Menu
If you were struck by an Uber while walking or cycling in the Katy area, you are probably juggling pain, medical bills, missed work, and a phone that will not stop ringing with calls from insurance adjusters. You may also be wondering whether you did something wrong, or whether a rideshare company’s size makes a claim impossible.
Here is the short answer: yes, you may still be able to recover compensation. Being on foot or on a bike does not take away your rights, and neither does the fact that the driver was working for a giant tech company. The details matter, though, and this article walks through them in plain English.
Many injured pedestrians and cyclists assume the crash was somehow their fault. They think they should have looked twice, worn brighter clothes, or stayed off the road. Insurance adjusters are happy to let you believe that.
Under Texas law, a bicycle is treated as a vehicle, and cyclists have many of the same rights and duties as drivers. Pedestrians have protections too, especially in crosswalks and at intersections. A driver is responsible for keeping a proper lookout, controlling speed, and yielding when required. That duty applies whether the driver is commuting to work or chasing a rideshare fare.
Texas follows a modified comparative responsibility system. In simple terms:
You can read the statute yourself in Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. That 51 percent line is exactly why adjusters work so hard to shift blame onto the person who was hit. Every percentage point they move onto you costs you money.
We live and work here, so we know these corridors the way you do.
Mason Road carries heavy commuter, school, and neighborhood traffic, with many driveways, turn lanes, and intersections. Left-turning and right-turning drivers often fail to see someone on a bike or crossing on foot. Rideshare drivers glancing at a navigation screen to find a pickup address add to the danger.
Speeds are high, and so is the force of a collision. Crashes near intersections, access roads, and busy retail areas can cause catastrophic injuries to someone outside a vehicle. The lighting and spacing of crosswalks can also become important evidence.
Pedestrians and bicycles are generally not permitted on the freeway main lanes. Most people hurt in this corridor are struck on the frontage roads, at feeder intersections, in parking lots, or in crosswalks near hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers. Those areas are crowded with drivers who are distracted, hurried, or unfamiliar with the area, which describes plenty of rideshare trips.
Rideshare claims are not the same as ordinary car accident claims. Texas regulates rideshare companies under Chapter 2402 of the Texas Occupations Code, and the insurance available often depends on what the driver was doing at the moment of impact:
That difference can mean the gap between a claim that barely covers your emergency room bills and one that can address long-term care and lost income. Proving which category applies means getting the app data, trip logs, and timestamps, and that evidence does not stay available forever.
Uber drivers are also classified as independent contractors, and the company may argue it is not responsible for the driver’s actions. Sorting out who owes what takes careful investigation and a lawyer who understands how these companies defend themselves.
Depending on your case, damages may include:
If the driver hit you and fled, or if the available insurance is not enough, your own auto policy’s uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also come into play. Many people do not realize that coverage can apply even when they were not in a car.
Rideshare companies and their insurers have teams built to minimize payouts. They pay attention to whether the lawyer across the table is board certified, truly prepared to try the case, and willing to see it through. At Scott Callahan & Associates, Scott is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 10 percent of Texas attorneys. That credential reflects years of tested trial experience, and it helps signal to the other side that your case will not be dismissed with a quick lowball offer.
We also believe you should not have to repeat your story to a rotating cast of strangers. When you work with us, you work directly with a veteran attorney who knows your case, your goals, and what recovery is going to look like for you. Like an endurance athlete, we prepare thoroughly and stay steady for the long haul, because meaningful results rarely come from shortcuts.
Cases from Katy can also involve courts in Harris County, Fort Bend County, or beyond, depending on where the crash happened and where the parties are located. Knowing how those courts operate helps us plan your case from day one.
Healing is your job right now. Untangling insurance policies, app data, and fault percentages should not be. If you were hit by an Uber while walking or biking in Katy, our Katy Uber accident lawyers are happy to listen, answer your questions, and explain where you stand, with no pressure and no cost for the conversation. You can reach out to our team whenever you are ready, and we will take it from there.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and laws change. Insurance coverage amounts and legal deadlines referenced here may vary based on your specific circumstances. Please consult a licensed attorney about your situation.
If you were hit by an Uber, or hurt while riding in one, you are probably juggling medical appointments, a damaged vehicle, and phone calls from adjusters you have never met. Then comes a question nobody warns you about: whose insurance is actually responsible?
It is a fair question, and the honest answer is “it depends on what the driver was doing at the exact moment of the crash.” Whether it happened on I-10 near Mason Road, at the Grand Parkway interchange, or on a side street off Westheimer Parkway, that one detail can change how much coverage is available to you. Let us walk through it in plain English.
Texas treats ride-share drivers differently depending on whether the app is on and whether a trip is underway. The rules come from the Texas Transportation Network Company statute, which you can read for yourself in Chapter 2402 of the Texas Occupations Code. Insurance professionals often describe the driver’s situation in “periods.”
1. The app is off
If the driver was not logged in to Uber, this is an ordinary car accident. The driver’s personal auto policy applies, and Uber’s commercial coverage generally does not. Texas only requires drivers to carry 30/60/25 minimum liability limits (in dollars, $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage), which can run out fast after a serious injury.
2. The app is on, but no ride has been accepted
The driver is logged in and waiting for a request. Under Texas law, the ride-share company’s coverage must carry at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. That is better than the state minimum, but it can still fall short if you have surgery, lost wages, or long-term care needs.
3. The driver accepted a ride and is heading to the pickup
Once a ride request is accepted, Texas requires coverage of at least $1,000,000 for death, bodily injury, and property damage. This is the scenario where a crash may involve a driver rushing to a pickup in Cinco Ranch or a busy spot near the Katy Mills area while watching a navigation screen.
