What Insurance Protection Do Uber and Taxi Passengers Have If There’s a Crash?

Uber – a popular ridesharing service – and traditional taxi services are alternatives for those who do not wish to get behind the wheel themselves.  But being a passenger in a taxi or riding with another driver using Uber is no protection against car accidents. Accidents involving Uber vehicles and taxi accidents happen in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Injured passengers of both taxis and ridesharing vehicles often have the same question following a taxi accident or Uber accident: “Who pays”?

Who Pays If I Get Hurt While Riding in an Uber or Other Ridesharing Vehicle?

If you are a passenger in a vehicle and you are injured in a ridesharing accident, the ridesharing service (Uber, Lyft, or other similar service) or its insurance company should cover your injuries. This assumes, however, that the driver met all of the requirements to be covered by the ridesharing company’s insurance policy.

You should not expect that the rideshare driver’s personal auto policy will pay for your injuries, as many personal policies exclude any injuries or damage caused while the driver is engaged in ridesharing or livery services.

How Does Insurance for Uber Riders Differ from Typical Taxi Passengers?

For a taxicab driver, insurance is relatively simple. If he or she is an employee of the taxicab company, the taxicab company’s commercial insurance policy covers any accidents, damage, and/or injuries the cab driver causes while he or she is on duty and about his or her job – even if the cab driver does not have a passenger.

While Uber claims its insurance policies have limits similar to those of taxicab and livery services, its insurance may not cover all losses. For example, a recent report in Forbes indicated that Uber’s insurance may not cover collision damage to the driver’s car in all circumstances.

How Can My Own Uninsured Motorist/Underinsured Motorist Coverage Help If I’m Hurt in a Taxi or Uber Accident?

In a case where it is not clear who is at fault, or where the at-fault driver (either your own driver or a third-party driver) is either underinsured or not insured at all, your own uninsured motorist insurance (UM) / underinsured motorist insurance (UIM) coverage may prove to be valuable, as described by the North Carolina Department of Insurance Consumer’s Guide to Automobiles.

UM and UIM coverage step in when you are injured in an accident but the at-fault party either does not have insurance or his or her insurance coverage is not sufficient to cover your losses.

Grimes Teich Anderson LLP is your North Carolina and South Carolina rideshare and taxi accident law firm. If you are injured in an accident in Asheville, Waynesville, Franklin, Greenville, Spartanburg, or surrounding areas, we are available to assist you. We are committed to helping victims injured in a ridesharing accident or taxi accident recover the compensation they need, whether that is from Uber insurance, the taxi company’s insurance, or some other individual or entity. Contact us for assistance by calling one of our office locations, or contact us through our website.

Since 1979, Grimes Teich Anderson LLP has represented the injured and disabled.  The attorneys at Grimes Teich Anderson are leaders in Western North Carolina and upstate South Carolina in representing clients in personal injury matters, workers compensation claims, Social Security disability claims, and employment law matters and veterans’ law.  Grimes Teich Anderson has an active litigation practice with multiple trial tested attorneys, including Henry Teich, a North Carolina Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist.   For more information, visit http://www.gtalaw.net.