Not the platform's vehicle-damage coverage. That pays to fix the car, not to replace what you would have earned.
Uber sells a separate optional product for vehicle downtime. Beyond that, lost earnings are usually something you pursue against whoever caused the crash — and that depends on your state.
First: are you hurt, or is your car?
These are two different problems with two different answers, and mixing them up is the fastest way to chase the wrong benefit.
You are injured and cannot work
First-party injury programs may pay medical costs and a share of lost earnings. Which one applies depends on your platform and state.
You are fine but your car is not
Injury programs do not pay for a car sitting in a shop. That is a vehicle-downtime question.
If you are injured: first-party injury benefits
Several programs pay wage replacement when an injury stops you driving. None is automatic everywhere.
- Lyft occupational accident — automatic, no cost, for trips originating in California, Massachusetts or Minnesota. Medical to $1,000,000; disability at 66% of average weekly earnings.
- DoorDash occupational accident — automatic during an active delivery. Medical to $1,000,000; disability at 50% of average weekly earnings, capped at $500 a week.
- Washington workers’ compensation — required for rideshare during dispatch and passenger time. Food delivery is not covered by that law.
- New York Black Car Fund — workers’ compensation for affiliated Uber and Lyft drivers.
- Uber Optional Injury Protection — optional and purchased, not automatic, not offered everywhere.
These pay because you are hurt. None of them pays because your car is unavailable.
If you are not injured: the car is the problem
Uber sells Vehicle Interruption Coverage for exactly this. It is optional, you have to buy it, and it is only offered in some places. Where it applies, Uber describes a $2,500 lump-sum benefit if a covered accident or theft leaves your vehicle inoperable for at least 24 hours.
If someone else caused the crash
Lost earnings are sometimes pursued as part of a claim against the driver who caused it. Whether that is available to you, how it would be measured, and what you would need to prove it are questions that depend on your state and the facts.
Either way, save your earnings records now. Trip history and payment statements from before the crash are the evidence, and they are easier to keep than to reconstruct.
We have not verified whether lost earnings are recoverable from an at-fault driver in your state, or how such a claim is measured. That is a legal question that varies, and we would rather say so than guess.
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Whether lost earnings are recoverable depends on your state. Open your state and jump straight to what we have verified.
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