Colorado Rideshare Lawyer

Insurance companies don’t stay in business by handing out generous checks. They employ teams of adjusters and lawyers trained to minimize payouts. When a rideshare accident lands you in their crosshairs, they pull out an entire playbook designed to chip away at your claim. That’s true whether you were a rideshare passenger, another driver, or a pedestrian. But the way liability works—and how much insurance coverage is available—depends entirely on what the rideshare driver was doing when the crash happened.

Who Is On The Hook?

A rideshare driver’s connection to the Uber or Lyft app at the time of the crash determines who’s responsible and how much coverage is on the table. As mentioned earlier, Colorado law requires Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft to carry different levels of insurance depending on whether a driver is active on the app.

Here’s how it breaks down:

• Driver not logged in to the app: If the rideshare driver isn’t using the app, they’re considered a private driver. Only their personal auto insurance applies. You won’t have a claim against Uber or Lyft because, legally, the driver wasn’t working for them at the time.
• Driver logged in, waiting for a ride request: Once the app is on and the driver is available for rides, Colorado law requires the rideshare company to provide a minimum of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $30,000 for property damage.
• Driver en route to pick up a passenger or has a passenger in the car: This triggers the highest level of coverage. Uber and Lyft must provide $1 million in third-party liability coverage. This applies whether you were a passenger in the rideshare vehicle, another driver on the road, or a pedestrian.

When You Can Hold the Rideshare Company Liable

Most rideshare claims focus on the driver’s actions, not the company itself. But there are cases where the rideshare company bears direct responsibility—beyond the insurance policies.

• Negligent hiring: If Uber or Lyft allowed a driver with a dangerous history—such as DUI convictions or violent crime arrests—to operate under their platform, they could be held accountable. Colorado law requires TNCs to conduct background checks on their drivers (C.R.S. § 40-10.1-605(2)).
• Failure to suspend dangerous drivers: If the company ignored complaints or red flags about unsafe behavior, they may be liable for negligence.

Delay, Distract, Deny: Insurance Tactics

Insurance companies don’t just cut checks because you filed a claim. They use delay tactics to wear you down and convince you to settle for less.

• Delays in communication: Calls go unanswered. Emails vanish. “We’re still reviewing” becomes the excuse for months.
• Repeated document requests: They’ll claim they never got your medical records or request irrelevant paperwork just to slow the process.
• Dragging out investigations: Even when fault is obvious, they’ll claim they need more time, betting the three-year statute of limitations runs out before you file a lawsuit.

Shifting the Blame

Because Colorado’s modified comparative negligence rule lets insurers argue you were partly at fault, if they pin 50% or more of the blame on you, they owe you nothing.

This gets tricky if you were another driver or pedestrian. The insurance company might argue you weren’t paying attention, crossed the street improperly, or drove distracted. An experienced lawyer in TopDog Law’s network works with accident reconstruction experts and gathers evidence to push back.

Lowball Settlement Offers

Insurers throw out early offers hoping you’ll bite before you understand the full impact of your injuries.

• Inadequate medical consideration: They base settlements on incomplete treatment, ignoring long-term effects.
• No pain and suffering consideration: Non-economic damages often get ignored unless you fight for them.
• Future losses ignored: They’ll calculate your claim based on the first few weeks, not the months or years you may need to recover.

Recorded Statements and Their Traps

They ask for “just a quick statement” to move things along. What they want is ammo.

• Inconsistent details: A simple mistake later turns into a claim you’re lying.
• Casual comments: Saying you’re “doing okay” becomes proof you aren’t seriously hurt.
• Accidental admissions: Apologizing for anything gets twisted into accepting fault.

Colorado law doesn’t force you to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement. Lawyers from TopDog Law’s network handle these conversations to keep your case clean.