Short answer: Florida rideshare coverage depends heavily on the driver’s app status. Different requirements apply when a driver is offline, logged on and waiting for a request, or engaged in an accepted prearranged ride. Preserve proof of the trip and app status because those facts can determine which policy and limits apply.
Video: When Uber’s $1 Million Insurance May Apply
Jeremiah Jaspon explains when Uber’s insurance may provide coverage and when another driver’s policy may be the appropriate source of coverage.
The three practical rideshare coverage periods
1. The driver is offline
When the driver is not logged on to the rideshare network, the driver’s personal auto policy ordinarily becomes the starting point. Whether it covers a particular loss depends on the policy terms, exclusions, and endorsements.
2. The driver is logged on and waiting for a request
Florida Statute § 627.748(7) requires primary coverage during this period with at least $50,000 for death and bodily injury per person, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage, together with the PIP and uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage required by the statutes referenced there.
3. The driver accepted a ride or is transporting a passenger
A statutory “prearranged ride” begins when the driver accepts a ride request through the network, continues while the rider is being transported, and ends when the last rider exits. During that period, the statute requires at least $1 million in primary liability coverage, plus the PIP and uninsured/underinsured-motorist coverage described in the law.
A stated policy limit is not a promised payment. A claimant still must establish that the policy applies, who was legally responsible, what the collision caused, and the amount of the proven damages. Multiple injured people may also seek payment from the same available limit.
Evidence that can establish the correct coverage period
- The electronic trip receipt showing origin, destination, time, distance, and fare;
- Screenshots of the driver, vehicle, license plate, trip status, route, pickup, destination, and incident-report screen;
- Emails, texts, support chats, safety reports, and claim acknowledgments;
- The driver’s insurance information and disclosure of whether the driver was logged on or engaged in a ride;
- Witness information, scene photographs, the crash report, and dashcam or surveillance footage; and
- Your own auto policy, because PIP, UM, MedPay, or other coverage may also matter.
Florida law requires the driver, upon request after an accident, to provide proof of the required rideshare coverage and disclose whether the driver was logged on or engaged in a prearranged ride. The statute also requires the company to send the rider an electronic receipt after a completed trip.
Coverage questions differ by who was injured
A passenger may have claims involving the rideshare driver, another driver, or both. A rideshare driver may encounter an exclusion or gap in a personal policy. A person in another vehicle may need evidence of the rideshare driver’s app status before the correct carrier accepts the claim. PIP priority and UM questions can also depend on the injured person’s own and household policies.