English 
Spanish When you’re driving yourself and get in an accident, your insurance will typically cover you for any personal injuries. Similarly, if you’re taking a taxi, you’ll be covered by the taxi company’s insurance. But what if you’re taking an Uber, a Lyft, or another rideshare vehicle? These are new, uncharted waters. Thankfully, there are already laws in place to keep you protected. Here’s what you need to know about insurance coverage in a rideshare vehicle.
What California Requires
In the state of California, rideshare companies are required to provide certain protections to their riders. In fact, the rideshare company itself is required to carry a $1 million liability insurance policy. This is in addition to any liability coverage your rideshare driver may be carrying. But even if the driver isn’t following the rules, the rideshare company itself is still going to have you covered.
For rideshare drivers, your insurance coverage is going to vary depending on which company you’re driving for. Uber offers $1 million of coverage, with a $1,000 deductible. So you’ll need to pay $1,000 out of pocket if one of your passengers is injured. Lyft’s coverage comes with a $2,500 deductible, so you’ll have to pay more out of pocket if you’re driving for them.
So, Are You Covered?
So, if you’re a rideshare passenger, are you covered? The answer is yes, whether or not your rideshare driver was at fault. This is because passengers are considered innocent parties. So regardless of who caused the crash, your expenses are going to be paid, whether by the rideshare company’s insurance or by the at-fault driver’s insurance?
That said, there’s one important qualification to this rule. If you’re somehow found responsible for the crash, the insurance company may not be required to pay for all of your expenses. Why might this be the case? Simply put, rideshare passengers sometimes become unruly. Imagine a passenger who’s spent a night at the bar and had a few too many drinks. They’re yelling at the driver, maybe even tugging at the driver’s arm, and they cause a crash. In that case, the passenger might be considered at fault for the accident. But as long as you behave yourself, this shouldn’t be a problem.
What You Should Do
If you’re in an accident as a rideshare passenger, you should take similar steps to what you should do if you got in an accident in your own car. First off, make sure there’s a police report. This is absolutely essential, since it ensures that there’s a public record of the accident.
Second, take pictures or videos of the accident, as well as any visible injuries. Again, this will help create a record of what went wrong, so you can easily file a claim. And make sure to seek medical help, even if you don’t think the injury is that bad. In the best case scenario, you’ll be fine. In the worst case scenario, you’ll discover that the injury is worse than you thought. But at least you’ll catch it immediately.
Let the professionals at KJT LAW GROUP help. If you have any questions regarding auto accidents, we help protect the rights of people injured in car accidents. Call us at (818) 507-8525 or contact us for a free consultation. We will go over all the facts of your case and recommend the best ways to move forward.
