California coverage guide · Updated October 22, 2026
Were you driving for Uber, or riding as a passenger? Start with your role, then establish the driver’s app status at the moment of the crash. An accepted pickup can trigger a different liability policy even before anyone enters the car.
Uber coverage at each stage of a California ride
The following describes California transportation network company requirements for ordinary passenger rides using personal vehicles. Fault, insured status, exclusions and the applicable policy still need to be examined. Delivery work, commercial services and rentals can involve different arrangements.
1. App off: personal driving
If the driver was offline and not providing a Uber ride, ordinary personal auto coverage is the starting point. Do not assume Uber’s rideshare policy applies simply because the driver also works for the platform.
2. App on: waiting for a request
California requires primary liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for death or personal injury, plus $30,000 for property damage. It also requires at least $200,000 in excess liability coverage per occurrence above the required primary limits. These are liability coverages for qualifying claims, not automatic driver-injury or vehicle-repair benefits.
3. Ride accepted: heading to pickup
The California requirement changes to $1 million in primary liability coverage once a ride request is accepted. A passenger does not have to be seated in the car for this liability stage to begin. The statutory passenger-entry trigger for uninsured/underinsured coverage is different.
4. Passenger onboard: ride underway
The $1 million liability requirement continues during the ride. Current law also requires $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident in uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage from passenger entry until exit. Liability and uninsured/underinsured benefits address different claims.
For liability coverage, the accepted-ride period ends when the app transaction is complete or the ride is complete, whichever is later. If the driver remains online waiting afterward, the waiting-period rules apply again. Pickup, cancellation, drop-off and app timestamps can therefore be important. Source: Public Utilities Code § 5433.
If you were a Uber passenger
Your first question is usually who caused the collision. Your trip receipt identifies the ride, but it does not decide fault or establish that a particular insurer must pay every loss.
- If your Uber driver caused the crash: investigate the applicable rideshare liability policy and the evidence of negligence.
- If another driver caused the crash: identify that driver’s liability insurance. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may become relevant if that driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage, subject to policy terms and legal requirements.
- If responsibility is shared or disputed: preserve claims involving all potentially responsible parties rather than accepting an early assumption about which insurer pays.
Save the receipt and trip ID, driver and vehicle details, app messages, pickup and drop-off times, medical records and crash photographs. If the crash happened while you were entering or exiting, record exactly what occurred and whether the app ride had started or ended.
Passenger example
You are in the back seat when an uninsured motorist hits the Uber. The $1 million liability limit for harm caused by the rideshare driver is not interchangeable with the current $60,000-per-person uninsured/underinsured requirement. Fault, the accident date and the applicable policies must be reviewed. Other available insurance should also be checked; limits cannot simply be added together.
If you were driving for Uber
Separate three questions: coverage for injuries you caused to other people, benefits for your own injuries, and repair coverage for your vehicle.
- Your own injury: review the other driver’s liability policy if another motorist was responsible. Any uninsured/underinsured claim depends on the applicable period and who qualifies as an insured. Do not assume the passenger-onboard coverage automatically extends to a pickup trip.
- Your vehicle: Uber describes contingent comprehensive/collision coverage during accepted pickups and rides, subject to having those coverages on your personal policy, an actual-cash-value limit and a $2,500 deductible. Check the policy for your vehicle and crash date.
- While waiting: do not assume the accepted-trip repair coverage applies. Review your personal rideshare endorsement and the platform documents for that period.
- More than one app: preserve the status and trip records for each platform. Being logged into two apps does not establish two payable policies.
California occupational accident benefits for drivers
Under Business and Professions Code § 7455, app-based driver protections include occupational accident coverage for qualifying online injuries, with at least $1 million for medical expenses and disability benefits subject to statutory limits. Accidental-death benefits are also required. These are separate from the passenger’s claim and the liability policy. Exceptions can apply to personal activities and overlapping work on another app. Obtain the benefits policy and submit the appropriate benefits claim; do not assume an auto liability report also opens it.
Driver example
You accept a Uber request and are hit before reaching the rider. The accepted-ride liability stage has begun, but that fact alone does not establish payment for your medical bills or car repairs. Those claims need a separate policy and benefit analysis.
Why the accident date matters
Effective January 1, 2026, SB 371 changed the statutory uninsured/underinsured requirement during passenger occupancy from $1 million to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. It did not replace the $1 million accepted-ride liability requirement with $60,000. For an earlier crash, obtain the policy and law applicable to that earlier date. A current website summary is not a substitute for historical coverage documents. Source: SB 371, Chapter 314 (2025).
Report the accident and preserve the timeline
Call 911 for an emergency and get appropriate medical care. When safe, preserve photographs, witness details, plate numbers, the police report number, app screenshots and original trip messages. Keep claim correspondence and a record of calls.
Uber directs drivers to the Safety Toolkit in the Driver app, then “Report a crash.” Its Crash Center can provide insurer and claim-status information. Riders and other people involved can use the reporting links on Uber’s insurance page.
Ask for the policy, endorsements and coverage position for the actual crash date and trip stage. A certificate summarizes coverage; the policy and endorsements supply the terms. An incident report to Uber is not the same as a lawsuit or a determination of liability. Reporting, policy and legal deadlines can differ, so address them promptly.
Common Uber insurance questions
Does the $1 million policy cover every accident?
No. The driver’s activity, fault, policy terms and type of claim matter. The liability limit is not a guaranteed settlement and does not replace separate driver-injury, repair or uninsured/underinsured coverage.
What if the driver says the ride was canceled?
Save the cancellation message and timestamps, trip receipt and payment records. Compare those records with the collision time and vehicle activity before deciding which coverage period applies.
What if an insurer denies coverage?
Request the written reason, relevant policy provisions and the app-status information relied on. Preserve the denial and the other available insurance information for review.
How Weiss Attorneys can help
We review the trip timeline, available insurance, collision evidence and documented losses for injured passengers and rideshare drivers throughout California. Our Sherman Oaks office offers phone and video consultations.
Request a free consultation 213-583-0977
Also see our Lyft coverage guide, California rideshare accident overview and auto insurance coverage guide.
Official coverage sources
- California Public Utilities Code § 5433 — California limits and activity periods.
- SB 371, chaptered text — the 2026 uninsured/underinsured change.
- Uber’s insurance overview — platform coverage and exceptions.
- Uber’s California insurance-change notice.
California law supplies the waiting-period figures used here; national platform summaries may show different general limits. Coverage depends on the policy and facts. This guide provides general information and does not establish coverage or an attorney-client relationship.
