Sitting Still and Still Getting Hit: When Rideshare Drivers Crash Into Parked Cars
Posted December 18th, 2025 by Anthony Carbone, PC.
Categories: Attorney Anthony Carbone, Auto Accidents, Lyft Accident, Personal Injury.
You’re sitting in a parked car, waiting for a friend, checking your phone, or just taking a moment before heading inside. Suddenly, you feel a violent jolt as another vehicle slams into yours. When the driver who hit you steps out, you realize they were operating an Uber or Lyft. Even though you were completely stationary and did nothing wrong, you’re now injured and facing medical bills, vehicle damage, and pain. Understanding your rights and what happens next is crucial for protecting yourself and getting the compensation you deserve.
At The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone, we help victims of rideshare accidents navigate these complex situations and fight for fair compensation.
Why These Crashes Happen More Than You Think
Rideshare drivers face unique pressures and distractions that increase their risk of hitting parked vehicles, even when those vehicles have passengers inside.
Distracted Driving
Rideshare drivers constantly interact with their phones while driving. They check for new ride requests, follow GPS directions, read passenger messages, and update trip status. A driver focused on their phone instead of the road may not notice a parked car until it’s too late to stop.
Rushing Between Rides
Many rideshare drivers earn money based on completed trips. This creates pressure to finish rides quickly and move on to the next passenger. Rushing can lead to careless driving, including misjudging distances when pulling to curbs or changing lanes near parked vehicles.
Unfamiliar Areas
Rideshare drivers frequently operate in neighborhoods they don’t know well. While trying to navigate unfamiliar streets and locate specific addresses, they may pay less attention to parked cars along the roadway.
Tight Urban Streets
New Jersey’s cities feature narrow streets with cars parked on both sides. Drivers navigating these tight spaces while distracted or in a hurry may sideswipe or rear-end parked vehicles.
When passengers are sitting in these parked cars, what might have been simple property damage becomes a personal injury case with serious consequences.
Understanding Who Is Responsible
When a rideshare driver hits your parked car while you’re inside, liability typically falls on the driver and potentially the rideshare company.
The Rideshare Driver’s Responsibility
Drivers have a legal duty to operate their vehicles with reasonable care and follow all traffic laws. Hitting a parked car usually indicates the driver was negligent. They may have been distracted, speeding, following too closely, or failing to maintain proper lane position. When their negligence causes your injuries, they can be held liable for damages.
Rideshare Company Insurance
Uber and Lyft maintain commercial insurance policies that activate based on the driver’s status at the time of the accident. If the driver was logged into the app and either transporting a passenger or heading to pick one up, substantial insurance coverage typically applies. This coverage can compensate injured victims even when the driver’s personal insurance falls short.
If the driver was simply logged into the app but had not yet accepted a ride request, different coverage levels may apply. Understanding which insurance policy is in effect requires careful investigation of the driver’s status at the moment of impact.
Your Position as an Innocent Victim
As a passenger in a legally parked vehicle, you bear no responsibility for the accident. You were stationary and had no ability to avoid the collision. This clear lack of fault on your part strengthens your claim for full compensation.
Steps to Protect Your Rights After Impact
If a rideshare driver hits your parked car while you’re inside, taking immediate action protects both your health and your legal claim.
Call Emergency Services
Contact police so they can respond to the scene and create an official accident report. This report documents what happened, who was involved, and important details about the crash. Request medical assistance if you or any other passengers are injured.
Get Medical Evaluation
See a healthcare provider immediately, even if you feel fine. The sudden impact of a collision can cause injuries that don’t produce immediate symptoms. Whiplash, concussions, neck and back injuries, and internal trauma may not become apparent until hours or days later. A prompt medical examination protects your health and creates documentation linking your injuries to the accident.
Document Everything
Take photos of all vehicle damage from multiple angles, the position of both vehicles, the surrounding area, road conditions, and any visible injuries. Photograph the other driver’s license plate, insurance information, and rideshare company decals or signs in their vehicle.
Gather Information
Collect the rideshare driver’s name, contact information, driver’s license number, and insurance details. If the driver was actively working, get screenshots or information from their rideshare app showing they were logged in and their status at the time of impact. Obtain contact information from any witnesses who saw the collision.
Preserve Evidence
Keep all medical records, bills, receipts for expenses, and documentation of lost work time. Save all communication with the rideshare driver, the rideshare company, and insurance companies.
Avoid Making Statements
Do not admit any fault or make detailed statements to insurance adjusters before consulting an attorney. Insurance companies often use innocent comments against victims to reduce their payouts. Politely provide only basic factual information and defer detailed discussions until you have legal representation.
Contact an Experienced Attorney
Rideshare accidents involve complex insurance issues and multiple potentially liable parties. The Law Offices of Anthony Carbone understands how to investigate these crashes, determine which insurance policies apply, and fight for maximum compensation.
Navigating Complex Insurance Issues
These accidents often involve multiple insurance policies that may overlap or conflict. The rideshare driver’s personal auto insurance, the rideshare company’s commercial policy, and your own insurance may all come into play.
Insurance companies frequently dispute which policy should pay or try to minimize the value of claims. They may argue your injuries are not serious or claim they resulted from a pre-existing condition rather than the accident. Without experienced legal representation, you may receive far less compensation than you deserve.
An attorney investigates the accident thoroughly, obtains all relevant evidence including app data showing the driver’s status, and handles all communications with insurance companies. Your lawyer calculates the full value of your damages including medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and long-term impacts on your quality of life.
You Deserve Full Compensation
Being injured while sitting in a parked car feels especially unfair. You did nothing wrong and had no way to prevent what happened. The law recognizes this injustice and provides clear paths to compensation.
Time limits apply to filing personal injury claims in New Jersey, so acting promptly protects your rights. Evidence can disappear, witnesses become harder to locate, and memories fade. The sooner you seek legal help, the stronger your case will be.
With skilled legal representation, you can hold the responsible parties accountable and recover the compensation you need to pay medical bills, replace lost income, and move forward from this traumatic experience.
