A rideshare crash can turn a Colorado vacation into a medical and financial problem before you get home. If you suffered an injury in an Uber or Lyft while traveling, you may be unsure what tourists should know about making a claim and have questions about whose insurance applies and whether living in another state changes your rights.
An attorney from our team can identify the available coverage and preserve the ride records, then pursue your claim after you leave the state. At Wilhite Law Firm, we help injured travelers understand the protections tied to an active rideshare trip.
What Insurance Covers a Rideshare Passenger?
The state treats Uber and Lyft as transportation network companies. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 40-10.1-604, the rideshare company or its driver must provide primary liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence while the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride. What you should know if you are a tourist traveling as an Uber or Lyft passenger while visiting the state is that you can rely on that coverage if an accident injures you.
Since August 10, 2022, the rideshare company must also carry uninsured motorist coverage for the driver and each rider during a prearranged ride. Coverage runs to $200,000 per person and $400,000 per crash. Uninsured motorist coverage matters most when another driver causes the crash and carries no insurance.
Lower requirements apply when a driver is logged into the app without an active prearranged ride, so app status matters: the strongest statutory coverage applies while your trip is in progress. As a passenger on a prearranged ride, you are generally the most fully covered person in the vehicle, and being from out of state does not change this.
Steps To Protect Your Claim Before Flying Home
The first days after a rideshare accident in the state can affect the evidence available later. It can be helpful to know what you should do if you sustain an injury while traveling as a tourist in an Uber or Lyft. Here are some steps to take before your trip ends:
- Save the trip receipt
- Screenshot the in-app ride record
- Photograph the crash scene if it is safe
- See a doctor before flying home
- Keep medical records related to the crash
This evidence is easiest to gather before you leave.
Pursuing a Claim After You Return Home
Returning home does not prevent you from pursuing a Colorado injury claim, and you need not stay in the state while it proceeds. It is important to know that what you should do is preserve proof that you were a passenger during an active prearranged ride, because that single fact can determine which protections apply to a traveler or tourist injured while in a rideshare.
Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation About Your Vacation Rideshare Injury
If you sustained injuries in an Uber or Lyft while traveling as a tourist, act now. We can review the ride status and available insurance, then help you understand what you should do next. Call us now to arrange your free consultation. Wilhite Wins.
