Last updated: September 7, 2026
Who pays after an Uber or Lyft accident in Louisiana depends on what the rideshare driver was doing the moment the crash happened. If a driver had accepted a ride or already had a passenger in the car, a $1 million commercial liability policy from the rideshare company generally applies. If the driver had the app on but had not yet accepted a trip, a smaller contingent policy applies — at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage. And if the app was off entirely, it is treated like an ordinary car wreck covered by the driver’s personal auto insurance. Louisiana is an at-fault state, so the insurer of whoever caused the crash is the one that pays — whether that is the rideshare driver, another motorist, or a combination.
That sounds simple, but rideshare claims are among the more confusing auto cases in Louisiana because the coverage changes second to second. Below is a plain-English breakdown of how it works, what to do after a crash in Houma, and the deadline you cannot afford to miss.
Rideshare insurance in Louisiana is built in layers, and which layer responds is decided entirely by the driver’s status in the app at the time of the collision. Insurers and lawyers usually describe it in three periods:
The practical takeaway: a passenger injured during an active trip is almost always covered by the $1 million policy. Someone struck by a rideshare driver who was merely waiting for a ping is dealing with much lower limits — which is why identifying the driver’s exact app status is one of the first things that matters in these cases.
Louisiana spells these numbers out by statute. Under Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:201.6, a transportation network company (the legal term for Uber, Lyft, and similar apps) and its drivers must carry:
The law also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage during these periods, and it makes the rideshare company’s coverage responsible if the driver’s own policy lapses or falls short. UM/UIM matters more than most people realize in Louisiana, where a large share of drivers carry only minimum coverage or none at all. If you are hurt by an at-fault driver who has no insurance, UM coverage — yours or the applicable rideshare policy’s — may be what actually pays your medical bills.
The steps after a rideshare crash are similar to any car accident, with a few additions that protect the details unique to these claims:
For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. This is a major change: for decades Louisiana had one of the shortest deadlines in the country at just one year. The extension came through Act 423 of 2024, reflected in Louisiana Civil Code article 3493.1. Crashes that happened before July 1, 2024 generally still fall under the old one-year rule, and a few categories of claims can run on different timelines, so the safest course is never to assume you have plenty of time.
Two years can pass faster than it sounds once you are focused on recovery and medical treatment. Evidence also fades — app records get overwritten, vehicles are repaired, and memories blur — so acting early tends to strengthen a claim regardless of the formal deadline.
Fault is often shared in a crash, and Louisiana handles that with a rule called pure comparative fault (Louisiana Civil Code article 2323). Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you can still recover even if you were partly responsible. If another motorist — not the rideshare driver — caused the crash, that driver’s insurance is usually the primary source of recovery, with rideshare UM/UIM coverage available if the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured. Sorting out these overlapping policies is where many rideshare claims get complicated, and where careful investigation of the app data and each policy tends to make the biggest difference.
Rideshare is now part of everyday travel — Uber alone reported billions of trips worldwide in a single quarter of 2025. And Louisiana still sees a heavy crash toll even in a good year: the LSU Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety reported 753 traffic deaths statewide in 2024, a five-year low but still hundreds of families affected. With more rides on the road each year, knowing how these claims work is simply practical.
If you were hurt as a passenger, another driver, a cyclist, or a pedestrian in a crash involving an Uber or Lyft, you do not have to untangle the insurance layers on your own. Kopfler & Hermann has represented injured people across the Houma area and southeast Louisiana since 1977, and our attorneys can help identify which policy applies, preserve the app and crash records, and deal with the insurers for you. You can learn more on our Houma Uber accident lawyer page, our broader Houma car accident and truck accident pages, or our main Houma personal injury section. Consultations are free, and the firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, which means attorney’s fees are owed only if we recover compensation for you. Contact us to talk through your situation.
Generally, yes. When you are riding in an Uber or Lyft as a paying passenger, the trip is in progress, so the rideshare company’s $1 million liability coverage is in force for that period under Louisiana law. That coverage can apply whether the rideshare driver or another motorist caused the crash, and UM/UIM coverage may also come into play if an at-fault third party is uninsured.
If the driver had the app on but had not yet accepted a ride, Louisiana’s lower contingent limits apply — at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage — and the driver’s personal policy is typically looked to first. If the app was off, it is handled as an ordinary crash under the driver’s personal auto insurance.
Under Louisiana Revised Statutes 45:201.6, at least $1 million in combined liability coverage applies from the time a ride is accepted through drop-off. When the app is on but no ride is accepted, the minimums are $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage, along with required uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
For crashes on or after July 1, 2024, you generally have two years from the date of the injury to file suit, up from the old one-year deadline. Because earlier crashes and certain claim types can follow different timelines, it is wise to confirm your specific deadline early rather than assume.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage is designed for exactly this situation. Depending on the driver’s app status at the time, either the applicable rideshare UM/UIM policy or your own UM coverage may respond, which is one reason it is worth having your policies reviewed after a hit-and-run or a crash with an uninsured driver.
Kopfler & Hermann handles personal injury matters on a contingency-fee basis. That means there is no upfront attorney’s fee, and fees are owed only if the firm recovers compensation for you. Initial consultations are free.
About the author: This article was written by the attorneys at Kopfler & Hermann, Attorneys at Law, a personal injury firm serving Houma and southeast Louisiana since 1977. The firm handles car, truck, rideshare, maritime, and other injury claims on a contingency-fee basis. Office: 306 Grinage Street, Houma, LA 70360 · (985) 851-3311.
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Louisiana law changes, and every case is different; no particular result or outcome is promised or guaranteed. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. For advice about your specific situation, speak with a licensed Louisiana attorney.
