Tennessee Uber Accident Lawyer

An Uber crash is rarely a one-insurer problem. Depending on whether the driver had the app on, was waiting for a ride request, or was carrying a passenger, different policies with different limits may apply, and each company will have its own reasons to point at someone else. Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette is a Tennessee personal injury firm that handles rideshare collisions for passengers, other drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists hurt in crashes across East Tennessee and the rest of the state, and a Tennessee Uber accident lawyer from our firm starts by sorting out who owes what before anyone signs anything.

The Knoxville airport run, the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, a late night out in the Old City: rideshare traffic follows tourism and nightlife, and East Tennessee has plenty of both. Many of the people hurt are visitors who do not know the roads, the drivers, or Tennessee’s unusually short filing deadline.

The first call after an Uber crash often comes from an adjuster, not a lawyer. What you say on that call can shape the whole claim.

Situations That Come Up in Tennessee Rideshare Collisions

• Passenger Injuries: Riders hurt while seated in the back often have claims against the Uber driver, the other driver, or both. Riders are rarely at fault, but the other side may still try to assign fault to a nonparty.
• Crashes With the App On but No Passenger: A driver logged in and waiting for a ride request occupies a gray zone. Which insurance applies can turn on exactly what the driver was doing, which is why app data matters.
• Other Drivers Struck by an Uber: If a rideshare driver ran a light, drifted lanes, or tried to follow a navigation prompt at the wrong moment, the injured motorist may have claims against the driver and potentially others.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Cases: Drivers stopping suddenly to pick up or drop off riders can strike people in crosswalks, on bike routes, and along busy tourist corridors in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
• Distracted Driving: Rideshare drivers handle a phone to accept trips and follow directions. Tennessee’s Hands Free law bars holding a device, reading or writing texts, and watching video behind the wheel, and a violation can be strong evidence of negligence.
• Drunk or Impaired Drivers: Whether the Uber driver was impaired, or an impaired driver hit the Uber, the case can change character. Tennessee’s noneconomic damages cap does not apply when the at-fault party was intoxicated to the point of substantially impaired judgment.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Motorists: When the at-fault driver in a collision with an Uber has little or no coverage, uninsured motorist coverage and rideshare policies may both come into play.
• Wrongful Death: When a passenger, driver, or pedestrian dies in a rideshare crash, a claim belongs to the surviving spouse, then children or next of kin, or the personal representative.

Why Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for an Uber Accident Case

Rideshare claims end up in the courts our trial lawyers already work in: state circuit courts across East Tennessee and federal court when a case belongs there. Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette represents injured people and families in Knox, Sevier, Anderson, Blount, and Campbell counties and throughout Tennessee, with attorneys who have more than 170 years of combined experience and more than $100 million recovered for clients.

Two of our partners spent the early part of their careers defending insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses before moving to the plaintiff’s side. In a rideshare case that matters, because the dispute is usually between insurers deciding who pays. Our lawyers know how those companies evaluate a claim and where they look for ways to reduce it.

Bruce D. Fox, a co-founder, has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court, belongs to the American Board of Trial Advocates, and received the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. He is a past president of that association and has been selected to Mid-South Super Lawyers 17 times. Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the association’s Board of Governors, as does partner John Willis. Our attorneys are regularly voted among Knoxville’s Top Attorneys by CityView Magazine.

The results that bear most on this work involve serious collisions with serious injuries: $3.4 million for a family whose loved one was killed in a Morgan County rear-end crash caused by a construction company driver, $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost a leg to a driver who fled, and $1.9 million after a Sevier County failure-to-yield crash that killed a mother and badly hurt her daughter. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

There are no attorney fees unless we recover compensation, and consultations are free. If your injuries make travel hard, we can meet you at home or in the hospital. Hablamos español, and attorney Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish.

What an Uber Accident Attorney Actually Does

The work starts with evidence that belongs to someone else. Uber holds trip data showing whether the app was on, whether a ride was accepted, where the car was, and how fast it was moving. Our attorneys send preservation demands early so that data is kept, and we gather the police report, photographs, witness statements, vehicle damage, and medical records that show how the crash happened and what it did to you.

Then comes the insurance question. We identify every policy that could respond: the driver’s personal coverage, any coverage tied to the rideshare platform, the other driver’s liability policy, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Tennessee’s minimum liability limits are modest, so a serious injury can quickly outrun a single policy, and finding the second and third source of recovery is often where the real value of the case is decided.

We also deal with fault. Tennessee uses modified comparative fault, so you can recover only if you are less than 50 percent at fault, and your award is reduced by your share. Fault can also be assigned to people who are not even in the lawsuit. Insurers use both rules to shrink claims, so we build the liability case with that in mind. When an insurer will not pay what the claim is worth, we try the case.

Steps That Protect an Uber Accident Claim in Tennessee

Get medical care first, even if you feel mostly fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap between the crash and your first treatment gives insurers an argument. Call the police so there is an official report, and ask for the crash report number before you leave the scene.

Document what you can. Photograph the vehicles, the road, and your injuries. Take screenshots of the Uber app showing the trip status, driver name, license plate, and vehicle details, since a trip record can disappear or change. Get names and contact details of witnesses. If you were a passenger, keep your ride receipt and confirmation email.

Be careful with insurers. Anyone calling from Uber’s insurer or the driver’s insurer is gathering information for their side. You do not have to give a recorded statement, and you should not accept a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries. Talk to a lawyer before you do either.

