Chicago Uber Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in an Uber crash in Chicago or the surrounding Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County communities, Ori Law Group can help. Maybe you were a passenger when your Uber got rear-ended on the Kennedy. Maybe an Uber driver watching the app for the next ping ran the light and hit you in the crosswalk. Maybe it was an Uber Eats driver who clipped your car making a rushed delivery. Whatever happened, Uber's $1,000,000 insurance policy may apply — but only if you can prove which insurance period the app was in. Joe and Kristen Ori personally handle every Uber claim, and with more than 40 years of combined trial experience and over $150 million recovered, we prepare every case to be tried, not just settled.
If you were hurt in an Uber crash, the hardest part is often figuring out who’s actually going to pay for it. The driver says it’s Uber’s problem. Uber says the driver is an independent contractor. The driver’s personal insurer denies the claim because the app was on, and Uber’s insurer says a different period applied and a smaller policy is all that’s available. At Ori Law Group, Joe and Kristen Ori cut through that by establishing the one fact that decides the case — which of Uber’s four insurance periods the app was in when the crash happened — and they handle every Uber claim personally, from the first call to the final resolution.
That period is everything in an Uber case. A passenger injured mid-trip is in Period 3 and reaches Uber’s $1,000,000 liability policy plus a second $1,000,000 in uninsured/underinsured coverage. A pedestrian struck while the driver was on the way to a rider is in Period 2 and reaches the same $1M policy. But a crash while the app was merely on, with no ride accepted, falls into the Period 1 gap, where Uber’s coverage is contingent and the driver’s personal policy usually excludes rideshare entirely. Uber’s whole settlement strategy is to argue you into a lower period — which is exactly why we move fast to preserve the GPS logs, login records, and trip data that prove the driver’s real status.
This page is built around Uber specifically — its coverage tiers, its app data, and product lines like Uber Eats, Uber Black, and Uber Pool that change the coverage picture. For the deeper treatment of how Illinois’ common carrier law and the Transportation Network Providers Act apply across both companies, see our Chicago rideshare accident hub, and if your crash actually involved Lyft, our Chicago Lyft accident page is built the same way for that company. If you were a pedestrian, a cyclist, or in another car that an Uber driver hit, those pages cover your situation too.
You have two years under Illinois law to act, but the practical window is shorter — Uber’s app data ages out, witnesses move, and government claims can expire in a single year. The consultation is free, there’s no upfront cost, and we work on a contingency basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Call Joe or Kristen at (312) 621-0000 to talk through what happened and what comes next.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Ori Law Group is responsible for the content of this website.
What to Do After Your Accident
- Get medical attention right away, even if you feel fine — adrenaline hides serious injuries, and any gap in treatment becomes Uber's insurer's argument that you weren't really hurt.
- Screenshot your Uber trip immediately — the driver's name and photo, the trip status, the route map, the timestamps, and the receipt. Uber's app history is the proof of which insurance period was in effect, and it can be hard to retrieve later.
- Photograph the scene — both vehicles, the damage, the intersection, the license plate, and any visible injuries — and get names and numbers from witnesses.
- Report the crash to police and obtain the report number, and report it through Uber's in-app help, but do not give a recorded statement to any insurer.
- Note what the Uber driver was doing — waiting for a request, driving to pick someone up, or carrying a passenger — because that determines whether Uber's $1M policy or its lower contingent coverage applies.
- Keep every bill, record, repair estimate, and note about how the injury affects your work and daily life.
- Talk to an attorney before accepting any settlement offer — once you sign a release, the claim is closed for good.
Common Causes & Types
- App distraction — Uber drivers stare at the app for the next fare, accept pings while moving, and follow navigation reroutes instead of watching the road.
- Rushed pickups and drop-offs — drivers make sudden stops, double-park, and pull illegal U-turns to reach a rider or keep their acceptance rate up.
- Driver fatigue — long shifts chasing surge pricing leave Uber drivers drowsy and slow to react, especially during late-night bar-close hours downtown.
- Inadequate background screening — gaps in Uber's driver screening and prior account suspensions that should have kept a driver off the platform.
- Speeding, running red lights, failing to yield, and impaired driving — ordinary negligence made more complex by Uber's period-by-period insurance structure.
