The moments after an Uber or Lyft crash can feel frightening and confusing, especially when you are hurt and unsure whose insurance is supposed to step in. Our Grand Rapids rideshare accident lawyers at Christensen Law are here to listen to your story, protect your rights, and pursue the full recovery your family deserves.
Since 1991, we have stood beside injured people across Kent County and throughout Michigan, holding careless drivers and insurance companies accountable. When a rideshare crash has changed your life, you do not have to sort out the insurance layers alone. Call us 24/7 at (616) 512-0718 for a free, no-risk consultation.
CHRISTENSEN LAW HAS A 24 HOUR RAPID RESPONSE SERVICE
How Can a Grand Rapids Rideshare Accident Lawyer Help You?
A Grand Rapids rideshare accident lawyer helps you identify every insurance policy that applies, protect your health and finances, and pursue fair compensation while you focus on healing.
Rideshare claims are more layered than a typical fender bender, so having a steady advocate matters from the first day. Insurance companies begin building their side of the story within hours of a crash, and we make sure someone is building yours.
From our office on Hall Street SW, near the Medical Mile, we handle the parts of your claim that add stress to an already hard time. Specifically, we can:
- Investigate the crash and preserve app data, driver logs, and vehicle records before they disappear
- Identify whether Uber, Lyft, the driver, or another motorist carried the coverage that applies
- Communicate with insurance adjusters, so you are not pressured into a recorded statement or an early, undervalued offer
- Calculate the full value of your medical care, lost income, and long-term needs
- Take your case to trial when an insurer will not offer a fair resolution
From the first call to the final resolution, we carry that weight, so you can rest and recover. If your crash did not involve a rideshare at all, our Grand Rapids car accident team is ready to help as well.
Who Pays in a Rideshare Accident in Grand Rapids?
Who pays after a Grand Rapids rideshare accident depends on what the driver was doing at the moment of the crash. Michigan law ties the available insurance to the driver’s status in the app, so the same driver can carry very different coverage from one minute to the next.
Under Michigan’s rideshare insurance statute, MCL 257.2123, coverage generally falls into three periods:
- App off. The driver’s personal auto policy applies, just like any other crash.
- App on, waiting for a ride. A smaller layer of liability coverage applies, currently $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash.
- On the way to a rider or carrying a passenger. A $1 million commercial liability policy from the rideshare company applies.
That $1 million layer is why a Grand Rapids Uber accident attorney looks closely at trip records and timestamps. A single detail, such as whether the ride was accepted, can change which policy pays and how much is available.
It gets more complicated because many personal auto policies exclude crashes that happen while a driver is logged into a rideshare app, as Michigan allows under MCL 500.3017. Sorting out these overlapping policies is one of the most important things we do for injured riders and other drivers.
Sometimes the person who caused your crash was not the rideshare driver at all, but another motorist who ran a light or turned without looking. In that case, we look to the at-fault driver’s liability coverage first, and then to the rideshare policy and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage if that driver carried too little insurance.
Finding every layer is often the difference between a partial recovery and a full one.
Michigan No-Fault Law and Your Rideshare Injury Claim
Under Michigan’s No-Fault system, your own Personal Injury Protection benefits pay first for medical care and lost wages, no matter who caused the crash. This first-party coverage, set out in the No-Fault Act at MCL 500.3107, is the starting point for almost every rideshare injury claim in Kent County.
Personal Injury Protection, often called PIP, can cover hospital bills, rehabilitation, and a portion of your lost income. It can also pay for attendant care, meaning help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, and medication when a serious injury keeps you from managing on your own. Family members who provide that care may be paid for their time.
PIP benefits also reach beyond hospital bills. Michigan No-Fault can replace a large share of the wages you lose while you cannot work, for up to three years, and it can reimburse everyday services you can no longer do yourself, such as housekeeping, snow removal, or child care. These benefits ease the financial strain, so you can put your energy into getting better.
