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How Lyft’s coverage periods work
California law ties rideshare coverage to the app. From the moment a driver accepts a ride request until the ride is complete or the driver completes the transaction in the app, whichever is later, the company must carry $1 million in primary liability coverage. That includes the drive to the pickup and the ride itself.
When the driver is logged in and waiting for a request, the required coverage is at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, with $200,000 in excess coverage on top. When the app is off, these rideshare rules do not set the coverage, and the driver’s personal policy is the main place to look.
How a Lyft claim moves forward
Most claims start with a report in the app and a call from an insurance adjuster. The adjuster will want to know what happened and what injuries you have. From there, the claim builds on medical records, bills, proof of lost work and evidence about fault, such as the police report, photos and any video from the cars or the street.
When your treatment is far enough along to know the full picture, a demand is sent to the insurer with the records. The insurer responds, and the two sides negotiate. If they cannot agree, a lawsuit may be filed. California uses pure comparative fault, so the insurer may argue you share the blame, and your share would reduce the amount you recover.
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Lyft crashes in Washington
In Washington, the rideshare company or the driver must carry at least $1 million in combined liability coverage from when a driver accepts a ride until the passenger leaves the vehicle. While the driver is logged in without a ride, the minimum is $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $30,000 for property damage.
Washington also requires underinsured motorist coverage of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident while a passenger is in the car. Washington auto insurers must offer personal injury protection (PIP), which pays medical bills and some lost income regardless of fault, unless the policyholder rejected it in writing. The injury lawsuit deadline is generally three years.
What to do now
Get medical care right away, and tell the doctor about every symptom. Screenshot the ride in the Lyft app, including the driver’s name, the car, the plate and the time. Take photos of the vehicles, the scene and your injuries. Get witness names and the police report number, and report the crash in the app.
Keep your bills, receipts and pay stubs. Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement to Lyft’s insurer or any other insurer before you talk with a lawyer. If you have MedPay on your own policy, it may pay reasonable medical bills up to your limit. In California, an injury lawsuit must generally be filed within two years.
How Beverly Law can help
We can request the trip data, confirm the coverage period, prepare the demand and handle the negotiation. You owe no fees or costs unless we win. Call (310) 552-6959 or use the form on this page to tell us what happened, and we will explain your options in plain words.
If you want to read more first, these pages cover the next questions people ask after a Lyft crash: what to do if a Lyft driver hit your car, whose insurance applies between rides, who pays when a rideshare passenger is hurt, and how to get a rideshare accident report.
Common questions
Does Lyft insurance cover passengers?
Yes. From the time a driver accepts your ride until the ride is complete, California requires $1 million in primary liability coverage. Lyft must also provide uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for passengers, which since January 1, 2026 is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident.
How do I file a claim with Lyft?
Report the crash in the Lyft app and save the trip details. An adjuster will usually contact you. Before you give a recorded statement or sign anything, talk with a lawyer, who can open the claim, send the records and handle the adjuster’s questions.
What if the Lyft driver was waiting for a ride?
If the driver was logged in but had not accepted a ride, California requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. In Washington, the logged-in minimum is $50,000, $100,000 and $30,000.
How long does a Lyft claim take?
It depends on your injuries, how long treatment lasts, and whether the insurer disputes fault. Many claims wait until treatment is far enough along to know the full cost. The California deadline to file an injury lawsuit is generally two years, so the claim must move before then.
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If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in California and Washington, talk to a personal injury attorney. Free, confidential, English or Spanish. You owe no fees or costs unless we win.
Related pages
Uber accident claims: how the insurance works · Uber passenger injured: who pays your bills? · A Lyft driver hit me while I was driving: what now? · Rideshare driver between rides: whose insurance applies? · Uber accident settlement: what affects it · All car and truck accident questions
Sources
- Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 5433(b)(1)-(2), (c)(1)-(2) (as amended by SB 371, Stats. 2025, ch. 314)
- Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804, 828-829; CACI No. 405
- RCW 46.72B.180(1)(b) (recodified from RCW 48.177.010 by Laws 2022, ch. 281, § 35); RCW 48.177.005(6)
- RCW 48.22.085(1)-(2), 48.22.095(1)
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- California Department of Insurance, Auto Insurance Terms glossary; policy terms
- Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1
Important: This page is general information about California and Washington law, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different; talk to a lawyer about yours. Last reviewed: November 5, 2026.