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Ridesharing services have made many of our time-strapped lives easier, but with these conveniences come a host of other problems: issues with driver and passenger safety, corporate scandals, and of course, the potential for vehicular accidents. Whether the car you’re in gets into a fender bender or rear-ended, here’s what you need to know.




The biggest question is perhaps: WTF does insurance cover? Not surprisingly, it’s a bit of a legal swampland, which is sensitive to individual state and city policies. Most drivers should have their own personal insurance, but they also get supplemented with whatever’s in their ridesharing contract. Who’s Driving You, a website that advocates for protection for both drivers and riders, writes:

Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar all claim to possess $1 million ‘liability’ insurance policies. This is intended to sound impressive and reassuring, but experts concur ‘ridesharing’ insurance contains treacherous gaps in coverage. For example, the period during which a TNC driver has the app turned on and he’s waiting to be pinged is now commonly known as ‘Period 1.’


Period 1, according to the infographic below by Now Sourcing, is the time when the service’s app is on, a trip hasn’t been accepted, and no passengers are in the car. This means the ridesharing company could say that you technically are not yet “working” for them. At least in California, a recent law has mandated that transportation network companies (TNCs) provide primary coverage to cover the costs of injury, death, and property damage to third parties during Period 1. If you’re a driver, protect yourself: drill your insurance company and look into city laws.

If you’re the passenger in a ridesharing accident, be sure to jot down all of your driver’s information, including the driver’s contact information, insurance information, and ridesharing company. For more, check out the infographic below.

What to Do in a Ride Sharing Accident | Personal Injury San Diego