By Dan Noll on May 14th, 2025 in Articles, Car Accident, Personal Injury
What Central Illinois Residents Need to Know About Medical Bills and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) in Uber and Lyft Accidents
Rideshare accidents present unique complications in determining insurance coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, and conscious pain and suffering. In Illinois, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) may cover medical bills, lost wages, and other costs following a rideshare crash, but determining which insurance carrier – yours, the rideshare company’s, or another party’s – is responsible can be complex. Insurance carriers know this, and will often point fingers at each other in an attempt to confuse you, get to you give up, or make you miss a filing deadline so they could deny your claim. This is particularly true because PIP is not required under Illinois law except for ridesharing companies, although it may be possible to add onto a personal insurance policy as a rider/supplement. That’s why ridesharing accident victims and their families need to hire an experienced Springfield Uber/Lyft accident lawyer to represent them and to protect their rights to compensation.
Here at the Noll Law Office, their dedicated and compassionate legal team can help victims of ridesharing accidents in Illinois recover compensation for their damages. Indeed, Dan Noll and Sarah Noll are personal injury attorneys in Springfield who handle rideshare accident cases throughout Central Illinois and have a proven track record of obtaining compensation for injured clients. They are fifth-generation lawyers who have built a reputation of representing their community and their state against aggressive and overreaching insurance carriers who refuse to take responsibility for the negligent and outright dangerous drivers that they insure. Schedule your free case evaluation to learn how the Noll Law Office can represent you and your family today over the phone, in person, virtually, at the hospital, your house, their office, or in any other reasonable location where we can meet you and talk privately.
Understanding PIP Coverage in Illinois
Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is an insurance coverage designed to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and other related expenses of a ridesharing accident. However, it is important to realize that PIP is generally a product of no-fault insurance system states. Since Illinois operates under a traditional at-fault based system rather than a no-fault system, making PIP optional rather than mandatory. When a driver obtains PIP coverage, such as Uber and Lyft drivers who typically get it when they are logged on and engaged in a ride, such coverage typically includes medical expenses, lost wages, and sometimes other accident-related expenses.
Rideshare Crashes: Unique Challenges and Coverage Nuances
Rideshare accidents differ significantly from traditional auto accidents due to their complex insurance structures. This is highlighted by the fact that Illinois law does not require PIP, but does require PIP for ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft which carry that for riders. That changes some things when it comes to handling a ridesharing accident case in Illinois. Thus, when a Springfield resident is injured in a rideshare crash, multiple insurance policies potentially apply depending on the driver’s status at the time of the accident.
Insurance coverage for rideshare drivers follows a distinct three-period system (with period 0 being logged out):
- Period 1: The driver is logged into the app but has not accepted a ride request. During this period, the driver’s personal insurance is primary, and the rideshare company provides limited liability coverage.
- Period 2: The driver has accepted a ride and is en route to pick up the passenger. The rideshare company’s commercial policy becomes primary, typically offering $1 million in liability coverage.
- Period 3: The passenger is in the vehicle. The full commercial policy from the rideshare company remains in effect.
Springfield residents injured while riding in an Uber or Lyft often discover that navigating these coverage periods creates significant challenges because of the interplay of whether PIP applies and when PIP applies, which is a creature of no-fault, versus when they need to file a claim against just the at-fault driver, which is the general rule. The added confusion comes due to the common issue of the rideshare company’s insurance attempting to deny coverage by claiming the driver was not actively engaged in providing rideshare services at the time of the accident.
Navigating Medical Bills Post-Accident in Springfield
After a rideshare accident in Springfield, victims must take immediate steps to protect their health and financial interests. Seeking medical attention promptly establishes documentation of injuries and begins the necessary treatment, which can help save a person’s life as well as protect their claim. Indeed, many insurance carriers will train their adjusters to deny claims and one of the most common reasons is because a victim did not go to the doctor right after an accident. Thus, they will claim that the injury was not that serious or that the injury was not related to the accident at all.
Springfield residents frequently encounter delays or denials when submitting claims. Insurance companies often request additional documentation or question the necessity of treatment. These tactics delay payment and create financial strain for accident victims and their families who often suffer significantly too as there is an increase in unexpected medical bills and a decrease in family income.
When an insurance company denies a valid claim, the assistance of a personal injury lawyer becomes invaluable. The attorneys at Noll Law Office understand the tactics used by insurance companies in Springfield, Central Illinois and the rest of Illinois, and they work diligently to overcome these obstacles to support victims and their families. If you need help after a Springfield car accident, especially if your claim was denied by an insurance carrier, call Dan Noll or Sarah Noll for help.
Determining Liability: Who Pays the Medical Bills?
Generally, in Illinois car accident the at-fault party pays for medical bills. However, in Illinois rideshare accidents, sometimes it is Uber or Lyft that will pay for medical bills through PIP. The process involves investigating various factors including the following:
- The rideshare driver’s actions
- Actions of other motorists on Springfield roads
- Road conditions
- Vehicle maintenance issues due to repair shops or the manufacturer
- Potential rideshare company negligence in driver screening
- Third-party misconduct, including other passengers, and
- Other conduct by other parties who may be responsible in Illinois.
Springfield residents may find themselves dealing with multiple insurance adjusters, each attempting to shift responsibility elsewhere. This complex situation requires careful navigation of Illinois law, which is why having an experienced car accident lawyer in Illinois is necessary to protect your rights to compensation.
Third-party liability claims sometimes arise when neither the rideshare driver nor the passenger caused the accident. For example, if another driver runs a red light on Springfield’s busy South Grand Avenue and collides with a Lyft vehicle, that driver’s insurance bears responsibility. Springfield pedestrians struck by rideshare vehicles face additional complications as they are obviously not engaged in a ridesharing ride, but the driver may be in either one of the periods/terms.
What Rideshare Drivers Need to Know
Rideshare drivers in Springfield must understand their insurance coverage to protect themselves financially. Standard personal auto policies typically exclude commercial activities, creating potential coverage gaps.
Springfield drivers working for companies like Uber or Lyft should do the following:
- Notify their personal insurance provider about rideshare activities
- Consider purchasing rideshare endorsements or commercial policies, including PIP
- Understand the coverage periods and associated limits
- Maintain thorough documentation of rideshare activities
- Follow all Springfield traffic regulations, particularly in congested areas like downtown.
The insurance marketplace offers specialized rideshare endorsements that extend personal auto coverage during Period 1, addressing the most common coverage gap. These policy riders/supplements or endorsements prove substantially less expensive than commercial policies while providing essential protection, including for PIP.
Springfield residents should also consider getting underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage, sometimes referred to as UM/UIM or simply as a type of supplemental (or SUM policy).
Call Dan Noll or Sarah Noll for Help With Your Springfield Ridesharing Accident Case
Navigating insurance claims after a Springfield rideshare accident requires specialized knowledge in both the law and the medicine applicable to these types of cases. The Noll Law Office brings substantial experience dealing with rideshare companies and their insurers, including some of the largest insurance carriers and defense law firms in the region. Although far too many insurance companies still prioritize their financial interests over fair compensation for Springfield accident victims, the Noll Law Office will not let that happen to you or your family.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a ridesharing car accident in Springfield, Central Illinois or elsewhere in Illinois, call to schedule a free consultation with their compassionate and dedicated legal team. To do so, dial (217) 414-8889 or by sending a message here to get started with your free case evaluation.