Rideshare Accidents · Published August 2026 · Reviewed by Mathews Metyko, State Bar No. 24096574 · 8 min read
Hurt in an Uber or Lyft in San Antonio? The insurance coverage available depends on something most people never think to check: exactly what the driver's app showed at the moment of the crash.
Quick Answer
- Texas layers rideshare insurance coverage by the driver's app status: standard personal auto coverage when the app is off, $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 minimums when logged in but not matched to a ride, and a $1 million aggregate once the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride (Ins. Code §§ 1954.052–.053).
- Rideshare drivers are classified as independent contractors under Occupations Code Section 2402.114, which limits the ability to sue Uber or Lyft directly as an employer — recovery typically runs through the required insurance layer instead.
- Rideshare companies are not common carriers under Texas law (Occ. Code § 2402.002), so they owe passengers an ordinary duty of care, not the heightened duty owed by taxis and buses.
- San Antonio International Airport can impose its own rules on rideshare pickup and drop-off under Occ. Code § 2402.003(b), which can become relevant evidence in an airport-zone crash.
- The statute of limitations for most Texas personal injury claims, including rideshare accidents, is two years from the date of the accident (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003).
Why San Antonio Riders and Drivers Choose Mathews Metyko
The Metyko Law Firm is based in San Antonio, where rideshare use is concentrated in a few predictable, high-volume places: the San Antonio International Airport pickup and drop-off zone, the River Walk and downtown hotel corridor, and the Pearl District's restaurant and nightlife scene. Mathews Metyko works in Bexar County courts regularly, and knows how to move quickly on the two things that decide most rideshare cases — pinning down the driver's exact app status at the time of the crash and preserving the trip data before it becomes harder to obtain.
Why Hire a Rideshare Accident Lawyer Instead of a General Injury Attorney?
A rideshare case is not an ordinary car accident case with an app layered on top. Whether $50,000 or $1 million in coverage applies depends entirely on the driver's status in the app at the moment of the crash, and Texas's independent-contractor classification for rideshare drivers means the case usually cannot be built as a simple employer-liability claim against Uber or Lyft. A rideshare accident lawyer who understands Insurance Code Chapter 1954 and Occupations Code Chapter 2402 knows exactly what data to request, and how quickly, before it disappears.
Rideshare Drivers Are Independent Contractors — And That Changes the Case
Texas Occupations Code Section 2402.114 classifies transportation network company drivers as independent contractors. That classification matters because it limits the ordinary vicarious liability theory that would otherwise let an injured person sue Uber or Lyft directly as an employer for its driver's negligence. Instead of a straightforward employer-liability claim, a rideshare accident case typically has to work through the specific, tiered insurance coverage Texas law requires transportation network companies to maintain — which makes identifying the driver's app status at the time of the crash the central question in the case.
How Texas Layers Rideshare Insurance Coverage by App Status
Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1954 divides coverage into stages based on what the driver's app was doing at the time of the crash. When the app is off, only the driver's personal auto policy applies, subject to Texas's standard minimum liability limits. Once the driver logs in and is available to receive ride requests but hasn't been matched to a passenger yet, Section 1954.052 requires minimum coverage of $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Once the driver is engaged in a prearranged ride — matched to a passenger — Section 1954.053 requires a $1 million aggregate limit for death, bodily injury, and property damage combined.
There's a real point of practical dispute worth knowing about: whether that $1 million threshold clearly applies once a driver is en route to a pickup with no passenger yet in the vehicle, or only once the passenger is physically in the car, has been the subject of legislative attention aimed at closing exactly that ambiguity. Which reading applies can materially change the coverage available in a given case, and it's worth having that question run down by someone who follows this area rather than assumed either way.
| App Status | Coverage Source | Minimum Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| App off | Driver's personal auto policy only | Texas standard minimum liability limits |
| App on, no ride matched | TNC policy or driver's policy (Ins. Code § 1954.052) | $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000 |
| Matched to a prearranged ride | TNC policy (Ins. Code § 1954.053) | $1,000,000 aggregate |
Rideshare Companies Are Not "Common Carriers" Under Texas Law
Texas Occupations Code Section 2402.002 states directly that transportation network companies and their logged-in drivers are not common carriers, contract carriers, or motor carriers. That classification matters because common carriers — taxis and buses among them — owe their passengers a heightened duty of care under Texas law. Rideshare companies and drivers instead owe passengers only an ordinary duty of reasonable care, which shapes how a rideshare negligence claim has to be framed and argued from the outset.
