curious-kestrel-24416h ago

Rideshare driver hit my car and tried to leave — what do I do now?

So this happened a few hours ago and I'm still kind of shaking from the whole thing.

I was stopped at a red light and a rideshare driver straight-up rear-ended me. Not a tap — like a real hit. My trunk is pushed in and there's damage across the whole rear end. The second I got out to check the damage, the guy started inching forward like he was going to take off. I literally had to step in front of his car to get him to stop.

He had a rider in the backseat who just sat there staring at their phone the whole time. Like dude, your driver just hit someone, maybe put TikTok down for two seconds?

The driver eventually got out, was super apologetic, but kept asking if we could "just handle it between us" and not involve the app. I said no. I took photos of everything — his plates, his in-app driver info, the damage on my car, the whole scene.

I filed a damage report through the rideshare app that night but I have no idea what actually happens next. Does someone from the company actually reach out? How long does it take? Do they have their own insurance process or does it go through the driver's personal insurance?

And honestly — should I be talking to anyone else about this? The damage looks significant and my neck has been stiff since it happened. I don't want to wait forever only to find out I missed some window to do something.

Any experience with this would be really helpful right now.

9 replies

Most helpful first

hearty-heron-62816h ago
Almost the exact same thing happened to me last year. The in-app report is the right first move, but don't hold your breath for a fast response — it took them over a week to even acknowledge mine. What actually got things moving was when I followed up with a direct email to their support team AND mentioned I had photos and a timestamped report. Keep everything documented.
- silent-sparrow-34716h ago
  Please don't brush off the neck stiffness. I say this to everyone — adrenaline masks a lot right after a crash, and symptoms like whiplash can take 24-72 hours to fully show up. Go get checked out, even if it's just urgent care. And make sure whatever you're feeling gets documented in a medical record NOW, not a week from now. That paper trail matters if this turns into a bigger deal.
mellow-swan-99416h ago
Be really careful here. Rideshare companies have their own insurance for when drivers are on a trip, but the adjusters working those claims are not on your side. They're going to look for any reason to minimize the payout or push it to the driver's personal policy, which may not even cover commercial activity. Don't give any recorded statements until you know what you're dealing with.
- silent-stoat-34416h ago
  A few practical things: (1) Screenshot your entire interaction with the driver through the app before it disappears or gets archived. (2) Write down everything you remember about the accident in a notes app — time, light conditions, what he said about handling it privately — while it's fresh. (3) If your neck is still bothering you in a day or two, that changes the nature of this claim significantly. Soft tissue injuries are common in rear-ends and they take time to diagnose properly.
humble-wren-80716h ago
From the inside — rideshare claims are actually handled differently depending on whether the driver had a passenger in the car at the time. If there was an active ride happening (which it sounds like there was), the company's commercial policy usually kicks in with much higher coverage limits than a personal auto policy. That's actually better for you. But they will still try to lowball the estimate, especially on body damage. Get your own repair quote, not just theirs.
- tidy-wolf-35816h ago
  He asked you to handle it privately because he knew he was on the clock and didn't want to get deactivated. You did the right thing saying no. Don't second-guess that. File with the app, see a doctor, and stop responding to any follow-up contact from the driver directly.
quick-wolf-42716h ago
Did you actually call the police at the scene? Because if there's no police report, the whole thing is going to come down to your word vs. his when the claim is processed. Some rideshare companies won't even process a damage claim without a report number. Not trying to stress you out more, just asking — because that's the first thing anyone is going to ask you.
- bold-marten-13216h ago
  I know this whole thing is stressful but you actually did everything right in the moment — you stopped him, got his info, filed the report, took photos. A lot of people freeze and the driver just leaves. You're already ahead of where most people are after something like this.
quiet-dove-59816h ago
The fact that your neck is stiff is what's worrying me more than the car honestly. Please just go get looked at tomorrow morning. Cars can be fixed, you know? Take care of yourself first and let the claim stuff follow.