Had an Accident in Uber? Does Uber Have Insurance?

Does Uber Have Insurance? Uber has insurance to cover Uber riders and those in other vehicles if an accident occurs. Florida's mandatory no-fault insurance requirements impact the exact steps you need to take after an Uber accident. Below we provide a broad overview of Florida's insurance requirements for Uber drivers, insurance coverage provided by Uber, and what you should do after suffering injuries in an Uber accident.

Uber Drivers Have Additional Insurance Requirements in Florida

All drivers who register a motor vehicle in Florida must register for a personal car insurance; a minimum of $10,000 in property damage liability (PDL) and personal injury protection (PIP) coverage to comply with Florida's no-fault insurance laws. Since 2018, Uber drivers and drivers for other rideshare companies must carry additional insurance. The amount of coverage an Uber driver must carry depends on whether they are logged on to the Uber App and whether they have riders in their vehicle.

Under Florida law, Uber drivers who are logged onto their app and waiting for a customer or on their way to pick up a rider must carry the following coverage over and above the state minimum for PIP coverage:

• $50,000 bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage per person
• $100,000 bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage per accident
• $25,000 minimum property damage liability (PDL) coverage per accident

Uber drivers (Rideshare driver) transporting riders must have a minimum of $1,000,000 of coverage for bodily injury and property damage to comply with Florida's laws. Drivers have the option to purchase their own commercial auto insurance policies, but most do not. Uber provides insurance coverage for all drivers when waiting for or transporting a rider in their vehicle.

Uber Car Insurance (Rideshare insurance) Coverage

Here is an overview of the insurance coverage that Uber provides their drivers while they are logged on to the Uber app.

Available Drivers

When the Uber app shows a driver is available, or they are waiting for a ride request, Uber provides the following coverage if an accident occurs:

• $50,000 in bodily injury liability (BIL) per person
• $100,000 in bodily injury liability (BIL) per accident
• $25,000 in property damage liability (PDL) per accident

Drivers with Riders      

If the Uber app shows a driver is on his way to pick up riders or have passengers in their car, Uber complies with Florida law and applies more coverage for their drivers. On a side note, Uber provides this coverage nationwide. If you are a Florida resident who got in an Uber accident in another state while traveling for business or pleasure, the same coverage applies. It includes:

• $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
• Contingent comprehensive and collision coverage that kicks in for property damage to the Uber vehicle

Important Steps After a Florida Uber Accident

If you were recently in an accident with an Uber driver, you likely reported the accident to the police and received emergency medical treatment for your injuries. If you have not done this, you need to let a doctor check you out and report the accident to the local police or Florida Highway Patrol as soon as possible.

The following steps will set the claims process in motion and give you the best opportunity to recover losses related to the Uber accident and your injuries:

• Contact your insurance carrier. If you have PIP insurance, you need to report the Uber accident immediately, even if you were injured as a rider in the Uber vehicle. PIP covers you in your own vehicle or the Uber vehicle regardless of who caused the accident. If you suffered severe injuries, you will quickly meet or exceed your PIP policy limits.
• Report the accident to Uber. Uber probably knows about the accident already because drivers must report an accident. However, you want to make sure the driver complied. Reporting the accident to Uber gets their claims process started, so you can receive compensation for your medical bills and lost wages once you have exhausted your PIP policy limit. If the driver had no passengers, you have no way of knowing whether they were logged on to the app, so you should also file a claim under the driver's personal auto insurance policy. You can get this information from the police report if you did not get it from the driver at the scene of the accident.
• Contact an experienced Florida Uber accident lawyer. Uber accident claims can be complicated and leave injured victims unsure about when and where to file a claim. Additionally, insurance companies do not always treat claimants fairly, especially when they are not the policyholder. They want to avoid paying out as little as possible, so they deny and devalue claims. An experienced attorney can navigate the complexities of the case and fight for the best outcome for your situation.  

Contact us today to discuss your Uber accident case.