Choosing the Right Lawyer After an Uber or Lyft Accident

After a rideshare crash, the attorney you hire should immediately establish which insurance policy applies and contact the right carrier. If that’s delayed, Uber, Lyft, or their insurers may argue that the claim was never reported properly or that the wrong coverage tier was triggered, which will make recovery harder.

Sorting Out Coverage

Uber and Lyft’s insurance coverage depends on whether the driver was waiting for a ride, on the way to pick up a passenger, or already driving someone. An experienced attorney knows how to:

• Verify the driver’s app status at the time of the crash
• Identify the limits available under each period
• Hold the company to those obligations when insurers try to deny or shrink responsibility

Preserving Key Records

Evidence can disappear quickly and trip data may be overwritten, Fresno police reports can take time to obtain, and medical documentation might not reflect the full scope of injuries if treatment is delayed. An attorney who acts quickly gathers records before disputes arise, which will build a stronger foundation for the case.

Shielding You From Adjusters

Insurance adjusters are usually calling within hours and may ask for recorded statements or might present a settlement offer. Adjuster conversations are typically not in your interest. Tim Mazzela deals with insurers directly and prevents adjusters and insurance companies from doing things that may reduce compensation.

Calculating Real Losses

The costs that accrue soon after an accident normally don’t really capture the full impact of a rideshare crash. A proper case evaluation includes the following:

• Emergency treatment and follow-up care
• Rehabilitation or surgeries that may be required later
• Wages already lost and future earning limits caused by lasting injuries

Tim Mazzela has handled Fresno rideshare, Uber and Lyft motor vehicle cases for decades. He works directly with you and reviews every potential source of financial recovery so that nothing is overlooked or left unclaimed.

If you were hurt in a Fresno Uber or Lyft accident, call Tim Mazzela, APC at (559) 297-1118 to speak directly with an attorney who knows how to fight for the full compensation rideshare victims deserve.

After a Rideshare Crash in Fresno: First Steps That Protect Your Case

The steps you take after a rideshare crash can help build the right foundation for a winning case. If you skip certain steps, insurers might argue that your injuries weren’t really connected to the accident or that there isn’t enough evidence to back up what you’re saying.

Call 911 and Get Checked

Call 911 right away so police and paramedics respond to the scene and officers create the official accident record. Also, get the report number, if you can.

Even if you feel okay, let medical professionals examine you so that it can close the door on insurers arguing that the crash had nothing to do with your condition.

Collect All the Information You Can

• Photos of the cars, the intersection, and any injuries
• Screenshots of the trip details from the Uber or Lyft app
• Names of those involved in the crash, license plates, and insurance information
• Notes about traffic cameras, business cameras, or parking lots nearby

Handle Insurance Calls Carefully

If adjusters reach out and ask for a recorded statement, you don’t need to give them one right away. A simple “I’ll get back to you” can protect you until you’ve had a conversation with an attorney.

Keep a Simple Log

Write down your pain levels and treatment dates or anything that feels different as time goes on. Even a few notes in your phone can end up showing a clear pattern months later if the insurer tries to push back about the scope of your injuries. Adding to your log daily or as often as there is new information can be helpful to your case later.

Tim Mazzela and his staff will guide you through every step you need to take to protect your case and increase your chances of recovery.

Do I Have a Case?

Not every crash with an Uber or Lyft driver looks the same and whether you have a case depends on your role in the accident and what the driver was doing in the app at the time.

Who Might Have a Case

• Passengers injured while riding in Uber or Lyft
• Rideshare drivers hurt in a crash while logged into the app
• Other motorists, pedestrians, or cyclists struck by a rideshare vehicle

How App Status Affects Coverage

The driver’s status in the Uber or Lyft app determines which insurance policy applies and the size of the coverage:

• Waiting for a request – limited liability coverage from Uber or Lyft applies if the driver’s own policy doesn’t cover the crash.
• En route to a passenger – the $1 million commercial policy becomes active.
• Passenger in the car – the $1 million commercial policy continues, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Shared Responsibility

California’s comparative fault rule means you can still recover compensation even if you share blame and the final amount is simply reduced by your percentage of fault.

When More Than One Claim Is Needed

Sometimes one insurance policy isn’t enough and a single crash could include:

• The rideshare company’s coverage
• Another driver’s auto policy
• Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

An experienced rideshare attorney knows when to open more than one claim so that no source of payment is missed.

Tim Mazzela evaluates case strength early on, using his knowledge of Fresno County jury trends to give clients a realistic picture of what to expect, even in cases where fault is divided.

