When you’re in an accident while taking a ride share service, it can be even more stressful and scary than other kinds of accidents. This is because you’re not sure who exactly is responsible for paying for the injuries you suffer. Is it the company? The driver? And if it’s the driver, what kind of insurance will they have?
This is the big question—whether or not your Uber driver is insured can make all the difference in getting compensation for your injuries after an accident. Discover whether your Uber driver is insured, what happens when you’re in an accident in an Uber, and why you need help from a qualified car accident attorney.
Is an Uber Driver Insured?
The question of is an Uber driver insured does have a simple answer: legally, yes, they must be insured. Understanding how the different kids of car insurance apply to different circumstances can go a long way towards avoiding mistakes in filing your personal injury suit.
Driver’s Personal Insurance
In general, a driver’s personal auto insurance will not cover them while they are using their car for business purposes. They are required to carry a business insurance policy to cover business-related activities. This is because there’s a higher degree of risk associated with commercial use of vehicles.
For this reason many insurance companies offer ride-sharing endorsement coverage, which augments your personal insurance coverage and allows it to kick in if you’re in an accident while driving a ride share, but which doesn’t carry the full costs for a commercial policy. This has become a very widespread offering and is quite popular among Uber drivers.
Uber Insurance
Uber does carry a policy as a courtesy to their drivers, which provides $1 million in primary liability coverage for damage that their drivers cause in the course of their work. This means that if the accident occurs while you are taking a ride from an Uber, you can file a claim against this insurance coverage. They also cover the cars of their drivers under a comprehensive collision claim, so long as the driver carries both kinds of coverage under their personal policy.
Filing an Injury Claim
If you’re injured through the negligence of an Uber driver while they are engaged in ride sharing, you are entitled to compensation for the injuries you suffer. However, this can get very tricky. If, for example, the driver is on the way to pick up a fare, the company doesn’t consider them on the clock yet, so the Uber insurance won’t cover you.
However, the personal insurance company of the driver may well consider them on the clock, so if they don’t have a ride-sharing endorsement, their personal coverage may not kick in. This can leave you, the victim, out in the cold if you don’t know what to do.
Calling an Attorney
This is why you should always call a California car accident attorney any time you’re in an accident involving an Uber driver. Your attorney will know how to deal with whether the Uber driver is insured, and can get you the compensation you deserve. If you’re in the San Francisco area, call Gruber Law Group for help today.