Coverage
Damage to your car
Uber's own insurance page says plainly that it does not provide coverage for damage to delivery drivers' vehicles on Uber Eats trips in New York, in any instance.
Everywhere else, Uber offers coverage for your own car if you already carry comprehensive and collision yourself. In New York, Uber says that is not available for Uber Eats deliveries at all.
That leaves your own policy - which may itself exclude delivery driving. Worth asking your insurer about delivery specifically.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: This is what Uber says about New York. We have not researched why New York is treated differently, or what a New York delivery driver would need to carry instead.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without legislative action.
Coverage by period
Amazon's driver FAQ says that because of local rules, the commercial car insurance it provides to delivery partners does not apply to drivers in New York.
Amazon says that if you live in New York you may need additional commercial insurance to meet state law, and directs you to check with your insurance company.
That is the full extent of what Amazon says. We are not going to guess at which rules cause this or what coverage you would need.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Amazon attributes this to local rules without saying which. We have not verified what a New York Amazon Flex driver actually needs to carry. Amazon's own wording is 'may need', not 'must carry', and we have kept it that way.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without legislative action.
Coverage by period
Before any of New York's numbers make sense, you need to know which set of rules you are under.
New York's rideshare insurance law covers trips that begin outside New York City. If you pick someone up outside the city and drop them off inside it, you are still under this law - the state's own insurance regulator says so directly.
A trip that begins in New York City is a different matter. Those run under rules set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, a separate system we have not researched.
So crossing into the city partway through a trip does not change which insurance applies. Where the trip started does.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: If your trip started in New York City, none of our New York figures apply to it, and we have not researched what does. Counties and cities elsewhere in the state can also opt out of this law entirely.
What could change: A bill to remove the $1.25M uninsured-driver requirement has been introduced and not enacted.
Coverage by period
While you are logged onto the app but have not accepted a trip, New York requires at least $75,000 of coverage if you injure one person, $150,000 if two or more people are hurt, and $25,000 for property damage.
Those injury figures are the highest we have found for this period in any state we cover. Most require $50,000 and $100,000.
Coverage for uninsured drivers and no-fault coverage are also required during this period.
New York's rideshare insurance law only covers trips that BEGIN outside New York City. A trip starting in the city runs under different rules set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which we have not researched. If your trip started outside the city and ended inside it, this still applies to you.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: We are not publishing a figure for no-fault benefits. The requirement is confirmed but the amount differs by location within New York and we have not pinned it down. New York's rideshare insurance law only covers trips that BEGIN outside New York City. A trip starting in the city runs under different rules set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which we have not researched. If your trip started outside the city and ended inside it, this still applies to you.
What could change: A bill to remove the $1.25M uninsured-driver requirement has been introduced and not enacted.
Coverage by period
From the moment you accept a trip until it ends, New York requires at least $1,250,000 of coverage for injury, death, or damage to other people's property - one combined figure rather than separate limits.
Two protections come with it. If your own insurance has lapsed or falls short, the platform's policy must cover the claim from the first dollar and provide you a lawyer. And the policy is not allowed to carry a deductible against liability, no-fault, or uninsured-driver coverage.
New York's rideshare insurance law only covers trips that BEGIN outside New York City. A trip starting in the city runs under different rules set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which we have not researched. If your trip started outside the city and ended inside it, this still applies to you.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: New York's rideshare insurance law only covers trips that BEGIN outside New York City. A trip starting in the city runs under different rules set by the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which we have not researched. If your trip started outside the city and ended inside it, this still applies to you.
What could change: A bill to remove the $1.25M uninsured-driver requirement has been introduced and not enacted.
Your policy
New York allows the required rideshare coverage to be split between two separate insurance policies - one covering the time you are logged on and waiting, another covering accepted trips.
Because of that, New York requires every such policy to state plainly on its declarations page which periods it covers.
If you drive in New York, that is worth reading. If one policy covers waiting and another covers trips, you want to be sure there is no gap between them.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: We have not researched how commonly coverage is actually split this way, only that the rules allow it and require the policy to say so.
What could change: A bill to remove the $1.25M uninsured-driver requirement has been introduced and not enacted.
Coverage by period
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
DoorDash covers you once you have accepted an order, through delivery. While you are online waiting, DoorDash says your own insurance is primary. DoorDash does not publish a coverage amount for the states we cover, so we are not showing one.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: DoorDash publishes figures for Boston, North Dakota, Indiana, Kentucky and West Virginia. None of the states we cover is among them, and the general section gives no amount. A widely repeated $1,000,000 figure comes from DoorDash's marketing page rather than the state-specific terms.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Damage to your car
DoorDash's insurance does not cover damage to your own vehicle. DoorDash's own page says those damages are your responsibility and should go to your own insurer, subject to what your policy covers.
