Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP
154-08 Northern Boulevard
#2C
Flushing, NY 11354
Telephone: (718) 587-0911
Uber and Lyft cars are everywhere in Queens, from the pickup lines at LaGuardia and JFK to the busy blocks of Main Street and Northern Boulevard in Flushing. When a rideshare vehicle is involved in a crash, the claim can be more complicated than an ordinary car accident, because more than one insurance policy and more than one driver may be involved.
Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP has represented injured New Yorkers since 1952. From our office on Northern Boulevard in Flushing, we help passengers, rideshare drivers, other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists hurt in Uber and Lyft crashes throughout Queens.
Rideshare rules in New York City are different from the rest of the state. Every Uber and Lyft driver in the city must be licensed by the NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), and the car must be a TLC-licensed for-hire vehicle. That matters for your claim:
Outside New York City, for example if your Uber crashed after crossing into Nassau County, different state rules apply, and the coverage available can depend on whether the driver was logged into the app and whether a ride was in progress. Insurers often point at one another, so we gather the trip records and app data needed to show which coverage applies.
Rideshare drivers get hurt too, often by other drivers. You may be entitled to no-fault benefits for your medical bills and lost wages, and if another driver caused the crash and you have a serious injury, you may have a claim against that driver. Many rideshare drivers in New York City may also be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits through the New York Black Car Fund. Each of these claims has its own deadlines, so it helps to get advice early.
Our Queens personal injury lawyers also handle pedestrian accident and bus accident cases.
Your medical bills and some lost wages are paid through no-fault insurance, regardless of who caused the crash. Depending on your situation, the benefits may come from your own household auto policy or from the coverage on the rideshare vehicle. Passengers are almost never at fault, and if your injury is serious, you may also have a claim against the rideshare driver, another driver, or both.
Usually the claim is made against the driver and the insurance on the vehicle rather than against Uber or Lyft as companies, because rideshare drivers are generally treated as independent contractors. In New York City, the vehicle must carry TLC-required insurance that applies at all times, so there is typically coverage available for the driver’s negligence.
In New York City, generally not, because TLC rules require for-hire vehicle insurance to apply at all times. Outside the city, the coverage available can depend on whether the driver was logged into the app, on the way to a pickup, or carrying a passenger.
You may have a claim against the other driver and their insurance. If you were a passenger, you may have claims against both drivers if each was partly responsible. We look at every policy that may apply, including supplementary underinsured motorist coverage, so you are not limited to one source of compensation.
You are entitled to no-fault benefits for your medical bills and some lost wages. If you or someone in your household has an auto policy, that policy usually pays first. If not, the no-fault coverage on the vehicle that hit you generally applies. If your injuries are serious, you may also bring a claim against the rideshare driver and the insurance on the vehicle.
You may be entitled to no-fault benefits, a claim against another driver who caused the crash, and possibly workers’ compensation benefits through the New York Black Car Fund. The deadlines for each are different, and some are short, so it is best to get advice as soon as possible.
Trip records from the app, the driver’s TLC license and insurance information, the police report, photos and video from the scene, witness statements, and your medical records. Some of this information is controlled by the rideshare company or insurers, and we move quickly to request it before it is lost.
Generally, yes. Rideshare crashes follow New York’s no-fault rules like other car accidents, so to recover for pain and suffering you usually must show a “serious injury,” such as a fracture, significant disfigurement, the permanent loss of use of a body part, or a permanent or significant limitation of a body function or system. For lawsuits filed on or after May 26, 2026, an injury that only kept you from your usual activities for 90 of the first 180 days no longer qualifies on its own.
You may still recover compensation. For motor vehicle injury lawsuits filed on or after May 26, 2026, New York bars recovery only if your share of the fault is greater than the combined fault of the people you are suing. If you were 50% at fault or less, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. Passengers are rarely found at fault at all.
Most rideshare accident injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the crash, and wrongful death claims generally within two years of the date of death. No-fault applications have much shorter deadlines, generally 30 days, and claims involving a city or other public vehicle require a notice of claim within 90 days.
Not before you understand the full extent of your injuries and every policy that may apply. Early offers are often made before your medical treatment is complete, and once you accept a settlement, you generally cannot reopen your claim.
There is no upfront cost. Rideshare accident cases are handled on a contingency fee basis, typically one-third of the recovery, as permitted under New York court rules, and you pay a fee only if we recover compensation for you.
Our office is at 154-08 Northern Boulevard, #2C, in Flushing, near Main Street:
If your injuries make travel difficult, we can meet you at home or in the hospital by appointment.
Rideshare claims move quickly, and app records and video can disappear. Call our Flushing office at (718) 587-0911 to schedule your free consultation.