Who Can Be Held Liable
- The Uber driver whose negligence caused the crash
- Uber as the transportation network company, now that Illinois treats it as a common carrier owing the highest degree of care to passengers
- Another motorist whose negligence caused or contributed to the crash
- Uber's insurer — typically James River or its successor carrier — for the period in effect at the time of the crash
- A vehicle or parts manufacturer when a defect caused or worsened the crash
- A government entity responsible for a dangerous road defect or missing traffic control
Injuries We Handle
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord and back injuries
- Whiplash and soft-tissue neck injuries
- Broken bones and orthopedic trauma
- Internal and chest injuries
- Burns and lacerations
- Catastrophic and permanently disabling injuries
- Emotional distress and post-traumatic stress
Illinois Law & Deadlines
Damages You Can Recover
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and loss of a normal life
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Property damage to your vehicle or bicycle
- Loss of consortium for a spouse
How the Legal Process Works
- Free consultation & period analysis
We review your case, pull the Uber trip data, and determine which insurance period was in effect — the fact that decides which Uber policy and how much coverage applies — all at no cost.
- Evidence preservation & claim build-up
We send Uber a preservation demand for the GPS logs, ride history, and driver record before they age out, document your injuries, and handle every call from the adjuster.
- Demand & negotiation
We present a demand backed by the period framework and the Uber coverage it triggers, and negotiate with Uber's insurer for the full value of your claim.
- Litigation, if needed
If Uber's insurer won't be fair, Joe or Kristen files suit and prepares your case for trial in the county where it belongs.
| Period | App status | Coverage available |
|---|---|---|
| Period 0 | App off — driver not working | Driver's personal auto policy only (Illinois 25/50/20 minimums); no Uber coverage applies |
| Period 1 | App on, waiting for a ride request | Uber's contingent liability — $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident bodily injury / $25,000 property damage, on top of the driver's personal policy |
| Period 2 | App on, en route to pick up the rider | $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage from Uber |
| Period 3 | Trip in progress — passenger in the vehicle | $1,000,000 in third-party liability plus $1,000,000 in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage |
Uber's insurance coverage — Period 0, 1, 2, and 3 explained
Whether Uber's $1,000,000 policy applies to your crash depends entirely on what the driver was doing when it happened. Illinois' Transportation Network Providers Act (625 ILCS 57/) sets the coverage for each of four periods.
Period 0 — the Uber app is off. Only the driver's personal auto policy applies, and in Illinois that's just the 25/50/20 statutory minimum.
Period 1 — the app is on, but the driver hasn't accepted a ride. Uber provides $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident in bodily injury and $25,000 in property damage. But this is contingent coverage — it only applies after the driver's personal insurer denies, and most personal policies exclude rideshare driving. This gap traps a lot of injured passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Period 2 — the driver has accepted your ride and is on the way. Period 3 — you're in the vehicle. In both, Uber carries a $1,000,000 liability policy, and Period 3 adds a $1,000,000 uninsured/underinsured motorist policy for when another, underinsured driver caused the crash.
How Illinois' common carrier law changed Uber liability in 2024
Uber long argued it was not a common carrier and owed riders only ordinary care. That changed on January 1, 2024, when the common-carrier exemption inside the 2015 TNC Act became inoperative and Uber became a common carrier in Illinois.
Uber Eats, Uber Black, Uber XL, and Uber Pool — does the product line matter?
Not every Uber trip carries the same coverage picture. Uber Eats deliveries are a commercial-delivery activity that can fall outside the standard passenger-period framework, which changes which policy responds. Uber Black and Uber XL are passenger rides covered like any other under the period structure, while shared rides such as Uber Pool can put multiple injured passengers into a single claim. We sort out which product was running and how it affects the available coverage.
- Uber Eats deliveries — delivery activity may be covered differently than passenger rides — the responsible policy has to be traced to whether the driver was actively on a delivery.
- Shared rides (Uber Pool) — multiple passengers in one vehicle can mean multiple claims against the same $1,000,000 policy, which affects how the coverage is allocated.
- The in-app emergency feature — Uber's in-app 911 and safety tools generate records — and when they fail or go unused, those records can support a separate claim.
