Uber, Lyft and Liability
When you have an accident in your own car, you often look to your insurance to pay for damages. But when you’re in an Uber, Lyft or other ridesharing vehicle, whose insurance comes into play?
That was a question addressed by Pennsylvania Senate Bill 984, as reported recently in The Legal Intelligencer. The bill, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on Nov. 4, 2016, covers various scenarios for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft.
Driver with No Passengers
When there are no passengers in a vehicle, such as when drivers are waiting for, or traveling to, a call, the driver must be covered by a policy providing:
- $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person/$100,000 per accident
- $25,000 in property damage coverage
- At least $5,000 in first party medical benefits coverage for the driver
- $25,000 for any pedestrians injured
Driver with Passengers
When there are passengers in the vehicle, the following coverage is required:
- At least $500,000 for death, bodily injury and property damages claims
- At least $5,000 in first party medical benefits coverage for the driver
- $25,000 for any passengers or pedestrians injured
Additional Provisions
- The transportation network is required to cover gaps in insurance, resulting from inadequate or lapsed insurance.
- Drivers are not allowed to sign waivers for potential liability.
Insurance coverage may be supplied by the transportation network, the driver, or a combination of both. A driver’s personal insurance will not apply while the driver is working for Uber or Lyft. The Pennsylvania law specifically allows insurance carrier to exclude coverage and benefits for drivers logged into transportation networks. However, drivers may purchase an additional personal policy, if available.
To date, there have been no cases addressed by this statute. Further interpretation will likely follow once the courts have an opportunity to weigh in on real life scenarios.
If you or someone you love has been hurt or killed in a motor vehicle accident in Pennsylvania, contact an experienced attorney in this area of of the law.