The San Antonio Airport Rideshare Zone Has Its Own Rules
Texas Occupations Code Section 2402.003 gives the state exclusive authority to regulate transportation network companies, taking that power away from cities and counties — with one specific exception. An airport owner or operator may impose its own regulations, including a reasonable fee, on rideshare pickups and drop-offs. San Antonio International Airport's designated pickup and drop-off zones, traffic patterns, and rules can become directly relevant evidence in a crash that happens during an airport pickup or drop-off, since a driver's compliance or noncompliance with those airport-specific rules can bear on fault.
Common Causes of Rideshare Accidents
- Distracted driving from the app itself — checking navigation, accepting the next ride request, or messaging a passenger
- Unfamiliar routes and unsafe stops — stopping in a traffic lane or blocking a bike lane to pick up or drop off a passenger
- Driver fatigue — many rideshare drivers work long or irregular hours, often stacked on top of another job
- Speeding to complete more rides — pay structures that reward ride volume can incentivize rushing
- Airport pickup zone congestion — dense stop-and-go traffic with pedestrians and luggage carts increases collision risk
- A negligent third-party driver striking the rideshare vehicle, which raises its own separate liability questions
What to Do After a Rideshare Accident
- Get medical attention right away, even if you feel fine — soft-tissue and head injuries are often not immediately obvious
- Screenshot your trip details — driver information, timestamps, and route — in the app before that data becomes harder to access
- Call police so a crash report is filed, and note the report number
- Photograph the scene, both vehicles, the driver's app screen if visible, and any injuries
- Get witness contact information, including any other passengers, before they leave
- Report the accident in the app, which creates a company record of the incident
- Contact an attorney promptly — establishing the driver's exact app status at the time of the crash is critical to identifying which coverage applies
Frequently Asked Questions
How much insurance coverage does Uber or Lyft provide after an accident in Texas?
It depends on the driver's app status. Under Insurance Code Section 1954.052, a driver logged in but not yet matched to a ride carries minimum coverage of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. Under Section 1954.053, once matched to a prearranged ride, coverage increases to a $1 million aggregate. With the app off, only the driver's personal policy applies.
Can I sue Uber or Lyft directly after an accident in Texas?
Generally not as an employer. Occupations Code Section 2402.114 classifies rideshare drivers as independent contractors, which limits the ordinary vicarious liability theory that would let an injured person sue the company directly. Recovery typically runs through the layered insurance coverage Texas law requires, based on the driver's app status at the time of the crash.
Do Uber and Lyft owe passengers a higher duty of care in Texas, like a taxi or bus?
No. Occupations Code Section 2402.002 states that transportation network companies and their logged-in drivers are not common carriers, contract carriers, or motor carriers. They owe passengers an ordinary duty of reasonable care, not the heightened duty common carriers owe.
Does a San Antonio airport pickup or drop-off change a rideshare accident case?
It can. While the state has exclusive authority to regulate transportation network companies under Occupations Code Section 2402.003, that section allows an airport owner or operator to impose its own rules, including a reasonable fee, on rideshare pickups and drop-offs. San Antonio International Airport's designated rideshare zones and rules can become relevant evidence in a crash that occurs during pickup or drop-off.
How long do I have to file a rideshare accident claim in Texas?
In most cases, Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 gives you two years from the date of the accident to file suit. Because these cases depend on establishing the driver's precise app status at the time of the crash, and that trip data can be difficult to obtain later, it's important to act quickly.
Why hire a rideshare accident lawyer instead of a general injury attorney?
A rideshare accident lawyer knows to pin down the driver's exact app status at the time of the crash, since that single fact determines whether $50,000 or $1 million in coverage applies. A general injury attorney unfamiliar with the independent-contractor classification under Section 2402.114 may try to sue Uber or Lyft directly as an employer, a theory Texas law specifically limits.
About the Author
Mathews Metyko
Attorney at Law — The Metyko Law Firm PLLC | OEF Veteran | MBA | St. Mary's Law