Your benefits can be affected by whether your policy is coordinated with your health insurance, which changes the order in which bills are paid. We review your coverage closely, so nothing you are owed slips through the cracks.
When your injuries are serious, you may also bring a third-party lawsuit against an at-fault driver for pain and suffering. Michigan lets you pursue this claim if your injury meets the serious impairment threshold under MCL 500.3135, and you can still recover even if you were partly at fault, as long as you were not more than 50% responsible under MCL 600.2959.
These rules shape how we build Michigan rideshare accident claims, and we handle every detail with you.
What Rideshare Crash Situations Do We Handle in Kent County?
We handle the full range of Grand Rapids rideshare crashes, whether you were a passenger, another motorist, a pedestrian, or a cyclist. Each situation raises different questions about coverage and fault, so we tailor our approach to your circumstances.
Grand Rapids has grown into a busy hub for rideshare travel, and more rides on the road means more chances for a serious crash. Pickups and drop-offs happen everywhere in our area, from Gerald R. Ford International Airport to the busy restaurant districts downtown and the stretches of US-131 and I-196 that riders travel every day. Common situations we see include:
- Passenger injuries when your Uber or Lyft driver causes or is involved in a crash
- Struck-by-rideshare crashes, where a rideshare vehicle hits your car, or hits you as a pedestrian or cyclist
- Multi-vehicle collisions, where fault and coverage are shared among several drivers
- Hit-and-run or uninsured driver situations that call for a closer look at every available policy
No matter how your crash happened, we work to find each source of compensation and put it to work for your recovery. Reach out to us, and we will help you understand where your Lyft passenger injury claim in Kent County stands.
Serious Injuries After a Grand Rapids Rideshare Crash
Serious rideshare crashes can cause life-changing injuries that need long-term care and a fully valued claim. Our team focuses on high-value and catastrophic cases, so we understand what these injuries mean for your future.
The injuries we see after severe rideshare crashes often include:
- Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, that affect memory, mood, and daily function
- Spinal cord injuries that can lead to partial or full paralysis
- Burn injuries and severe orthopedic trauma requiring multiple surgeries
For the most serious injuries, we bring in the right professionals to map out the future cost of care, so a settlement or verdict accounts for the years ahead, not just today’s bills. Life-changing injuries deserve a claim built for a lifetime.
When a crash takes a life, we also stand with grieving families through the wrongful death claim process. For those families, a claim is never about money. It is about justice, accountability, and securing the resources a family needs to move forward.
We work with your treatment team to document the true scope of your injuries. As our managing partner Sarah Stempky-Kime puts it, we let the treatment team do the talking and let the facts of a case speak for themselves.
I recommend all of my friends and family to Christensen Law. The attorneys and staff there are amazing and really care about their clients where you're treated with care and not...
Jason Waddell
Excellent! From the 1st interaction with Christensen Law it was a positive, wonderful experience! Dustin, Samantha and the entire staff, had...
Susan Schroeder
Christensen Law’s attorneys are filled with compassion and knowledge They took amazing care of my uncle after his accident. I would recommend then to anyone injured in an auto...
Steve Huber
The team at Christensen Law impressed me with their vast knowledge and experience in handling... They were well-versed in the intricacies of the law and provided me with clear explanations of my rights and legal...
Shana Goodrich
It is with extreme gratitude and positive emotions that I write about my relationship with... I presented to them a situation that was quite scary and financially overwhelming. David and his kind staff listened to...
Wendy Henn
If it wasn't for Christensen Law, I don't know where I would be today. Thanks to Dave, Stephanie, and Michelle for getting me through this hard time. I didn't know what to do, I...
Tim Taylor
My name is Erin, my experience with Christensen Law was Overwhelming… But in the very... Christianson Law stepped in after my motorcycle accident when another firm had dropped the ball—and they completely and very quickly...
Erin Magee
I hired this law firm after being hit by a drunk driver in my of... They were communicative, compassionate, made the process easy for me to understand. I was able to effectively receive a size-able...
