Uber insurance works in tiers tied to the driver’s status in the app at the moment of an accident. When the app is off, Uber provides nothing. When a driver is logged in and waiting for a request, a limited layer of liability applies. Once a ride request is accepted, coverage jumps to at least $1 million in third-party liability that stays in force through drop-off. Understanding which tier applies to a given moment is the whole game, because it determines who pays and how much.
The Four Stages of Coverage
Uber’s policy isn’t one flat layer of protection. It scales up and down with what the driver is doing.
App Off
When a driver isn’t logged into Uber, the company provides zero coverage. Any accident falls entirely on the driver’s personal auto policy. Drivers who log off between trips to reposition should know that an accident in that window is theirs alone.
Online and Waiting for a Request
The moment a driver goes online but hasn’t accepted a ride, Uber provides contingent third-party liability with limits of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You
“Contingent” is the operative word. This coverage only activates after the driver’s personal insurer denies the claim first. That sequence takes time, and personal insurers routinely deny claims that occur during rideshare activity. Drivers without a rideshare endorsement on their personal policy are the most likely to get stuck in the gap.
En Route to Pickup and On a Trip
Once a driver accepts a request, coverage jumps to at least $1 million in third-party liability for injuries and property damage, running from the moment the driver heads toward the passenger through drop-off.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You The same limit covers delivery trips while the driver is heading to a restaurant or delivering an order.
Contingent collision and comprehensive coverage also kicks in during this stage, covering damage to the driver’s own vehicle up to actual cash value. Two conditions apply: the driver must already carry collision and comprehensive on their personal policy, and a $2,500 deductible comes off the top before Uber pays anything.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You
Depending on state law, Uber may also maintain uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage during active trips, which protects drivers and passengers when the other driver has no insurance or not enough of it.2Uber. How Does Uber Insurance Work for Drivers and Passengers
What Passengers Get
Passengers are covered under the $1 million liability policy from the moment the driver accepts the ride through drop-off.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You If the Uber driver caused the accident, that policy pays for passenger injuries and related costs. If another driver caused the accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance is the primary source of compensation, with Uber’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage stepping in where state law requires Uber to carry it.
Passengers don’t need any special insurance to be protected. A passenger’s own health insurance and any uninsured motorist coverage on a personal auto policy can also come into play, particularly when Uber’s coverage is disputed or falls short. Coverage applies even if the driver let their personal insurance lapse, because the $1 million policy is maintained by Uber, not the driver.
Coverage for the Driver’s Own Car and Injuries
Uber’s headline $1 million policy protects other people. Coverage for the driver’s vehicle and body is a separate question with narrower answers.
Collision and Comprehensive
Uber’s contingent collision and comprehensive coverage pays for damage to the driver’s own car from accidents, theft, vandalism, or weather, but only while en route to a pickup or on a trip.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You Two limits matter. The driver must already carry collision and comprehensive on their personal policy for Uber’s contingent coverage to apply. And the $2,500 deductible is well above the $250 to $1,000 typical on personal policies, which can make the coverage effectively useless for minor damage. During the online-and-waiting period, Uber provides no collision or comprehensive coverage at all.
Optional Injury Protection
Uber’s standard policy doesn’t pay for the driver’s own injuries unless another driver caused the accident and Uber’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage applies. Optional Injury Protection is an add-on drivers can buy that covers their own medical bills regardless of fault. It’s available in 42 states and costs $0.024 per mile driven on the platform, or $0.022 per mile in Washington.3Uber. Optional Injury Protection for Drivers Benefits include disability payments of up to $500 per week for temporary or continuous total disability, medical expenses with no deductible, and survivor benefits of up to $150,000 for the driver’s family after a fatal accident.
Depending on state law, Uber may also maintain Personal Injury Protection or Medical Payments coverage that applies to both drivers and passengers regardless of fault, with limits that vary by state.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You
The Waiting-Period Gap and the Rideshare Endorsement
The most vulnerable moment for a rideshare driver is the online-and-waiting period. The personal insurer often denies the claim because commercial activity was underway, and Uber’s contingent coverage only pays after that denial. A rideshare endorsement on a personal auto policy is designed to close exactly this gap.
The endorsement extends personal liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage to apply while the driver is logged in but hasn’t accepted a trip. It can also reduce out-of-pocket costs during active trips by covering the difference between the personal deductible and Uber’s $2,500 deductible, depending on the insurer and endorsement terms. Most major insurers offer these endorsements, typically for $6 to $30 per month.
If a personal insurer discovers undisclosed rideshare activity during a claim investigation, they may cancel the policy outright. Disclosing rideshare driving and adding the endorsement is the single most important insurance step for a new driver.
Delivery Coverage
Uber Eats drivers get the same $1 million liability and contingent collision/comprehensive protection when en route to a pickup or actively delivering an order.1Uber. Insurance to Help Protect You Where delivery differs is the waiting period: Uber’s $50,000/$100,000/$25,000 contingent liability during online-and-waiting isn’t clearly extended to delivery-only drivers on Uber’s insurance disclosures. Delivery drivers should confirm whether waiting-period coverage applies in their state by checking the certificates of insurance available through the driver app.
Filing a Claim
The process depends on your role and the trip stage at the time of the crash.
Drivers
If you were logged in when the accident happened, report it through the driver app by tapping the blue shield icon to open the Safety Toolkit, then selecting “Report a crash.”4Uber. What to Do After a Crash Have your ride history, police report, photos of the damage, and repair estimates ready.
If you were waiting for a request, you’ll usually need to file with your personal insurer first. Uber’s contingent coverage only activates after that insurer formally denies the claim, which can add weeks. If you were en route or on a trip, Uber’s insurance is primary and you file directly through Uber. If the app was off, Uber has no involvement.
Passengers and Third Parties
Passengers can report an accident through the Safety Incident Reporting Line in the ride details screen.4Uber. What to Do After a Crash Uber then reaches out to confirm safety, gather information, and connect the passenger with the insurance carrier handling the claim. Third parties who weren’t in the Uber vehicle can submit an incident report through Uber’s website.
Whatever your role, document the scene: photos, contact information for everyone involved, and a police report where possible. Insurers on all sides will dispute fault when they can, and a claim that gets denied or undervalued often warrants a conversation with an attorney who handles rideshare cases.
What Uber’s Insurance Does Not Cover
- Mechanical breakdowns, tire wear, oil changes, and any issue not caused by a covered accident.
- Personal belongings inside the vehicle that are lost, stolen, or damaged in an accident.
- Accidents in vehicles that don’t meet Uber’s requirements, which include being 16 years old or newer, in good cosmetic condition, and not salvaged or rebuilt.5Uber. Vehicle Requirements in Your Country
- Accidents where the driver was impaired by drugs or alcohol.
- The driver’s own injuries, unless caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist in a state where Uber carries that coverage, or unless the driver purchased Optional Injury Protection.