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The “logged in, no ride” period
Rideshare coverage in California is split into periods. While the driver is logged in and waiting, the required coverage is at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess coverage. Once the driver accepts a ride request, the $1 million primary coverage takes over until the ride is complete.
Crashes can happen in this waiting period, while a driver moves around town looking for the next request. The coverage exists, but it is lower, and if your injuries are serious, the limits may matter a lot. Knowing the exact period is the first step to knowing how much coverage the claim can reach.
When the app is off
If the driver was not logged in at all, the rideshare rules do not set the coverage. The driver was just another driver, and the claim looks to the driver’s personal auto policy. In California, the minimum liability limits for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025 are $30,000 per person, $60,000 for two or more people, and $15,000 for property damage.
Some personal policies may limit coverage for rideshare driving, and some drivers buy extra coverage for that. What any given policy says is a question for the policy itself. The answer depends on the policy and the facts; a lawyer can check by requesting the declarations page and the coverage terms from each insurer involved.
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How to prove which period applied
The rideshare company’s records show when the driver logged in, when any ride was offered and accepted, and the route. Those records settle most disputes about the period. A lawyer can ask the company and its insurer to keep and produce them. The sooner that request goes out, the better.
Your own notes help too. Write down what the driver said at the scene, whether there was a passenger, and any rideshare sign in the windshield. Photos of the driver’s phone screen, if they show it to you, can be useful. Witnesses who heard the driver talk about a pickup can also back up the timing.
The same gap in Washington
Washington uses a similar structure. While a driver is logged in but has not accepted a ride, the minimum is $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident and $30,000 for property damage. Once a driver accepts a ride, at least $1 million in combined liability coverage applies until the passenger leaves the vehicle.
Washington’s personal auto minimums are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for injury, and $10,000 for property damage. Your own Washington policy must include underinsured motorist coverage unless it was rejected in writing, and it can help when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low. The injury lawsuit deadline is generally three years.
What to do now
Get medical care right away. Photograph both cars, the plates, any rideshare sign and the scene. Ask the driver whether they were logged in or on the way to a pickup, and write down the answer. Get their insurance card, witness names and the police report number. Report the crash to your own insurer and ask about your uninsured motorist coverage.
Do not sign a release or give a recorded statement before you talk with a lawyer. Keep receipts and bills. An injury lawsuit in California must generally be filed within two years. Call Beverly Law at (310) 552-6959; you owe no fees or costs unless we win. Related: Uber claims, Lyft claims, a Lyft driver hit my car and making a UIM claim.
Common questions
Is an Uber driver covered when there is no passenger?
If the driver is logged in and waiting, California requires at least $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 excess. If the driver accepted a ride and is heading to the pickup, the $1 million coverage already applies.
What if the rideshare driver’s app was off?
Then the rideshare coverage rules do not apply, and the claim looks to the driver’s personal auto policy. Some personal policies limit coverage for rideshare driving, so the policy terms matter. A lawyer can request the policy and the company’s login records.
How do I prove the driver was logged in?
The rideshare company’s records show login times, ride requests, acceptances and routes. A lawyer can ask the company and its insurer to keep and produce them. Your notes from the scene, photos and witnesses can support the timing too.
What if the coverage is not enough for my injuries?
Your own underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage may help, depending on your policy. Other people who share the blame may also have insurance. A lawyer can look at every policy that might apply before you accept any offer.
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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 · Lyft accident claims: coverage, steps and deadlines · Uber passenger injured: who pays your bills? · A Lyft driver hit me while I was driving: what now? · 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)
- Cal. Veh. Code § 16056(a)(2), (d) (as amended by SB 1107, Stats. 2022, ch. 719); Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.1(b)(1)
- RCW 46.72B.180(1)(b) (recodified from RCW 48.177.010 by Laws 2022, ch. 281, § 35); RCW 48.177.005(6)
- RCW 46.29.090(1); RCW 46.30.020(1)(a)
- RCW 48.22.030(1)-(4), (8)
- RCW 4.16.080(2)
- Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2(a)(1)-(3), (b)(1)-(2), (f)
- 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.