Local Resources
Why Choose Ori Law Group
Ori Law Group is a women-owned, two-attorney trial firm in Oak Brook. When you call about your Uber crash, you reach Joe or Kristen — not a paralegal, not an intake screen, not a rotating cast of junior associates. Joe Ori has concentrated in personal injury for more than 25 years; Kristen Ori leads our litigation. Together they bring over 40 years of combined trial experience and more than $150 million recovered, and they prepare every Uber case to be tried, not just settled. Uber claims reward attention to the period analysis, the app-data preservation, and the common carrier argument — the kind of detail work a boutique firm where the named partners handle your file is built for. Our Oak Brook office serves Chicago and the entire Cook, DuPage, Will, and Kane County region.
Case Results
Recovered for a retired Chicago police officer who sustained back and neck injuries in an auto accident.
Recovered for a 72-year-old man who sustained head and neck injuries in an auto accident.
Awarded to a minor who sustained a pelvic injury in a school bus accident.
Recovered for the victim of a railroad-crossing collision.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See more results →
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sue Uber directly after an accident in Chicago?
Often yes. Since the January 1, 2024 common carrier change, Uber can be held directly liable for breaching the highest degree of care it owes passengers — not just for the driver's negligence. Uber's mandated insurance under 625 ILCS 57/ also stands behind the driver. We build the claim to reach both the driver and the company where the facts support it.
Does Uber's $1 million policy always apply?
No. The $1,000,000 policy applies only during Period 2 (the driver is on the way to pick up a rider) and Period 3 (a passenger is in the vehicle). If the app was on but no ride had been accepted (Period 1), Uber's coverage drops to a contingent $50,000/$100,000 policy. If the app was off (Period 0), only the driver's personal policy applies. Establishing the period with the trip data is what unlocks the right coverage.
What if the Uber driver was logged off when they hit me?
If the app was completely off (Period 0), Uber's commercial coverage does not apply and you're limited to the driver's personal auto policy — in Illinois, often just the 25/50/20 minimum. But drivers and insurers sometimes claim the app was off when it wasn't, which is why we pull Uber's GPS and login data to confirm the driver's actual status at the moment of the crash.
I was hit by an Uber driver as a pedestrian — what are my rights?
As a pedestrian, you're a third party protected by Uber's coverage when the driver was logged in. If the driver was in Period 2 or 3, you reach the $1,000,000 policy; if in Period 1, the contingent $50K/$100K coverage. We obtain the trip data to establish which period applied and pursue the correct policy. If your injuries were serious, see also our [Chicago pedestrian accident page](/chicago-pedestrian-accident-lawyers/).
Can I sue Uber for an Uber Eats driver's accident?
It depends on what the driver was doing. Uber Eats is a commercial-delivery activity that can be covered differently than a passenger ride, and the responding policy turns on whether the driver was actively on a delivery when the crash happened. We trace the delivery status and the applicable coverage rather than accepting Uber's first answer about which policy responds.
Does Illinois' common carrier law help my Uber case?
Yes, in many cases. Effective January 1, 2024, Uber is treated as a common carrier in Illinois and owes passengers the highest degree of care. That higher standard makes it easier to hold Uber directly liable — particularly for driver assault, intoxicated-driver collisions, and failures to properly screen or retain a driver.
How long do I have to file an Uber accident lawsuit in Illinois?
Generally two years from the date of the crash under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. The deadline is shorter if a government entity — like a CTA bus or a City of Chicago vehicle — was involved, often one year with a strict notice requirement. Deadlines for injured minors are generally tolled until age 18. Because Uber's app data ages out, it's best to act well before any deadline.
Why won't Uber's insurer offer me a fair settlement?
Uber's insurer makes money by paying claims as little and as late as possible. Common tactics include arguing a lower-coverage period applied to knock a $1M claim down to $50K, requesting a recorded statement to find words that reduce your claim, and floating a quick lowball offer before you know how badly you're hurt. Locking down the trip data and the correct period is how we counter it.
Legally reviewed by Joseph and Kristen Ori · Last reviewed June 24, 2026. This page is attorney advertising and is for general information only — it is not legal advice and does not create an attorney–client relationship.
Hurt in a Chicago Uber Crash? Let's Talk.
Free, confidential consultation — call (312) 621-0000. No upfront cost, and Joe or Kristen handles your case personally.