Most Uber and Lyft drivers are using their own vehicles, and should carry their own auto insurance for their vehicles.

If the Uber or Lyft app is not on at the time of the accident (e.g. the driver was driving for their own purposes), a claim can only be filed against the driver’s personal insurance. In other words, he was not “on the job”.

Things are different if the Uber or Lyft app is turned on at the time of the accident.

If the rideshare driver who caused the injury accident was marked as “available” and was waiting to pick up passengers, claims can be made against both the driver’s personal auto insurance and Uber or Lyft’s contingent liability coverage. The latter includes up to $50,000 to $100,000 for injuries and $25,000 for property damage.

If the driver is transporting passengers, the commercial insurance coverage for Uber or Lyft applies. This includes coverage for up to $1 million in third-party liability and $1 million in uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.