Wren Bell
From the moment I spoke with Dustin, I felt like I was in good hands He, Samantha, and the entire staff at Christensen Law treated me like family, demonstrating kindness, expertise, and a genuine interest...
Janelle Garza
I am extremely pleased with the experience I had with this law firm, and their... The Christensen Law firm, compassionate approach to my injuries. Their attentive listening, and thorough understanding are truly commendable I highly...
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I was in difficult time in my life, it’s a great to know I have... Whole team of Christensen law is amazing and wonderful from start to finish. They often contact me to see how...
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I had an excellent experience working with Christensen Law on my settlement case. From start to finish, the entire team was professional, compassionate, and dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for me....
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Why Grand Rapids Families Choose Christensen Law
Grand Rapids families choose Christensen Law because we treat clients like family and prepare every case as if it will go to trial. We are not a high-volume settlement mill. We take on serious injury and rideshare cases with the attention they deserve.
Our record reflects that commitment. Over more than 35 years, we have recovered results that include a $17.8 million motor vehicle accident verdict and a $9.5 million wrongful death recovery for the people we serve.
Our founder, David Christensen, is a Michigan Hall of Fame attorney, a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), and holds AV Preeminent status from Martindale-Hubbell. Managing partner Sarah Stempky-Kime is a recognized Leader in the Law and also an ABOTA member. When you work with us, you get:
- A trial-ready team that insurance companies take seriously
- Honest, plain-language answers about your claim, without empty promises
- Free consultations 24/7, and no fee unless we win
Listen, Protect, Win is what we do. Call (616) 512-0718 to speak with our team about your rideshare claim today.
Grand Rapids Rideshare Accident Lawyer FAQs
Below are answers to questions we hear often from injured riders and drivers across Grand Rapids and Kent County.
Nothing upfront. We handle rideshare injury cases on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your first consultation is always free, and it is available 24/7.
Yes. As a passenger, you were not at fault, so you have strong footing to seek both No-Fault benefits and, when your injuries are serious, compensation from the at-fault driver. We help you sort out which policies apply to your situation.
Michigan sets firm deadlines, and they differ depending on the type of claim. No-Fault benefit claims and injury lawsuits each carry their own time limits, and missing them can cost you the right to recover. The safest step is to speak with us soon after a crash, so no deadline passes unnoticed.
It is wise to talk with us first. Adjusters often ask for recorded statements early, when you are still hurting and may not yet know the full extent of your injuries. We can handle these conversations for you, so your words are not used to reduce your claim.
The app data usually tells the real story. Timestamps, trip records, and location history show whether a driver was off duty, waiting, or on a trip, which decides the coverage that applies. Preserving this evidence quickly is one reason to reach out to us right away.
The biggest difference is insurance. A rideshare crash can involve a driver’s personal policy, a rideshare company’s $1 million commercial policy, and your own Michigan No-Fault benefits all at once. Because these layers overlap, having us review your claim early can make a real difference.
Pedestrians and cyclists hurt by a rideshare vehicle in Grand Rapids may still turn to Michigan No-Fault benefits, and to the driver’s or the company’s liability coverage, depending on the driver’s status in the app. Get medical care first, then reach out to us, so we can preserve the evidence and protect your claim. You do not have to figure out the coverage questions on your own.
Talk With Our Grand Rapids Rideshare Accident Attorneys Today
You do not have to face the insurance companies alone after a rideshare crash. Our Grand Rapids rideshare accident lawyers are ready to listen to your story, protect your rights, and pursue the justice you deserve. Every day that passes can make evidence harder to gather, so the sooner we hear from you, the more we can do.
Christensen Law has stood with injured Michigan families since 1991, and we bring that same care to every client, whether you were hurt near the airport, downtown, or out on the highway. Serving all of Michigan, from the D to the UP, we are only a phone call away.
Call us 24/7 at (616) 512-0718 for your free, no-risk consultation. Let us listen, protect, and win for you.
