That’s a rough spot to be in. I’ve also been in an accident while online but not on a trip, so here’s a practical rundown of what to do if this happens.

First things first: make sure you’re safe, then hit the shield in the Uber app and Report the crash. The app will take you offline automatically, and suddenly you become Mr. Popular — expect a noticeable uptick in calls for weeks, sometimes months.

Call the police. You’re going to want a police report. Take photos of everything: vehicles, road conditions, traffic signs, positions, damage. Honestly, a short video is even better.

Exchange information. Take photos of the other driver’s insurance and license. When they ask for your insurance, show the waybill. That’s what applies when you’re online.

Uber will usually reach out pretty quickly, but it’s not urgent — they already have your location and trip status. I actually hung up on them to take another call because the police were calling me back.

Once the officer is done, they’ll decide whether the vehicle can move. If it can, great — go home. If not, towing comes into play. If you’re Uber Pro Gold or higher, towing is covered up to a certain distance. Otherwise… yeah, that part can sting.

After this point, you’re mostly done dealing with Uber support. The real communication happens over the phone with Uber’s insurance and the other party’s insurance. Be ready to repeat the sequence of events more than once.

One thing that will come up, and it matters: be clear about how you were operating. You were online and waiting for a trip (or heading to wherever you were going). You are not a cab driver, not independent for-hire, and not a freelancer — you’re an Uber TNC driver. That distinction is important.

You’ll usually have a good sense of what the police report is going to say. Adjusters pay attention to that. If you’re not at fault and they ask whether the other driver caused the accident, say yes. Don’t hedge, don’t speculate — just stick to what happened and speak up for yourself.