Which Insurance Applies in an Uber or Lyft Crash

Coverage depends on what the driver was doing in the app when the crash happened. Each period has its own rules and limits, and missing that detail can change how much money is available.

If insurers claim the driver was only “waiting” and try to deny full coverage we can pull trip records to show the ride had already started and force the company’s $1 million policy into play.

The Coverage Periods

• Period 0 (app off): Only the driver’s personal auto policy applies.
• Period 1 (app on, waiting): Limited liability from Uber or Lyft kicks in if the driver’s own coverage won’t pay.
• Periods 2 and 3 (ride accepted or passenger in the car): The $1 million commercial liability policy is active, with uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage included.

When More Than One Policy Is Involved

Personal auto insurance, MedPay, or even health insurance can come into play depending on the situation. Figuring out who pays first is not always simple, especially when rideshare and private carriers both point fingers to the other party.

Records and Data That Can Help Prove Liability

Proving fault in a rideshare crash doesn’t come down to one piece of evidence, but usually takes a mix of records from the Uber or Lyft app, plus whatever can be gathered from phones, vehicles, or even businesses near the scene. When details aren’t collected quickly the insurer may just try to fill in the blanks their own way.

Digital Records From the App

Trip logs, GPS points, and timestamps can show when the ride started and where the driver went, and support tickets inside the app sometimes help establish whether the trip was active. Tim Mazzela has used this type of data in Fresno cases where companies argued the driver was “between rides,” and once the records were pulled the defense didn’t hold up.

Other Sources of Proof

• Phone records or telematics from the car
• Dashcam video if the driver had one
• Surveillance footage from stores, intersections, or parking lots
• Vehicle damage inspections and Event Data Recorder downloads

Medical Documentation

Medical records also play a key role in your case, because if care starts right away and the follow-up visits are consistent, the injuries are harder to dispute. When there are gaps in treatment, even short gaps, it usually gives insurers an opening to say the crash wasn’t the real cause, so keeping accurate records of all medical-related visits, treatments, medications, etc. can block those arguments and tie the injury directly back to the crash.

Fresno Rideshare Crash Realities: High-Risk Intersections and Police Reports

There are a number of accident-prone intersections in Fresno, like Blackstone & Shaw, Friant & Shepherd, Blackstone & Ashlan, Cedar & McKinley, and Herndon & First. All of these intersections combine heavy traffic with red-light runners and permissive left turns, which contributes to the frequency of crashes they see. Tim Mazzela has handled cases tied to dangerous intersections in Fresno and the Central Valley and knows how insurers use the chaos of busy roads to argue liability is unclear. He counters arguments like that by tying the crash to specific driver choices, such as red-light running or unsafe turns, that make it harder for insurers to avoid responsibility during negotiations.

Although not the final word on anything, police reports also carry weight because they include driver and witness details, the officer’s notes, and sometimes a diagram of how the vehicles collided. When those reports are pulled right away and kept with the rest of the file, they help back up the timeline of the crash and make it harder for an insurer to push a different version of events.

Handling Insurance Company Tactics

Insurers use predictable tactics to cut the value of Fresno rideshare cases, such as pointing to gaps in medical care, disputing whether treatment was necessary, and sometimes they may even twist a client’s own words into evidence against them. Tim Mazzela has dealt with these issues and structures your case so adjusters can’t use tactics like this to lower compensation.

Gaps and Delays in Care

A missed appointment or a stretch without treatment can give insurance companies room to argue the injuries weren’t serious or related to the crash. Tim and his staff keep medical records consistent so adjusters can’t turn scheduling gaps into excuses to pay less.

Disputing Treatment

Adjusters may claim some of the care wasn’t needed, focusing on:

• Physical therapy or chiropractic visits that run for weeks
• Scans such as MRIs or CTs
• Surgeries or longer rehabilitation programs

Our rideshare attorney ties each part of treatment back to the crash with doctor notes and medical records to leave less room for insurers to dismiss it as optional.

Twisting Comments

A casual remark like “I’m feeling ok” can resurface later as proof of recovery and insurance companies won’t hesitate to pull those comments out of context even when treatment is still ongoing. Tim favors written communication (electronic or actual paper) because it leaves a paper trail that reflects the real condition of the client instead of an adjuster’s spin.

Managing Medical Bills During a Rideshare Case

Medical bills don’t wait for the claim to be resolved, and that catches a lot of people off guard. Treatment starts right away, but payment can come from different sources and the order in which those payments happen affects what you actually keep at the end.

