What should I save after an Uber or Lyft accident?

The short answer

A rideshare crash has an extra record that an ordinary crash does not: the app’s trip status. Save the receipt, driver and vehicle screen, route, pickup and drop-off, messages, report number, and every screen showing whether the driver was waiting, heading to a rider, or carrying one. Insurance can change with that status and with state law.

This page does not decide which policy applies. It helps preserve the records a licensed attorney needs to read that question.

First, say which role you had

Write whether you were:

• a passenger in the rideshare vehicle;
• the rideshare driver;
• in another vehicle;
• walking, biking, or riding a motorcycle;
• waiting to be picked up when the crash happened.

Then write the app name and whether a ride had been requested, accepted, started, or completed. Do not guess. A screenshot that shows the status is better than a label from memory.

Save the trip record from the app

Capture the complete trip receipt and these details:

1. Driver name and profile screen.
2. Vehicle make, model, color, and plate.
3. Pickup and drop-off addresses shown by the app.
4. Route map and trip times.
5. In-app messages, support messages, and incident reports.
6. The email receipt and any charge adjustment.
7. Screens showing whether the driver was online, matched, en route, or on trip.

Uber states that its trips are GPS tracked and that its app displays trip and vehicle information, while warning that insurance varies by state and can change.¹ Other platforms have their own records and policies. Save what your app actually shows instead of assuming the companies work the same way.

Build the ordinary crash record too

The app record is one layer, not the whole file. Save:

• crash report number and agency;
• photos of every vehicle and the roadway;
• witness and passenger contacts;
• insurance cards from the vehicles involved;
• medical visit records and bills;
• tow, repair, rental, and transportation papers;
• calls, emails, texts, and portal messages from insurers.

State motor vehicle agencies publish their own crash-report process.⁴

Insurance follows facts and state rules

App-based transportation is regulated state by state. California, for example, regulates transportation network companies and publishes separate insurance requirements tied to app activity.² That is an example, not a rule for the whole country.

The policy question can involve the rideshare company’s coverage, a driver’s personal or rideshare policy, another driver’s policy, and sometimes a passenger’s own coverages. Which one applies depends on the role, trip status, state, date, and policy words.

If you need the insurance regulator for the state where the crash happened, use the national directory of state departments.³

What a case check asks

Expect questions about your role, app and trip status, who owned each vehicle, where the crash happened, which reports exist, where you received care, and which insurers or platform representatives contacted you.

Upload screenshots as complete files when possible. Crop a copy for readability if needed, but keep the original. The timestamp, surrounding screen, and file details may matter as much as the sentence in the middle.