver may claim you darted out of nowhere or were hard to see. They might question your right to be on the road at all. These are common, baseless arguments designed to exploit a perceived bias against bicyclists.
A skilled personal injury attorney knows how to combat this bias with facts and evidence. They use the police report, witness accounts, traffic footage, and sometimes accident reconstruction professionals to show exactly how the crash happened.
Your lawyer will work to prove that you were riding safely and that the rideshare driver’s negligence was the true cause of your injuries.
How a Lawyer Helps With a Bike Accident Involving a Rideshare Vehicle
Facing a corporate legal team alone is a fight you don't have to take on by yourself. A personal injury lawyer will manage the entire legal process so you can focus on your medical recovery.
Preserving Evidence
A lawyer first sends a formal spoliation letter to the rideshare company's legal department. This letter demands that they preserve all evidence of your accident, especially the driver's electronic data. It’s a powerful legal tool that prevents the corporation from destroying the necessary proof.
This information includes:
- Trip and Log-In Data: This evidence shows the precise times the driver logged on and accepted the trip and their exact location at the moment of impact.
- GPS and Telematics Data: This data provides critical information about the driver’s speed, acceleration, and braking patterns in the moments before they hit you.
- Communication Records: These records will include any messages the driver sent between themselves and the company or passenger through the app.
Navigating the Rideshare Insurance Maze
Your attorney will investigate the driver's status and identify which insurance policy applies to your claim. They cut through the corporate red tape and handle all communications with the multiple insurance adjusters who may be involved.
Fighting for Maximum Compensation
Your attorney calculates the full value of your claim, including all your medical bills, lost income, and the cost of your pain and suffering. They create a detailed demand package and negotiate aggressively with the insurance company. ‘
If the corporation refuses to offer a just settlement, your lawyer can file a lawsuit and take them to court.
FAQ for What To Do After a Bike Accident With a Rideshare Vehicle?
What Happens if the Rideshare Driver Turns Off Their App Right After Hitting Me?
This is a common tactic used by drivers trying to avoid responsibility and push your claim to their smaller personal insurance policy. Your lawyer will use the app’s own data, witness statements, and sometimes nearby surveillance footage to prove what the driver was doing during the crash.
Will My Damaged Bicycle and Other Gear Be Covered in a Claim?
Yes, the damage to your bicycle and any other personal property, such as your helmet, cycling computer, or clothing, is included in your claim. Make a list of all your damaged items and find receipts or proof of their value.
How Do I Prove the Rideshare Driver Was Distracted by Their App?
Your lawyer uses several methods, including demanding the driver's cell phone records and app usage data to show they were interacting with their phone instead of watching the road.
Witness statements and the driver's own admissions during legal questioning are also used to establish that they were distracted at the time of the crash.
Who Is at Fault if an Uber or Lyft Passenger Opens a Door Into My Bike Lane?
In this scenario, both the passenger and the rideshare driver may be held liable if they open a door (dooring) into your path and cause a collision. The passenger has a duty to look before opening their door into a bike lane or traffic.
The rideshare driver also has a duty to stop in a safe location and may be negligent for failing to do so. Your lawyer can help you find the applicable insurance policy to claim against in a dooring accident.
How Do I Get My Medical Bills Paid if the Insurance Companies Are Fighting Each Other?
Your medical bills will likely be paid through your own health insurance or your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or Med-Pay coverage from your auto insurance policy. If you don't have these options, your lawyer may be able to help you find doctors who agree to treat you under a letter of protection.
This is a legally binding agreement that promises the medical provider their bills will be paid directly out of your future settlement or verdict. This allows you to get the critical medical care you need without paying upfront costs while your case is ongoing.
We Make It a Fair Fight
As a cyclist, you have every right to be on the road. When the carelessness of a rideshare driver takes that safety away, you don't have to let their corporate legal team intimidate you into silence. You need a fighter in your corner who knows the playbook and isn't afraid of a fight.
At DFW Injury Lawyers, an experienced Dallas personal injury lawyer holds negligent drivers and the corporations behind them accountable. We know what it takes to win these complex cases and are ready to fight for you.
Call us 24/7 at (972) 440-2320 for a free and confidential consultation, and let us start building your case today.