Watch the deadline. Tennessee’s general statute of limitations for personal injury is one year from the date of the injury, and it can extend to two years when criminal charges are brought against the person who caused the harm and the prosecution begins within that first year. Wrongful death claims run on the same one-year clock, measured from the date of the injury, not the date of death. Property damage claims have a three-year deadline. If the injured person was a minor, the clock is generally paused until the 18th birthday. Claims against a government entity, such as a city vehicle that was involved, follow separate and shorter rules.

Injury suits in East Tennessee are filed in the circuit courts. In Knox County that means the Knox County Circuit Court in Knoxville, part of the Sixth Judicial District. Cases that qualify for federal court can go to the Eastern District of Tennessee, whose Northern Division sits in Knoxville and covers Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Jefferson, Knox, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, and Sevier counties, among others. Most cases settle before trial, but we prepare each one as if it will be heard by a jury.

What Damages and Limits Apply to a Rideshare Injury

Economic damages cover medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity, and Tennessee does not cap them. Noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life, are generally limited to $750,000, or $1 million for a defined catastrophic injury, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia, the loss of two limbs, or severe burns over a large part of the body. The wrongful death of a parent of minor children also qualifies for the higher cap. The court applies the cap after the verdict, and the jury is not told about it.

The noneconomic cap is lifted in certain situations, including when the defendant was intoxicated, destroyed evidence, intentionally caused the injury, or was convicted of a related felony. That is one reason we look closely at whether a driver was impaired. Punitive damages, when a case warrants them, are limited to two times the compensatory award or $500,000, whichever is greater.

Questions About Uber Accident Claims in Tennessee

Who pays when I am hurt in an Uber?

It depends on what the driver was doing when the crash happened and who was at fault. Several policies may be in play, including the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, any rideshare coverage tied to the platform, and your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. We identify every source before negotiating.

Can I sue Uber itself, or only the driver?

Rideshare drivers are generally treated as independent contractors, and companies defend against claims on that basis. Whether a claim against the company is viable depends on the facts, including the driver’s status in the app at the time and the coverage connected to that status. An attorney can review what happened and tell you who can realistically be held responsible.

How long do I have to file an Uber accident lawsuit in Tennessee?

Generally one year from the date of the injury. That is among the shortest deadlines in the country. It can reach two years in limited cases involving criminal charges against the at-fault driver, and property damage claims have three years.

What if I was a passenger and the Uber driver was at fault?

Passengers can pursue claims against the driver and any other responsible party. You are generally not blamed for how someone else drove, but insurers may still try to allocate fault to others or to you, for example over seatbelt use, so documentation matters.

What if I was partly to blame for the crash?

You can still recover if you are less than 50 percent at fault, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage. At 50 percent or more, the claim is barred. Insurers know this, so expect them to push blame your way.

Does the driver’s phone use matter?

Yes. Tennessee’s Hands Free law prohibits holding a phone, reading or writing texts, and watching or recording video while driving. A rideshare driver using the app while moving can be evidence of negligence, and phone and app records can help show it.

What if the Uber driver was drunk?

Impairment can change the case significantly. A driver with a blood alcohol concentration at or above 0.08 percent is over the per se limit, and intoxication at a level that substantially impairs judgment removes the cap on noneconomic damages. Criminal charges against the driver can also extend the filing deadline to two years.

Will my health insurance cover treatment while my claim is pending?

Often it can, and treating promptly helps your claim. Your health insurer may seek reimbursement from any recovery, so we track liens and work to resolve them as part of the settlement.

I live out of state and was hurt on a trip to the Smokies. Can you still help?

Yes. We represent visitors injured in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and elsewhere in Tennessee. We handle the investigation, negotiations, and court filings here while keeping you updated by phone and email wherever you live.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for a minor Uber crash?

Even a seemingly minor crash can produce injuries that appear days later, and with several insurers involved, early statements can hurt you. Consultations are free, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation, so a conversation costs you nothing.

What if a loved one died in a rideshare crash?

Under Tennessee law, the right to sue passes to the surviving spouse, then the children or next of kin, or the personal representative. The one-year deadline runs from the date of the crash. Recoverable losses include lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life taken.

Serving Uber Accident Clients Across East Tennessee and Beyond

Rideshare crashes happen wherever people need a ride, and our attorneys represent clients across Tennessee, starting in East Tennessee. In Knox County, that includes Knoxville, Farragut, Powell, Halls, Karns, and the neighborhoods around the airport corridor and Old City. We also serve clients in Anderson County, including Clinton, Oak Ridge, Oliver Springs, and Norris, and in Blount County, including Maryville, Alcoa, Townsend, and Friendsville.

In Sevier County, we represent people hurt in Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, Seymour, and Kodak, where tourist traffic fills the Parkway. Campbell County clients come to us from LaFollette, Jacksboro, and Caryville. We have also represented people from Roane, Claiborne, Morgan, Jefferson, and Monroe counties, and we help clients in Johnson City, Nashville, Memphis, and every community between.

Talk to a Tennessee Uber Accident Attorney

If you were hurt in a rideshare crash, a Tennessee Uber accident attorney from Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette can review what happened, explain which insurers may be responsible, and tell you plainly what the claim may be worth. The consultation is free, you owe no fee unless we recover compensation, and we can come to you if you cannot come to us. Call today, before the one-year deadline and the evidence start slipping away.