This is different from Uber and Lyft, which do offer something for your own car - though only if you already carry comprehensive and collision, and with a $2,500 deductible.
DoorDash also warns on the same page that a personal policy may not cover you while you are delivering. So this is not a case where the platform declines and your own insurer picks it up. Whether you are covered depends on your policy.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether your own policy covers delivery driving depends on your policy. Ask your insurer about delivery specifically - not just rideshare.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Coverage by period
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
Uber describes Uber Eats coverage on the same page as rideshare, but says the amounts vary by state. We have verified the New York exclusion and have not yet verified the other states we cover.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Uber states that coverages and limits vary by state. We have verified the New York delivery exclusion and have not verified how this applies in the other ten states we cover.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Coverage by period
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
Instacart says shoppers are responsible for their own auto liability insurance, and it accepts auto claims. What coverage Instacart itself provides, when it applies, and whether it protects you are unverified - so we are not showing figures.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: We could not confirm any coverage amount, what triggers Instacart's coverage, its terms, or whether it protects you rather than Instacart. Different accounts of this contradict each other and none of them come from Instacart, so we are not showing figures.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Coverage by period
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
Amazon provides free commercial car insurance to delivery partners in every state except New York, covering harm to others, uninsured drivers, and damage to your own car. Amazon does not publish the amounts or the deductible, so we are not showing any.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Amazon names the kinds of coverage but publishes no dollar limits, no deductible, and no insurer. A $1,000,000 liability figure, a $50,000 vehicle-damage figure, a $1,000 deductible and a named carrier all circulate without support from anything Amazon publishes.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Coverage by period
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
Amazon says its coverage applies only while you are 'actively delivering during the delivery block.' Amazon does not define what that includes, so we cannot tell you whether the drive to the station or the time between stops is covered.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Amazon does not define the phrase. Whether it begins at block start, station check-in, first package scan, or departure is unknown, as is whether it ends at last delivery, block end, or return of undelivered packages.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Comprehensive Coverage
Pays for damage to your car from causes other than a collision - things like theft, vandalism, fire, flood, or hitting an animal.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Both states define this term identically, in line with standard industry usage.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Collision Coverage
Pays to repair your car when it hits another vehicle or object, or rolls over - regardless of who caused the accident, minus your deductible.
If the car is a write-off, it pays what the car was worth just before the crash rather than what it costs to replace.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Both states define this term identically, in line with standard industry usage.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Contingent Coverage
In the rideshare context, 'contingent' means Uber's or Lyft's coverage for damage to your own car only applies on top of, and only if, you already carry comprehensive and collision coverage on your personal policy. If you only carry liability on your personal policy, the rideshare platform's coverage that only applies on top of your own policy doesn't activate at all.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: This entry defines the term. What it means for your state and platform is in the answers for those - including the deductible amount and when it applies.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Rideshare Endorsement
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
Some insurers sell an add-on that covers app-on driving. We have not checked which insurers offer it in your state or what it costs, so ask your own insurer.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: We have not researched which specific insurers offer this in each of the 11 states, or what it costs. Ask your own insurer directly.
What could change: Insurer product offerings change frequently.
Liability Coverage
Pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. It does not pay for your own car or your own injuries. This is the coverage the platforms provide most of - Uber's and Lyft's $1M during a ride is liability, not repair money for your vehicle.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Bodily Injury (BI) and Property Damage (PD)
The two halves of liability coverage. Bodily injury covers physical harm to people; property damage covers damage to things, usually the other vehicle.
You will see limits written as three numbers separated by slashes, like 50/100/25. Read left to right: bodily injury per person, bodily injury per accident, then property damage. The numbers are in thousands. What your state actually requires is in your state's answers, not here - those figures change and this definition does not.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM)
Uninsured motorist coverage responds when the driver who hit you has no insurance or fled the scene. Underinsured motorist coverage responds when they have insurance but not enough to cover what they owe you. The two are often sold together.
