Rideshare Accident Attorney in Brooklyn, NY

Ask a prospective attorney one question first: how will you determine which insurance period was in effect? Everything else in a rideshare case follows from the answer.

Uber and Lyft coverage works in three stages. With the app off, only the driver's personal policy responds. With the app on but no ride accepted, a limited contingent policy applies. Once a request is accepted or a passenger is in the vehicle, the company's commercial policy provides $1,250,000 of liability coverage for a prearranged trip in New York. A passenger injured on the way to Barclays Center is in that third period; a pedestrian struck by a driver cruising Flatbush waiting for a ping may not be. The trip data held by the company decides it, and it should be requested immediately.

Alongside that:

• No-fault pays $50,000 in medical and wage benefits to passengers regardless of fault — the NF-2 form is due within 30 days.
• The serious injury threshold, Insurance Law § 5102(d), gates pain and suffering damages.
• Three years to sue under CPLR 214; two years for wrongful death.
• Pure comparative negligence applies (CPLR 1411).
• NYC rideshare drivers hold TLC licenses, and the Commission's records on licensing, inspections and complaints are obtainable.

Cases are filed in Supreme Court, Kings County, 360 Adams Street. If a city bus, a delivery truck or another vehicle contributed, additional defendants and, where a public entity is involved, a 90-day notice of claim enter the picture. General information, not legal advice.

There is no fee to begin and no hourly billing. New York injury attorneys are paid on contingency — a share of the recovery only. One-third of the net recovery is the customary arrangement, confirmed in a written retainer.

The factors that matter:

• Settlement stage: pre-suit, discovery, mediation, or verdict
• Case expenses: reconstruction, treating physician narratives, transcripts, filing fees
• Deduction order — expenses before or after the fee
• Liens to no-fault, health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid
• The applicable coverage period and its limits
• Whether a SUM claim is needed because a third vehicle carried minimum limits

Any settlement for a minor requires court approval of both settlement and fee. Our consultation and referral are free.

Because a rideshare claim runs against a corporate defendant with in-house claims handling, and the injured passenger usually has nothing but a phone screenshot to work from.

• Free consultation; the referral costs you nothing.
• Available 24/7 at (800) 669-0060.
• English, Spanish, and Russian.
• Over 30 years connecting injured people with attorneys in New York and New Jersey.
• Local case experience in Kings County.
• Continued involvement after the introduction.

Attorneys in Michael Brook's network stress one point to rideshare passengers: report the crash through the app as well as to the police. The in-app report creates a timestamped record tied to the trip, and that record is difficult for anyone to dispute later.

Disclaimer: Michael Brook Attorney Referral is not a law firm and provides no legal representation or legal advice. This is general information and does not replace advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. No result is guaranteed.