Uber or Lyft accident in Austin: which insurance pays and when to call a rideshare accident attorney

Last checked November 8, 2026

During an Uber or Lyft ride in Austin, Texas requires at least $1 million in coverage.1 Ask the driver right away whether the app was on.2 If the crash or fall involved the City of Austin, which owns the airport, the city says your claim letter is due within 45 days.34

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Road map of Austin showing the route from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where rideshare pick-up is under the rental car facility
Austin rideshare trips carry at least $1 million in coverage. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Which insurance pays after an Uber crash in Austin?

What the driver was doingCoverage Texas requires
App on, waiting for a ride$50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, $25,000 property5
Carrying you on a prearranged rideAt least $1 million per incident1
Driver's own policy lapsed or falls shortThe company must provide the required coverage from the first dollar6
App on, and the driver's personal policyIt may exclude this time altogether7

So the first fact that matters is what the app showed at that moment. A driver has to tell you, if you ask and were directly involved, whether he or she was logged on or giving a ride.2 Screenshot your trip, the receipt and the driver's name before the app lets it slide off your screen.

What if your Uber crash happened at the Austin airport?

Arriving passengers at AUS meet rideshare cars under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north of or behind the Red Garage.8 Departing riders get dropped at the upper level curb.9 Both spots have a lot of slow traffic, luggage and people stepping off the curb. Note the level, the door number and which lane you were in.

The airport changes the deadline question. Austin-Bergstrom is owned and operated by the City of Austin,3 so a fall in the pickup area or a crash with an airport vehicle may be a claim against the city. The city's page says your claim letter must go out within 45 days.4 We found no separate airport claim process, so use the Law Department address, and notarize it to be safe.1011

Will Austin Police write a report for a rideshare crash?

Not always. A 2023 police presentation says officers do not come when vehicles are drivable and no one is hurt.12 A passenger's sore back may not be obvious, so say you are hurt if you are. Riders in the back seat sometimes leave too fast, and then there is no record that they were in the car at all.

If an officer came, buy the report through LexisNexis BuyCrash.13 TxDOT also sells copies for $6.14 Passengers count as people involved, so you can request it.15

What should you do first after an Uber or Lyft crash in Austin?

  1. Get medical care. Dell Seton is a Level I trauma center and St. David's South Austin is Level II.1617
  2. Ask the driver about the app and take a photo of the other car's plate.
  3. Report it inside the app. Complaints about a driver go straight to the company through its app or website, the state says.18
  4. If the company ignores you, the state licensing agency takes complaints about ride-share companies online or at 800-803-9202.19
  5. Keep your own insurance company informed if you were driving another car in the crash.

Can an Uber driver in Austin make an injury claim too?

Yes, though it often gets complicated. Drivers can run into the gap between their personal policy and the app coverage.7 Know whether you had a ride accepted, were waiting for one or had logged off. Save your driver app's trip screen on the day of the crash.

Note the road as well. APD lists I-35, US 183 and Ben White as high-speed roads with a major share of serious crashes,2021 and a trip record showing you on one of them helps place the crash.

What if the crash involved a CapMetro bus or a city vehicle?

A City of Austin vehicle means the 45-day letter.4 Staff proposed moving that to 180 days, but the page still shows 45.22 We did not find a published claim form or shorter deadline for CapMetro, so treat the state's six-month notice as the outer limit,23 and call the GO Line at 512-474-1200 to ask how to file.24

What if the Uber driver says the other car was at fault?

A passenger usually is not to blame, but Texas still splits fault among the drivers. A person found more than 50% at fault cannot recover, and smaller shares reduce the award.25 Your lawsuit deadline is generally 2 years.26 Before you speak to an adjuster, ask an Uber accident lawyer in Austin who should be on your claim.

Questions

How much does Uber's insurance cover in Texas?

At least $1 million per incident during a prearranged ride.1 Less applies when the driver is only waiting for a ride.5

Where do rideshare cars pick up at Austin airport?

Under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north of or behind the Red Garage.8

Can I sue Uber if my Austin driver caused the crash?

It depends on the facts. Ask a lawyer who is responsible, since the required coverage is set by Texas law.16

Who regulates Uber and Lyft in Texas?

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation takes complaints about the companies.19

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Sources

  1. Tex. Ins. Code § 1954.053(1), checked 2026-11-08. “coverage with a total aggregate limit of liability of $1 million for death, bodily injury, and property damage for each incident;”
  2. Tex. Ins. Code § 1954.056(b), checked 2026-11-08. “On request, a driver shall also disclose to a directly interested person, automobile insurer, and investigating peace officer whether, at the time of the collision, the driver was: (1) logged on to the company's digital network; or (2) engaged in a prearranged ride.”
  3. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, About AUS, checked 2026-11-08. “Owned and operated by the City of Austin, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport”
  4. City of Austin, File a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “You must send this letter within 45 days of the incident.”
  5. Tex. Ins. Code § 1954.052, checked 2026-11-08. “(A) $50,000 for bodily injury to or death for each person in an incident; (B) $100,000 for bodily injury to or death of a person per incident; and (C) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in an incident;”
  6. Tex. Ins. Code § 1954.054, checked 2026-11-08. “the transportation network company shall provide the coverage required by this subchapter beginning with the first dollar of a claim against the driver.”
  7. Tex. Ins. Code § 1954.151(a), checked 2026-11-08. “An insurer may exclude from coverage under a personal automobile insurance policy issued to an owner or operator of a personal vehicle any loss or injury that occurs while a transportation network company driver using the personal vehicle: (1) is logged on to a transportation network company's digital network; or (2) is engaged in a prearranged ride.”
  8. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Ground Transportation, checked 2026-11-08. “Rideshare and taxi pick-up for passengers flying into Austin is located under the Consolidated Rental Car Facility, just north or behind the Red Garage.”
  9. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Ground Transportation, checked 2026-11-08. “Rideshare and taxi drop-off for passengers flying out use the upper level/departures curbside for passenger drop-off.”
  10. City of Austin, File a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “City of Austin Law Department - Claims P.O. Box 1546 Austin, TX 78767-1546”
  11. City of Austin, Staff charter recommendations with charter text (May 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “The current version of the charter requires claimants to give written notice of a claim notarized by affidavit.”
  12. Austin Police, Traffic Enforcement presentation (April 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “Vehicles are drivable and there are no injuries”
  13. City of Austin, Purchase an APD online crash report, checked 2026-11-08. “Purchase online crash reports for the Austin Police Department jurisdiction with LexisNexis”
  14. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy.”
  15. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “Any person involved in the accident”
  16. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “DELL SETON MEDICAL CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS 10/1/2028 O AUSTIN 78701”
  17. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “ST DAVIDS SOUTH AUSTIN MEDICAL CENTER 10/1/2028 O AUSTIN 78704”
  18. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Ride-Sharing information, checked 2026-11-08. “Submit complaints about a driver directly to the ride-sharing or delivery network company”
  19. Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Ride-Sharing information, checked 2026-11-08. “can be submitted online using our online complaint form or by phone at 800-803-9202”
  20. Austin Police, Traffic Enforcement presentation (April 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “significant portion of crashes, serious injury crashes, and fatalities occur”
  21. Austin Police, Traffic Enforcement presentation (April 2023), checked 2026-11-08. “I-35, US Hwy 183, Ben White”
  22. City of Austin, Staff charter recommendations with charter text (May 2026), checked 2026-11-08. “staff proposes aligning the claim notice deadline with the 180-day deadline required under the Texas Tort Claims Act”
  23. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  24. CapMetro, Help and Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “Call our GO Line at 512-474-1200”
  25. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  26. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”

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