Lyft Accident Insurance
Lyft Insurance – How Lyft Insurance Works
One of the great things about Lyft is that it is a step away from the corporate control of a professional taxi company, allowing anyone to be a driver. That means local service and lower costs for travelers. But that also makes for a more complicated situation when it comes to accidents and insurance.
So, how exactly does Lyft’s accident insurance work?
Lyft Insurance for Drivers
Lyft actually has you covered in case of an accident or other vehicle damage while you are driving for them.
If you are not in driver mode at all, then Lyft insurance doesn’t come into play and you are insured as you normally are with your own vehicle coverage. Once you are actively in driver mode, then Lyft policies take over. Here are the details.
Lyft Insurance Coverage Breakdown
While “on duty” but not actually engaged in a ride yet, you are protected by their contingent liability coverage. Even though you are not driving, you are working for Lyft at this point and your own policy may not cover any problems. This coverage will kick in if your personal insurance doesn’t cover you, and it includes these maximum limits:
- $50,000 per person (injury)
- $100,000 per accident (injury)
- $25,000 for property damage
- no deductible
After you have accepted a ride (including the time on your way to pick up the fare), the coverage shifts to their primary liability insurance. At this point, you are actively working for Lyft and your personal insurance will not be involved. This is their main policy for drivers. It’s more comprehensive and more detailed than the contingent liability coverage.
- $1,000,000 per accident
- collision coverage up to the value of the vehicle (accidents)
- comprehensive coverage up to the value of your vehicle (non-accident damage)
- $2,500 deductible for the collision and damage coverage
There is also coverage up to $1,000,000 for any accidents involving an uninsured motorist as well.
Already have a rider on your personal policy to cover rideshare work? Even so, your Lyft policies are still in-effect over and above your own coverage.
The primary liability insurance coverage lasts from the moment the ride match is accepted in the app, until the ride has officially ended as indicated in the app. So if you are dropping someone off, and there is an accident right before you’ve clicked the app to end the ride, the coverage would still be in place even if the drive itself is technically over.
Filing a Lyft Accident Claim
If there is an incident that you need to report, there is a special button in the Lyft app to contact the company’s Trust and Safety team. They have service and live staff on call 24/7. You should also let your own personal insurance company know the situation even if the incident isn’t going to be covered with your personal policy.
Of course, in an emergency, you should always contact 911 for assistance before anything else.
So if you are considering becoming a Lyft driver, or even using Lyft as a passenger, you can be assured that insurance is not an issue. There is automatically plenty of coverage in case of accident, even though you are not considered an official commercial driver or employee.
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