What this coverage pays for is not the same everywhere. In some states it covers injuries only; in others it extends to damage to your vehicle. Whether a platform provides it at all, during which periods, and how much, is set state by state - see your state's answers for what we have verified there.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether coverage for uninsured and underinsured drivers covers vehicle damage as well as injuries depends on your state and your policy. This entry defines the terms; the state answers carry what each state requires of platforms.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Medical Payments and Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
PIP and medical payments coverage work differently depending on your state. We have confirmed the general meaning but not each state's specific requirements.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether your state requires PIP, and in what amount, varies - we have confirmed the general meaning of these terms but not each state's specific rules.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Claim process
Subrogation
The legal right of your insurance company to go after the at-fault party's insurance company to get back money it already paid you for a claim. If your insurer pays for your damage and then recovers that amount from the other driver's insurer, that's subrogation - it doesn't cost you anything directly, but it explains why insurers sometimes wait to settle or reopen claims later.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: General definition confirmed nationally consistent; the specific PIP-subrogation limitation is Texas-specific and hasn't been checked against Florida's equivalent PIP rules yet.
What could change: Definition is stable; state-specific subrogation limitations can change by statute.
Adjuster
The person at the insurance company who investigates your claim and decides what it pays. They are not your representative and they are not the other side's representative either - they work for whichever insurer assigned them. You may deal with more than one on a single accident: your own insurer's adjuster, the platform's insurer's adjuster, and the other driver's.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Claimant
Claimant is the word insurers use for the person making a claim. You are a claimant against your own insurer, and you may also be one against somebody else's.
The distinction matters because some state rules protect anyone making a claim, not just the insurer's own customer. California's and New Jersey's rules about how long an insurer must keep paying storage fees are written that way - they cover you even if it is not your insurance company.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Underwriting
How an insurer decides whether to sell you a policy and what to charge. Relevant after an accident because a claim can trigger an underwriting review at renewal, which is a separate process from the claim itself.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Rental Reimbursement Coverage
Pays a set daily amount toward a rental car while yours is being repaired. Note the words 'set daily amount' - it is usually capped, and it usually applies only while repairs are actually happening, not during the days a claim is being investigated. For a driver whose car is their income, the cap is the part to check.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Surcharge
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
A surcharge means your premium goes up after a claim. Rules on when insurers may do this vary by state and we have not yet researched them.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether and how much an insurer may surcharge is regulated differently by state. We have not researched surcharge rules in any of our 11 states.
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Loss
The amount an insurer pays on a claim. Also used loosely to mean the accident itself, as in 'the date of loss.'
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
First-Party vs Third-Party Claim
A first-party claim is against your own insurer. A third-party claim is against someone else's.
The difference decides which rules protect you, and it is not always obvious which one you are in - after a rideshare accident you may have both running at once.
Florida shows why it matters. Its regulator notes that you can claim for the value your car loses even after good repairs - but only against the other driver's insurer, not your own.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Your policy
Declarations Page
The summary page at the front of your policy. It lists who is insured, the vehicle, the dates the policy runs, what coverages you carry, your limits, and your deductibles. When someone asks what coverage you have, this is the page they mean. If you carry liability only, this page is where that shows up - and it is the page that determines whether the platform's coverage that only applies on top of your own policy for your own car can apply at all.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Endorsement (also called a Rider)
A written add-on to your policy that changes what it covers. Endorsements can expand coverage or limit it. The one that matters most to drivers is a rideshare endorsement, which some insurers sell to cover the gap when your app is on.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Named Driver Exclusion
A provision that removes a specific person by name from your policy's coverage. If someone in your household is excluded and drives your car, there may be no coverage at all for that trip. Worth checking your declarations page for, because people are sometimes excluded during a policy change and forget.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Binder
Temporary proof that a policy exists while you wait for the actual documents. It is real coverage, not a placeholder promise.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Premium
What you pay the insurer to keep the policy in force.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Lapse
Your policy ending because the premium was not paid. A lapse at the wrong moment matters more for drivers than for most people: platform coverage in some states is written to respond only after your own insurer does, so if your policy lapsed, that handoff can break. New Jersey addresses this directly by requiring the platform's coverage to pay from the first dollar if the driver's own coverage has lapsed.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Cancellation
The insurer or the policyholder ending a policy before its renewal date.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Non-renewal
An insurer deciding not to continue your policy when the term ends. Not the same as cancellation, which happens mid-term, and not the same as a denial, which is about a single claim.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.
Policy Period
The stretch of time your policy is active, from its effective date to its expiration date. Worth not confusing with the rideshare 'periods,' which describe what your app was doing - unrelated concepts that share a word.
Limits of this answer
What could change: Low near-term risk.