4. A passenger is in the car
The same $1,000,000 level applies from the moment the rider gets in until the trip ends. If you were the passenger, this is likely the coverage in play.
Keep in mind that the other driver may also be at fault. If a different motorist caused the crash, that person’s policy may be the first place to look, with other coverage layered behind it.
Your situation also depends on where you were when you were hurt:
Here is something many injured people never hear. Insurers have a financial incentive to place the driver in the cheapest phase possible. A company that would owe $1,000,000 in coverage may claim the driver had not yet accepted the ride, or had just ended it.
The proof lives in app data: timestamps, GPS pings, and trip logs. That data is held by the company, not by you, and it can be overwritten or hard to obtain without a formal request. Acting early matters, and a firm that knows how to demand and preserve this evidence can make a real difference.
These claims are more layered than a typical fender bender. They can involve a driver, a technology company, and several insurers, each hoping another one pays. Cases that cannot be resolved fairly may end up in Harris County, Fort Bend County, or Waller County courts, depending on where the crash happened and where the parties are located.
At Scott Callahan & Associates, we believe the people on the other side of your claim should know your lawyer is prepared to go the distance. Scott is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 10% of Texas attorneys, and his training at the Trial Lawyers College shaped how we prepare every case: as if a jury will hear it. Insurers notice that. They also notice when a firm has a reputation for settling quickly, and we prefer they notice the opposite.
You should also expect to work directly with a veteran attorney, not a rotating cast of staff, when you reach out to us. When you are hurt and worried about medical bills, you deserve someone who knows your story and returns your call. For more on how we approach these claims, you can read about our car accident representation in Katy.
Figuring out which Uber policy applies is the kind of puzzle that feels impossible when you are in pain and behind on everything else. It is solvable, and you do not have to solve it by yourself.
If you would like answers, we invite you to a complimentary, no-pressure conversation with our Katy, TX Uber accident lawyers. Bring what you have, whether that is a crash report, a few photos, or just questions, and we will help you understand where you stand and what options are in front of you. Our neighbors in Katy and the surrounding communities deserve clarity, and we are glad to provide it.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Insurance coverage, laws, and legal deadlines change and depend on the specific facts of each case. Please consult a licensed Texas attorney about your particular situation.
If you are reading this, you may be sore, sidelined from work, and buried in calls from an adjuster you never asked to hear from. Somewhere in that fog, a nagging question surfaced: how much time do I have?
It is a smart question, and asking it early puts you ahead.
In Texas, most motorcycle accident injury claims must be filed in court within two years of the date of the crash. This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and it comes from Chapter 16 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
A few things about that two-year window are worth knowing:
Two years sounds generous. But motorcycle injuries tend to be serious, recovery is slow, and the months disappear into surgeries, physical therapy, and paperwork. That is why we encourage riders to treat the deadline as the outer edge, not a target.
This is where good riders get hurt a second time. Some situations carry much tighter deadlines.
Suppose a city truck pulled out in front of you, or a poorly maintained road surface sent your front tire sideways. Claims against government entities in Texas are governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act, which generally requires formal written notice within six months. Some city charters set even shorter windows. Missing that notice can jeopardize the whole claim, even though the lawsuit deadline is still two years out.
If the at-fault driver was uninsured or underinsured, you may need to make a claim on your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Policies often contain their own notice requirements, and those are separate from the court deadline. Reading your policy early matters.
Wrongful death claims after a fatal motorcycle crash generally also carry a two-year deadline, but who can file, and when, has its own rules. If you are grieving a family member, please know that no one expects you to sort this out alone.
Texas law does pause or extend the deadline in limited situations. For example:
These exceptions are narrow and fact-specific. Please do not build your plan around one of them. If you think an exception applies to you, have an attorney confirm it in writing.
Even if the courthouse door is open for two years, your evidence is not sitting still. Here is what can quietly slip away in the weeks after a crash on I-10, the Grand Parkway, or a busy stretch of Westheimer Parkway:
Insurance companies know this. They also know that motorcyclists face an uphill battle with bias, since some adjusters and jurors quietly assume riders are reckless. Prompt documentation is one of the best ways to push back against that.
You do not need to do everything at once. Think of it the way an endurance athlete thinks about a long race: steady, prepared, one stage at a time.
Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule. In short, if a jury finds you 51 percent or more responsible for the crash, you cannot recover damages, and anything less reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault. Insurers lean on this rule hard in motorcycle cases, which is another reason early evidence gathering is so valuable.
When the stakes include your health, your income, and your future, experience matters. Scott Callahan is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 10 percent of Texas attorneys. Insurance companies pay attention to whether a firm is truly prepared to take a case before a jury, and that preparation, including Scott’s training at the Trial Lawyers College, often shapes how seriously the other side negotiates.
Just as important, you should be able to talk with the attorney who is actually handling your case. At Scott Callahan & Associates, we believe an injured neighbor deserves a real relationship with a veteran lawyer, not a hand-off to whoever is available. You can learn more about how we approach these cases on our personal injury page.
The deadline question is stressful, but it is also very answerable. Once someone reviews the date of your crash, who was involved, and what insurance is in play, you will know which clock you are on and how much time is left.
If you would like clear answers, we invite you to a complimentary, no-pressure conversation with our Katy, TX motorcycle accident lawyer. Bring your questions, your paperwork if you have it, and as much or as little of your story as you are comfortable sharing. There is no obligation, and you will leave knowing where you stand.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and legal rules vary based on the facts of each case and may change over time. Please contact Scott Callahan & Associates about your specific situation.
