If you were hurt riding in an Uber or Lyft in New Jersey, you are in one of the strongest positions in injury law: you almost certainly didn't cause the crash, and the law requires substantial insurance behind your ride. The challenges are figuring out which insurance pays which bills, and making sure the claim isn't steered somewhere it doesn't belong.

Your ride is covered by $1.5 million in required insurance

Once your driver accepts your request, and until the last passenger gets out, New Jersey requires at least $1,500,000 in liability coverage and $1,500,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(c)). That coverage is "primary," and it doesn't depend on your own insurer, or the driver's personal insurer, denying the claim first (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(e)).

Who you can claim against

  • If your rideshare driver caused the crash: a claim against the driver, paid by the rideshare coverage.
  • If another driver caused it: a claim against that driver's insurance. If their coverage is missing or too small, the rideshare policy's uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap. Uninsured and hit-and-run claims.
  • If both share fault: claims against both. New Jersey divides fault among the people who caused the crash (N.J.S.A. 2A:15-5.2).

The verbal threshold usually can't be used against you

In most New Jersey car cases, people with the "limitation on lawsuit" option on their own policy must prove a permanent injury to recover pain and suffering. The rideshare law changes that. In a lawsuit arising from a prearranged ride, the rideshare company and its driver can't assert the limitation on lawsuit option, and it can't be asserted against anyone who isn't receiving PIP benefits (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(j)).

In plain terms: if you sue your rideshare driver, the permanent-injury test generally doesn't apply. If you also sue a different driver and you're receiving PIP under a policy with the limitation, that other driver may still raise it. How the verbal threshold works.

Your medical bills

This is the least settled part of a rideshare passenger claim. During an active ride, the law doesn't require PIP on the rideshare policy, only $10,000 in medical payments coverage for the driver alone (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(c)(2)). The law also says the rideshare car isn't treated as an "automobile" under New Jersey's No-Fault Act during a ride (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-2). That can raise questions about whether your own household PIP will pay. In practice:

  • If you or a relative you live with has a New Jersey auto policy, submit a PIP claim promptly. Don't assume it will be denied.
  • Use your health insurance for treatment. Many health plans will later seek repayment from a settlement. How liens work.
  • Unpaid medical bills can be part of your claim against the at-fault driver.

Watch for the arbitration clause

When you created your account, you agreed to the app's terms, which include an arbitration agreement. New Jersey appellate courts have enforced Uber's arbitration terms against injured riders, including riders whose accounts were used by family members. Usually this affects claims against the company itself, not claims against the drivers. What arbitration means for your claim.

What helps your claim most

  1. Screenshots of the trip and the receipt.
  2. Same-day medical evaluation and consistent follow-up care.
  3. The police report and names of witnesses, including other passengers.
  4. No recorded statement to any insurer until you've had advice. Steps after any crash.

Deadline

Most passenger claims must be filed in court within two years (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2).

See our Uber and Lyft accidents page.