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.
Separately, Lyft says it does not provide its usual insurance for licensed for-hire drivers on rides starting in the five New York City boroughs or in Westchester, Nassau, Suffolk, Dutchess, Ulster and Rockland counties. Those drivers arrange their own coverage under state and local rules. So the boundary that matters for Lyft is wider than the city line.
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.
Claim process
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
The Black Car Fund says some injury and lost-wage claims must be filed within 30 days but does not say which. Call 1-833-814-8590 as soon as you can after an accident rather than working out whether it applies to you.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Which claims carry the 30-day deadline is not stated on the page we read. This appears on the Fund's accident support and legal referral page, not its workers' compensation page. New York no-fault separately has its own 30-day notice rule.
What could change: Programme terms can change.
Personal policy exclusions
Personal policy exclusions
This catches more drivers than anything else on this site.
The platforms' coverage for damage to your own car sits on top of your personal policy. It only exists if you already carry comprehensive and collision yourself. If you carry liability only, there is nothing to sit on top of - the platform's coverage never starts.
Separately, most personal policies exclude driving with the app on at all. Some insurers sell an add-on that covers it, and it has to be bought before a loss.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether your own policy excludes app-on driving depends on your policy. Several states write that permission directly into law.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Personal policy exclusions
Verified in part.One element of this answer has not been re-checked. See the notes.
If you bought a rideshare add-on for your personal policy, do not assume it covers delivery.
DoorDash warns on its own site that such an add-on may not provide complete coverage while you deliver. Its example: the add-on might cover damage to your vehicle before you accept an order, but not during an active delivery.
When you call your insurer, ask about delivery specifically. Asking about rideshare may get you an answer that does not apply.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Whether DoorDash's coverage sits before or after your own policy is not stated for the states we cover, and we have not resolved it.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Personal policy exclusions
Worth knowing before it matters rather than after.
Amazon's FAQ says that if anyone other than the Amazon Flex delivery partner is driving when an accident occurs, the claim for any losses will be denied.
If you are renting or borrowing a car to deliver, Amazon says you need to make sure you have the required coverage yourself.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Amazon does not say what happens if a second registered delivery partner is driving, or how it verifies who was driving. It also does not say whether your own policy would respond in that situation.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Injury coverage
Injury coverage
Partly verified.What we confirmed is below. What we have not checked is named in the notes.
DoorDash automatically provides injury coverage for you while delivering, at no cost. We have not confirmed the benefit amounts, so we are not showing figures.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: We have not confirmed the benefit amounts or caps from DoorDash's own policy documents. Figures circulating elsewhere are not something we can stand behind.
What could change: Platform policy - can change without any law changing.
Injury coverage
Most New York drivers have never heard of this, and it is one of the most valuable things on this site.
The Black Car Fund is a not-for-profit set up by New York State. It provides workers' compensation - medical care and replacement income - to drivers of New York black car services, and that expressly includes Uber and Lyft.
You do not enrol. You do not pay a premium. If you drive for a company that is a Member Base of the Fund, you have it.
It covers injuries on the job, and not only crashes - slipping getting out of the car, hurting your back lifting luggage, strain from long hours.
It is funded by a surcharge on passenger trips.
This is not the platform's insurance and you do not claim it through Uber or Lyft. Call the Fund's driver support team on 1-833-814-8590.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: This covers injuries while working. It does not cover injuries off the job - the Fund has separate benefits for that, and those do require signing up in advance. You also stop being eligible if the Workers' Compensation Board disqualifies you from lost-time benefits.
What could change: Programme terms can change.
Injury coverage
If a driver affiliated with a Member Base of the Black Car Fund dies while on the job, their family may receive a $100,000 death benefit.
This comes through the Fund's workers' compensation programme, so no enrolment in anything was required. It depends on the workers' compensation claim being accepted.
The Fund also provides survivor benefits to dependents through workers' compensation.
There is a separate $100,000 benefit that does require signing up in advance - see the next answer. They are different things and a family should check both.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: This is the on-the-job benefit and depends on an accepted workers' compensation claim. The other $100,000 benefit has different rules. Call 1-833-814-8590.
What could change: Programme terms can change.
Injury coverage
This is a different benefit from the on-the-job death benefit, and the difference matters.
The Fund's Drivers Benefits Program includes a $100,000 accidental death benefit. It pays a lump sum if an enrolled driver dies in a covered accident.
The catch is enrolment. The driver must have been enrolled in the Program at the time of death. You cannot sign up afterwards.
Signing up is free and takes a few minutes, and it also unlocks other benefits - disability cover, critical illness, personal accident, dental, vision. All of them require enrolling **before** anything happens.
If you drive in New York and have not enrolled, that is worth doing today rather than after you need it.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Deaths from prior medical conditions are not covered. This benefit has applied since 1 June 2023. If a family is unsure which benefit applies, call 1-833-814-8590 and ask about both.
What could change: Programme terms can change.
Injury coverage
The Black Car Fund splits into two halves, and drivers routinely miss the second.
Workers' compensation is automatic. But a separate Drivers Benefits Program covers things workers' compensation does not - including injuries and illness that happen when you are **not** working.
It includes disability cover, critical illness cover, personal accident payouts from $50 to $40,000, dental, vision, hearing and telemedicine.
All of it is free. All of it requires enrolling first. The Fund says plainly that you cannot enrol afterwards and be eligible.
Enrolment takes about five minutes and needs proof from your platform that you are actively driving.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Enrolled drivers must keep meeting eligibility requirements. A driver disqualified by the Workers' Compensation Board under section 114-a stops being eligible.
What could change: Programme terms can change.
Injury coverage
Uber's Optional Injury Protection is a product you buy, not something you have automatically. Uber says it is available in 42 states and is not offered in all of them.
It costs $0.024 per mile for drivers in passenger vehicles, charged only on miles during a trip or delivering an order. In Washington it is $0.022.
In a few states Uber provides injury coverage automatically instead - California, Massachusetts and Minnesota among them. Check your state's answers before buying something you may already have.
Limits of this answer
What we have not checked: Uber does not publish which 42 states. If you cannot find the option in your Driver app, that may be why.
What could change: Programme terms can change.