Reporting, and what happens after
A report through the app notifies the company, and the claim is usually passed to an insurer or a claims administrator. Riders should still report to the police and get medical care, because the app report replaces neither. Drivers have reporting duties of their own, to the company and to their insurers. Keep the trip receipt, screenshots of the driver and vehicle details, and any messages exchanged in the app. Those records can become hard to reach later. If you were driving another car that an Uber vehicle hit, the same records help show that the driver was on the platform at the time.
Arbitration and the terms you accepted
Uber's terms of use include an arbitration agreement, and the company has sought to apply it to injury claims brought by riders. New York's highest court has enforced those terms against a rider who accepted them, though whether they reach a particular person or claim, such as a passenger who did not book the trip, can still be disputed. Whether your claim belongs in court or in arbitration can affect timing and procedure. Do not delete the app or close your account until you have advice, since the account history may matter. The terms in effect on the day of the trip may differ from the ones shown today, which is another reason to keep the account intact and let your lawyer request the history.
Sorting out who pays
Depending on where the crash happened and what the app showed at the time, the insurer could be the driver's commercial for-hire policy, coverage arranged by Uber, the other driver's policy, or more than one of these. No-fault benefits handle early medical bills while that is sorted out. When you contact us, we review the trip details, the injuries, and every policy involved, and explain which claim to make first. If an adjuster has already contacted you, tell us what was said, since early statements often shape the rest of the claim.
