If tje car that caused the accident was a Lyft or Uber the driver will most likely have been driving his or her own vehicle. This is important because Uber or Lyft drivers have to carry their own auto insurance for their vehicles. If the Uber or Lyft app was turned off, and the driver was simply getting from point A to point B, then a claim can only be filed against the driver’s personal insurance. Since the driver was not technically on the job, their employer cannot be held responsible for damages they caused. This is not the case if the Uber or Lyft app was turned on at the time of the accident.
If the driver was marked as available and was waiting to pick up passengers, this would classify the driver as acting in their scope of employment at the time of the accident. In this case, both the driver’s personal insurance and Uber/Lyft’s contingent liability coverage can be accessed in the case of a crash. This includes up to $50,000 to $100,000 for injuries, and $25,000 for property damage. When the Uber or Lyft app is turned on and the driver is transporting passengers, the company’s commercial insurance coverage is provided. This coverage includes up to $1 million in third-party liability and $1 million in uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.