A rideshare driver's coverage changes second-by-second. Which phase the driver was in changes which insurer pays.
App Off — Personal Policy Only: When the rideshare app is closed, the driver is just a regular driver. Only their personal auto insurance applies — which is often minimal. Rideshare companies will quickly disavow any responsibility.
App On, No Passenger Yet: The driver is logged in and waiting for a request. Uber and Lyft provide contingent coverage of $50K per person / $100K per incident / $25K property — but only after the personal policy is denied or exhausted.
App On, Passenger or En Route: The driver has accepted a ride or has a passenger in the car. Now the rideshare's $1 million liability and UM/UIM coverage kicks in. This is the phase Uber and Lyft want to disclaim — and the phase we fight hardest to prove.
Who Gets Compensated - And How Their Case Differs
Rideshare cases play out differently depending on who you were in the collision. Each role has different rights and obstacles.
Rideshare Passengers — your claim sits inside the rideshare's $1M policy when the driver is at fault. You have the strongest position of anyone.
Rideshare Drivers — entitled to coverage when injured by another driver, but the rideshare company often classifies the driver as an "independent contractor" to limit responsibility.
Pedestrians and Cyclists — hit by a rideshare driver, you can pursue the company's coverage as long as the app was active. The phase determines the policy limit.
Other Motorists — drivers hit by Uber or Lyft cars navigate the same three-phase maze passengers do, often without knowing which phase applied.
Hit by Off-Duty Rideshare Driver — coverage falls back to the driver's personal policy, which is often inadequate. We pursue every available avenue.
Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims — when the at-fault driver is uninsured, the rideshare's $1M UM/UIM policy may apply for the rideshare driver or passenger.
The Tactics They Use to Push You Off
Uber and Lyft built their business model on disclaiming responsibility. They have an entire team trained to do exactly that.
The "Independent Contractor" Wall: Their first move is to argue the driver wasn't actually working for them. California's AB5 and AB2257 narrowed this defense, but rideshare companies still try it. We pre-empt the argument with their own app logs and trip records.
The "Coverage Gap" Game: They will argue the driver was in a different phase than you claim. Was the app on? Was a ride accepted? We pull the trip data, GPS logs, and driver history to lock down the actual phase at the moment of the crash.
The "Personal Insurance First" Push: They will tell your medical providers to bill the driver's personal insurance, then deny coverage when those benefits are exhausted. We require all carriers to coordinate up-front so you aren't trapped in a benefits gap.
Rideshare companies built a maze. We know the way through.
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