• MedPay or PIP sometimes covers the first round of costs if that coverage is on the policy.

• Health insurance may take over once those benefits are used up, but providers often want confirmation before they bill.

• Hospitals or specialists may file liens, which means they expect to be paid back from the settlement.

Tim Mazzela works directly with providers so accounts don’t land in collections while the case is still pending. He also keeps track of which bills were paid by which source, because once the settlement comes in, reimbursements and lien payments can change the bottom line in ways most people don’t see coming until it’s too late.

Compensation You May Be Able to Pursue

What gets paid after a rideshare crash isn’t limited to the bills that show up right away, and in a lot of cases the bigger part of compensation comes from the costs that build up months after the accident. Insurers push back on those numbers because they aren’t on paper yet, which is why they get left out unless someone puts them in front of the adjuster.

• hospital and doctor bills that keep running after the ER visit
• wages already missed and future income if work is limited or not possible for a while
• day-to-day changes — pain, stress, or the simple loss of being able to do things that used to be part of your normal routine
• damage to the car, rideshare downtime if you drive for Uber or Lyft, and other transportation costs that stack up while everything is being sorted out

Our team makes sure long-term needs, like future treatment and reduced earning power, are built into the compensation number, not left out because they aren’t on paper yet.

Case Timeline: From First Call to Resolution

Rideshare cases don’t move in a straight line and they rarely wrap up as quickly as people hope. There are a few stages that almost every case goes through, and knowing what those stages look like makes it easier to see where things stand.

• gathering records — police reports, app data, medical files, and treatment notes that show how injuries progress over time

• figuring out liability — who was at fault, which policy applies, and how much coverage is on the table

• filing claims and dealing with the back and forth of adjusters and negotiations

• settlement talks that usually pick up after treatment levels out, or when it’s clear surgery or rehab will be needed down the road

Tim Mazzela keeps clients in touch through each step and doesn’t hand cases off to staff. Insurers know his trial history, and that history changes how they negotiate because they’re dealing with someone who will put the case in front of a jury if that’s what it takes, and that pressure alone can move the numbers in ways a less experienced lawyer wouldn’t see.

Working With Tim Mazzela, APC

Working with Tim Mazzela means you deal with the attorney himself instead of being pushed off to layers of staff. That direct contact gives clients a clearer sense of where their case stands and what’s being done with it.

• Access to Tim throughout the case, not just at the start or when it’s time to sign papers
• Results that include finding hidden insurance coverage other lawyers overlooked
• Fresno-based work that makes a difference in practice — faster accident report pulls, local connections for evidence, and an understanding of the crash patterns in this community

Clients who come to Tim often say they were surprised at how much ground was covered that hadn’t been addressed before, and that’s because he handles every case with the assumption that the insurer will test every weakness, so leaving things out isn’t an option. That approach gives people more confidence in the process and in the recovery they’re working toward.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fresno Uber and Lyft Accidents

What if the Uber driver was off the app?

If the driver wasn’t active within the app, the driver’s own auto policy applies. We check things like app data and trip records to confirm status because that detail can decide which coverage is available.

Do I have to pay medical bills before my case is resolved?

Some bills get paid by MedPay or health insurance, while others may be placed as liens. Tim works with providers so accounts don’t go to collections and tracks payments so the settlement breakdown is clear.

Can I make a claim if I was a rideshare passenger in Fresno?

Yes. Passengers are covered under Uber and Lyft’s $1 million policy once a ride is accepted. Tim has handled passenger cases where insurers tried to cut coverage short.

How long do Fresno rideshare cases take?

Simple cases may close in a few months and others involving surgery or rehab can take a year or more. Our team keeps clients updated so they aren’t left guessing.

What if my family member was injured in an Uber or Lyft accident?

Family members can contact Tim on their behalf and he will work with you to make sure evidence, insurance notices, or other case elements are handled while the injured person recovers.

Work With Our Fresno Rideshare Attorney Today

A rideshare crash leaves questions about who pays, how long recovery will take, and whether the bills piling up will ever be covered. You don’t have to figure those pieces out alone. Tim Mazzela has handled rideshare cases across Fresno for decades and knows how to pin down coverage, organize records, and push back when insurers try to limit payment.

If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft crash, or you’re helping a family member through it, call (559) 297-1118 to speak directly with Tim. The call is free, and it gives you a chance to hear what can be done to protect the case and move it forward.