Dover, NJ Uber & Lyft Accident Lawyer
Uber and Lyft cars are constantly picking up and dropping off across Dover and running trips on I-80 and Route 46. Drivers stop suddenly, double-park or pull out into traffic while they watch the app. If you were hurt as a rideshare passenger, as a driver, or by a car working for an app, the insurance that pays depends on exactly what the app showed at the moment of the crash.
Quick answers
How long do I have to file a Uber or Lyft accident claim in Dover, NJ?
In most New Jersey Uber or Lyft accident cases you have two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2. If a town, county, state agency or NJ Transit may be responsible, a written notice of claim is generally due within 90 days.
Waiting also costs evidence: video is overwritten, vehicles are repaired and witnesses move. Calling early protects both the deadline and the proof. If the claim involves a Morris County road, park or building owned by the government, the 90-day notice goes to that public entity.
How much insurance covers an Uber or Lyft ride in New Jersey?
New Jersey's Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act, N.J.S.A. 39:5H-1 and following, requires at least $1.5 million in coverage from the moment a driver accepts a ride until the passenger gets out. Lower limits apply while the app is on and the driver is waiting for a request.
When the app was on, and whether a ride was accepted, often decides which policy pays.
Who pays my medical bills after a New Jersey car crash?
New Jersey is a no-fault state, so your own auto policy's Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage usually pays your medical bills first, no matter who caused the crash. Pain and suffering, lost wages beyond PIP and future losses are pursued from the at-fault driver's liability insurance.
If you have no auto policy, PIP may come from a household member's policy or from the policy of the vehicle involved under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4.
Where is a Dover, NJ injury lawsuit filed?
Most injury lawsuits arising in Dover are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division, for Morris County, which sits at the Morris County Courthouse, Morristown. Most cases settle before trial, and many clients never need to appear in court except for a deposition or a trial if one happens.
A case can sometimes be filed in another county where a defendant lives or does business.
Do I have to travel to meet Dennis about a Dover, NJ case?
No. Dennis meets clients at the Parsippany office of Einhorn Barbarito, 4 Campus Drive, Suite 300, Parsippany, NJ 07054, and also by phone or video. If you are recovering, home and hospital visits are available anywhere in Morris County, at no cost to you.
The first consultation is free, confidential and comes with no obligation.
How much does it cost to hire Dennis?
Nothing up front. The consultation is free, and injury cases are handled on a contingency fee, which means the fee is a percentage of the recovery and is only owed if there is one. New Jersey Court Rule 1:21-7 caps contingency fees in personal injury cases.
You will get the fee agreement in writing before any work starts, and you can ask questions about it at any time.
$1.5 million during a ride
From the moment a driver accepts a ride request 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)).
App on, waiting for a ride
When the driver is logged on but hasn't accepted a ride, the required coverage is lower: at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for injuries, plus $25,000 for property damage (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10). App data showing the driver's status is often the key evidence.
Passengers and the lawsuit threshold
In a lawsuit arising from a prearranged ride, the rideshare company and its driver can't use the "limitation on lawsuit" option against a passenger, and it can't be raised against anyone who isn't receiving PIP benefits (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(j)).
Common causes of rideshare crashes
Most Uber and Lyft crashes come from the way app driving works: looking at the phone to accept a ride or follow the map, stopping short or double-parking to pick someone up, pulling away from the curb without checking traffic, rushing to the next request, and fatigue from long shifts. Other drivers who rear-end or run into a rideshare car cause many crashes too.
What you can recover
Your own PIP coverage pays medical bills first in most New Jersey crashes. A claim against the at-fault driver can add income loss beyond what PIP pays, medical costs PIP doesn't cover, and pain and suffering when your injury meets the lawsuit threshold or the threshold doesn't apply (for example, to most rideshare passengers suing the driver and the company, N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10(j)). During an active trip the $1.5 million coverage is usually available to pay it.
What to do after an Uber or Lyft accident
1) Get to safety and call 911. 2) Ask for the police report number. 3) Screenshot the trip in the app: driver name, car, plate, time and route. 4) Photograph the cars, the street and your injuries. 5) Get checked by a doctor the same day or the next. 6) Report the crash in the app and to your own insurer, but don't give a recorded statement to the other side's insurer. 7) Keep every bill and note missed work, then talk to a lawyer before the app data is gone. Our full checklist: iknowdennis.com/blog/what-should-i-do-after-a-rideshare-accident.
Deadline to file
Most New Jersey personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2). Claims against a public entity, such as a county or town, also require a written notice of claim within 90 days (N.J.S.A. 59:8-8).
Local roads and courts
Dover is in Morris County, where Superior Court cases are heard at the Morris County Courthouse, Morristown. Common crash corridors in and around Dover include I-80, Route 46, Route 15, Blackwell Street. We also serve nearby Randolph, Rockaway, Wharton, Mine Hill. See our Morris County page.
Real Uber & Lyft accident results in New Jersey
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Common questions
- Why does my claim letter say Rasier instead of Uber?
- Rasier LLC is an Uber subsidiary that often appears on Uber insurance paperwork and lawsuits. It does not mean you are dealing with an unrelated company.
- Will my car insurance rates go up if I was only a passenger?
- You weren't driving, so the crash generally shouldn't count against you as an at-fault driver. Your own PIP may still pay medical bills first, so ask your insurer how it records the claim.
- I was walking or biking when an Uber or Lyft hit me. Am I treated differently?
- The same app-status coverage applies, and drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. Whose PIP pays your medical bills depends on whether you have auto insurance at home. See our guide for pedestrians and cyclists hit by a rideshare car.
- What if the ride crossed into New York?
- A crash in New Jersey is generally governed by New Jersey law. A crash that happens in New York can bring in New York's insurance and lawsuit rules, which are different. Tell us where the crash happened and where the trip started.
- What does it cost to talk to Dennis?
- The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless there is a recovery.
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