Is Rasier LLC Uber? What New Jersey Crash Victims Need to Know

Why you received a letter from Rasier

Uber runs its ride business through a group of related companies. Rasier LLC is the one tied to Uber's rider and driver operations, and the commercial auto policies that cover Uber trips are typically issued to Rasier companies. When a crash involves an Uber driver, the claim paperwork often carries the Rasier name even though the company you know is Uber.

You may also see state versions of the name, such as Rasier-CA LLC, Rasier-PA LLC or Rasier-DC LLC. The suffix usually reflects the state where the trip or the insurance arrangement started. A trip that begins in Pennsylvania and crashes in New Jersey can involve a Rasier-PA policy. New Jersey's minimum coverage rules still apply to a crash on New Jersey roads.

Rasier letters commonly come from, or are sent along with, the insurance company or claims administrator handling Uber's coverage. The carrier can change over time, so the letter may name a company you have never heard of. What matters is the claim number, the coverage period it describes, and what it asks you to do.

• Claim acknowledgment letters with a claim number
• Requests for a recorded statement or a medical authorization
• Coverage letters that describe which part of the trip the insurer says applies
• Court papers: New Jersey injury suits commonly name "Uber Technologies, Inc. and Rasier LLC" as defendants

What a Rasier letter means for your claim

The letter does not decide anything by itself, but it tells you three useful things. First, Uber's insurance is in the picture, which can mean much higher coverage than an ordinary car crash. Second, the insurer is investigating now, while your memory is fresh and before you have advice. Third, the coverage that applies will depend on the driver's app status, and the insurer may already be taking a position on it.

Read the letter for the words that describe the trip period. If it says the driver was "online" or "available" rather than on a trip, the insurer may be pointing you to the lower coverage tier. That is a factual question, and trip data often answers it differently than a first letter does.

Can you deal with Rasier directly?

You can. Nothing in New Jersey law requires you to hire a lawyer to talk to an insurer. But the adjuster works for the company that pays the claim, and a recorded statement or a broad medical release can be used to argue that your injuries are minor, old, or caused by something else.

If you do speak with them before getting advice, keep it to the basics: your name, the date and place of the crash, and the claim number. Do not guess about speed, distances or your injuries, do not sign a medical authorization, and do not accept a quick settlement before you know how badly you are hurt. Once you have a lawyer, all contact goes through the lawyer.

How rideshare insurance works in New Jersey

New Jersey's Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-1 and following) sets the insurance that must be in place for Uber and Lyft trips. The coverage changes with what the driver's app showed at the moment of the crash, so the first thing we pin down in every case is the app status, using trip records, the driver's phone data and the company's own logs.

• App off: the driver is just a private motorist. The driver's own personal auto policy is the place to start, and the rideshare company's policy usually does not apply.
• App on and waiting for a ride request: the law requires liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per crash and $25,000 for property damage (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10). This is often where insurers argue the most, because the driver's personal policy may exclude rideshare use.
• Ride accepted, driving to the pickup, or carrying a passenger: at least $1.5 million in liability coverage for death, injury and property damage, plus at least $1.5 million in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage (N.J.S.A. 39:5H-10).

Your own PIP and the right to sue

New Jersey is a no-fault state. In most cases your own auto policy's Personal Injury Protection (PIP), or a household member's, pays your medical bills first no matter who caused the crash (N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4). If you have no auto insurance in your household, other sources can apply, and we sort that out for you.

Whether you can sue for pain and suffering depends on the lawsuit option on the relevant policy. If the limitation on lawsuit option (the verbal threshold) applies, the injury must fit one of the categories in N.J.S.A. 39:6A-8(a), such as a permanent injury or a displaced fracture. Rideshare cases add a twist: the threshold that applies can depend on whose policy covers you. See our guide to beating the NJ verbal threshold in rideshare crashes for details.

Arbitration and Uber's terms of use

Riders accept Uber's terms in the app, and those terms include an arbitration clause. New Jersey courts have enforced it in some passenger cases and declined to in others, depending on how the terms were presented and accepted. If you were a pedestrian, another driver, or a passenger in a different car, you never agreed to Uber's terms at all. We review this early because it affects where and how your case is heard.

What to do next

If you were hurt in an Uber crash in New Jersey and a Rasier letter has arrived, these steps protect your claim:

1. Keep the letter, the envelope and the claim number.
2. Screenshot the trip in your Uber app: date, time, route, driver name, car and receipt.
3. Get the police crash report (NJTR-1) and note the report number.
4. See a doctor and keep every bill, note and prescription.
5. Do not give a recorded statement or sign a medical authorization before getting advice.
6. Call a New Jersey rideshare lawyer. Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years (N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2), and claims against a public entity need written notice within 90 days.

Frequently asked questions