Rideshare accidents: how Uber and Lyft insurance works

Why the app status decides who pays#

State laws call Uber and Lyft transportation network companiesTransportation network company (TNC). The legal name for a rideshare company, such as Uber or Lyft, that uses an app to connect riders with drivers who use their own cars. Glossary, or TNCs. Their drivers use their own cars, and a personal auto policy is written for personal driving, not for carrying paying passengers. Texas law, for example, says a personal auto policy may exclude any loss while the driver is logged on to a rideshare app or engaged in a prearranged ride.

To close that gap, states require insurance for the time the driver is working, and they split that time into stages. The driver, the company, or both together can provide it. In practice, the first question in any rideshare claim is simple: what did the app show at the moment of the crash?

In Texas and Florida, the ride stage begins when the driver accepts a request and ends when the last rider leaves the car. In California, it runs from accepting the request until the ride is complete.

What three state laws require#

The amounts below are legal minimums. The companies' own policies may carry more; the insurer handling the claim can tell you the policy limitsPolicy limits. The most an insurance policy will pay for one claim or one accident, no matter how large the losses are. Glossary that apply.

California

California's Public Utilities Code § 5433 requires $1,000,000 of primary coverage for death, injury and property damage from the moment a driver accepts a ride. While the driver is logged on and waiting, the minimums are $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property, plus at least $200,000 of excess coverage kept by the company.

The company must also provide uninsured motorist coverageUninsured motorist coverage. Coverage under your own policy that pays when the at-fault driver has no insurance, or too little. Glossary for passengers: $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, from the moment a passenger gets in until they get out. The law changed on January 1, 2026, so older articles may show a higher figure.

Texas

Chapter 1954 of the Texas Insurance Code sets the waiting-stage minimums at $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $25,000 for property. During a prearranged ride, the policy must provide $1,000,000 per incident. Uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection apply as Texas law requires for any auto policy.

Two rules help injured people. If the driver's own policy has lapsed or falls short, the company must provide the coverage from the first dollar of the claim. And the company's coverage does not depend on the driver's personal insurer denying the claim first.

Florida

Florida Statutes § 627.748 uses the same structure: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $25,000 for property while the driver waits, and $1,000,000 during a ride. Because Florida is a no-fault state, the policy must also include personal injury protection in both stages.

Who can claim, and against whom#

Passengers

A passenger is rarely at fault, so the question is who caused the crash. If the rideshare driver did, the claim goes to the ride-stage coverage. If another driver did, that driver's liability insurer is usually the first stop.

Other drivers

If a rideshare driver hits your car, the stage matters most. App off means a claim against the driver's personal insurer. App on means the rideshare coverage at the waiting-stage or ride-stage limits. Your own policy may also help, such as collision coverage for your car while the claim is sorted out.

Pedestrians and cyclists

People on foot or on a bike claim against the same coverage as other drivers. In no-fault states, your own auto policy's personal injury protection may pay first, even though you were not in a car. Our pedestrian and bicycle guides cover the details.

The rideshare driver

Drivers hurt while working face their own questions: whether their personal policy excludes rideshare use, what the company's policy covers for the driver, and whether any work-injury benefits apply. Texas and Florida law both say the company does not control drivers except as agreed by written contract. Our guide to company vehicle accidents explains how work status changes a claim.

Evidence to save#

Rideshare claims turn on timing, so the trip record in the app matters as much as photos of the cars.

• Screenshots of the trip. Capture the driver's name and photo, the car and license plate, the pickup and drop-off points, the times and the route map before anything changes in the app.
• The receipt. In Florida, the company must send each rider an electronic receipt listing the origin and destination, the total time and distance, and the total fare. Save it, and forward it to an email folder for the claim.
• The driver's app status. In Texas, after a collision, the driver must tell the people involved, their insurers and the police, on request, whether they were logged on to the app or on a prearranged ride. Write down what the driver says, and the time.
• Scene evidence. Photos of all vehicles, the road and any injuries, plus names and phone numbers of witnesses and the officer's report number.

How to start a rideshare accident claim#

1. Get care and call the police. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, and ask that a police report be made. Get checked by a doctor the same day.
2. Save the trip. Screenshot the ride details, receipt and driver profile before you leave the scene, if you can do so safely.
3. Ask about insurance and app status. Get the driver's personal insurance details and ask whether they were logged on or on a ride.
4. Report the crash to the company. Use the app or the company's website, and ask for the name of the insurer and a claim number.
5. Tell your own insurer. Your policy likely requires prompt notice, and your own coverage may pay some costs first.
6. Keep a claim file and watch the deadline. Store photos, bills, letters and a log of every call in one place, and check your state's filing deadline.

A rideshare claim can involve a first party claimFirst-party claim. A claim you make to your own insurance company under your own policy, such as a PIP or collision claim. Glossary with your own insurer and a third party claimThird-party claim. A claim you make against the other driver's insurance because their driver caused your losses. Glossary against the driver's or company's insurer at the same time. The claim process guide explains how those run side by side.

Common problems#

Disputes over the app status. The insurer may question whether the driver was logged on or on a ride. The company's own records are the best evidence, which is one reason injured people sometimes hire a lawyer: in a lawsuit, those records can be requested formally.

Two insurers pointing at each other. The driver's personal insurer may cite a rideshare exclusion while the company's insurer questions the stage. Texas and Florida law both say the company's coverage cannot depend on the personal insurer denying the claim first.

The deadline keeps running. The filing deadline is the same as for any car crash: 2 years in California, 2 years in Texas and 2 years in Florida for most injury claims. Talks with insurers do not pause it.