The Short Answer
It depends on what the rideshare driver's app was doing. With the app off, only the driver's personal auto policy applies. With the app on and no ride accepted, Uber or Lyft's coverage provides at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries, plus excess coverage. Once a ride is accepted, and through the trip, at least $1 million in liability coverage applies. Since January 1, 2026, the required uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage during trips is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
Key Takeaways
- California's rideshare insurance rules are in Public Utilities Code § 5433 and depend on the driver's app status.
- Passengers and people hit by a driver who is en route or carrying a passenger are covered by at least $1 million in liability insurance.
- SB 371 cut required uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on trips from $1 million to $60,000 per person, effective January 1, 2026.
- Screenshot the trip in the app and report the crash in the app and to police. App records prove which coverage applies.
The Three Coverage Periods
California regulates Uber and Lyft as transportation network companies. Their insurance obligations turn on what the driver was doing in the app at the moment of the crash.
| Driver's app status | Minimum coverage that applies |
|---|---|
| App off | The driver's personal auto policy only |
| App on, waiting for a ride request | $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for injuries, $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess liability coverage |
| Ride accepted, driving to pickup, or passenger in the car | $1,000,000 in primary liability coverage; uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident since January 1, 2026 |
Personal auto policies often exclude driving for hire, which is why the company's coverage matters. Proving the app status at the moment of the crash is often the first fight in a rideshare claim.
Who Can Make a Claim
- Passengers injured by their own driver, another driver, or both.
- Other drivers hit by a rideshare vehicle.
- Pedestrians and cyclists struck by a driver who was working. See pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents.
- Rideshare drivers hurt by someone else. App based drivers aren't covered by workers' compensation, but California requires the companies to provide occupational accident insurance for injuries while on the app, and the driver may also have a claim against an at fault driver.
The 2026 Change to Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Until the end of 2025, rideshare companies had to carry $1 million in uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage during trips. SB 371 lowered that requirement to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, effective January 1, 2026. The change was promoted as a way to lower fares.
UM/UIM coverage pays when someone else causes the crash and has no insurance, or too little. Picture a passenger seriously injured when an uninsured driver runs a red light and hits their Uber. Before 2026, up to $1 million could be available. Now it may be $60,000. In those cases, the passenger's own auto policy and every other responsible party become much more important.
Steps to Take After a Rideshare Crash
- Get medical help and call 911 if anyone is hurt.
- Screenshot the trip in your app: driver name, vehicle, plate, route, and time. If you're a driver, screenshot your app status.
- Collect information from every driver, including the rideshare driver's personal insurer.
- Report the crash in the Uber or Lyft app, to police, and to the DMV on form SR-1 within 10 days if anyone was hurt or damage exceeds $1,000.
- Photograph the scene and get witness contacts, as with any crash. Our car accident checklist covers the details.
- Be careful with recorded statements to the rideshare company's insurer. Its adjusters represent the company's interests.
Deadlines and Fault
Rideshare injury claims follow California's usual 2 year deadline to sue, with shorter deadlines if a public entity was involved. Shared fault reduces, but doesn't eliminate, what you can recover; see how comparative negligence works.
Talk with a Lawyer
Rideshare claims can involve several insurers at once, each pointing at the others. Hamassian Law's car accident attorneys offer a free case review, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Sue Uber or Lyft Directly After an Accident?
Usually the claim is made against the at fault driver, and Uber's or Lyft's insurance policy pays it, because California treats most rideshare drivers as independent contractors. The company's insurance coverage applies based on the driver's app status even though the driver isn't an employee. Claims directly against the company are possible in specific situations and depend on the facts.
I Was a Passenger and My Uber Driver Caused the Crash. Who Pays?
While you are on a trip, the rideshare company must maintain at least $1 million in primary liability coverage for injuries caused by the driver. You may also have claims against another driver if they shared fault.
What Changed for Rideshare Accidents in 2026?
SB 371, signed in 2025, lowered the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage that rideshare companies must carry during trips from $1 million to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, effective January 1, 2026. This matters most when an uninsured or underinsured third driver causes the crash. The $1 million liability requirement for crashes caused by the rideshare driver did not change.
Does My Own Car Insurance Cover Me as a Rideshare Passenger?
It may. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage can apply when you are a passenger in someone else's vehicle, depending on your policy. With rideshare UM limits now lower, your own coverage can matter more.
Sources
- California Public Utilities Code § 5433 (transportation network company insurance)
- SB 371 (2025): transportation network company insurance
- California Business and Professions Code § 7455 (occupational accident insurance for app based drivers)
- California Vehicle Code § 16000 (DMV report of accident, form SR-1)
- California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 (two year deadline for injury claims)
This article is general information about California law as of November 9, 2026, not legal advice for your situation. Laws and deadlines change, and the right answer depends on your facts. Reading it or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Attorney advertising.