Uber Insurance - Lyft Insurance
Las Vegas, Nevada


Questions about ride-sharing

Uber Accident Lawyer Explains Commercial vs. Ride-Sharing Insurance

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are, without a doubt, very convenient and cheaper alternatives to regular taxi services.

The ride-sharing services also bring many questions from people who want to drive for Uber or Lyft in Las Vegas.

Typically, the most common questions evolve around:

a. What do I need to know before becoming a driver for a ride-sharing company?

b. How does Uber or Lyft insurance work?

c. What is ride-sharing insurance, and where to buy it?

d. What to do after the Uber car accident?

e. Do I need to hire an attorney when an Uber driver is involved in a crash?

Before becoming a driver

Knowledge is power. If you plan to become a ride-sharing company driver, you need to be prepared. Here is a shortlist.

  • Be very comfortable using GPS on your mobile phone.
  • Know the area around the airport since many trips will come from the airport or to the airport.
  • Know the pick-up areas in Las Vegas hotels and McCarran airport and the fastest way to get there.
  • Feel comfortable dealing with clients who are not always polite and often under the influence of alcohol.
  • Be prepared that your passengers will rate your services.
  • Since the Uber fare rates automatically increase when demand increases (e.g., holidays, sporting events), you may want to schedule your work around these peak hours.
  • You can be a driver for different ride-sharing companies simultaneously, as long as you don't discuss which company you prefer with your clients.
  • Contact your car insurance company and let them know that you will be driving for Uber, Lyft, or other ride-sharing services. They will add a clause to your insurance policy.
  • You need to know what to do and where to call if you get in an accident. Different scenarios are involved, and the process of submitting a claim and reporting an accident to your ride-sharing company is different as well.
  • Some of your passengers will be rude, condescending, or just plain weird, and you have to handle them all.
  • We recommend having a dashcam installed in your car. It will protect you as a driver against any unwanted accusations.

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Does Uber or Lyft provide insurance for its drivers in Las Vegas, Nevada?

Similar to a taxi, Uber and Lyft have commercial car accident coverage, which is in effect when you have a passenger in a car, or you are on the way to pick up a passenger. This insurance covers all parties involved, including the driver and the passengers. In 2021, Uber and Lyft provided $1.5 million commercial insurance coverage per accident.

In all other cases, your car insurance covers an accident.

Important: Even when Uber or Lyft insurance is in effect, the driver is still responsible for paying deductable. In 2021, the deductible for Uber or Lyft was $2,500 per accident.

Driver's car insurance

Your car insurance provides liability coverage only if you use your car for personal purposes. If you were driving to make money (like driving for Uber or Lyft) and didn't specify it in the contract, your insurance company doesn't have to pay liability claims. Moreover, they most likely will drop your coverage.

One of the reasons is that the premium you pay for your car insurance is calculated based on your usage. Because the Uber and Lyft drivers spend more hours behind the wheel than an average car driver and drive and text simultaneously, their chance of getting in an accident is much higher.

Your insurance premium, most likely, will go up, but not much, between $10 - $20. So, if you decide to become an Uber driver or a Lyft driver, you must contact your car insurance company and ask them to add the ride-sharing clause to your policy. Some insurance companies don't increase the premium when they add the ride-sharing clause. It depends on the company.

Price for ride-sharing insurance

Just as with any personal car insurance, the premium for the ride-sharing coverage varies and depends on many factors - your previous driving record, your age, marital status, the condition of your car, your city, and your state. You may also get a discount if your car insurance is bundled with other coverages from the same company (e.g., the homeowners' insurance).

We recommend getting car insurance quotes from different insurance providers before making a final decision.

Who offers ride-sharing insurance in Nevada?

At the time this article was written, Farmers Insurance, Allstate Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance, and Mercury insurance offered ride-sharing insurance policies for Nevada drivers.

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Contacting the insurance company

If the accident happened when a passenger is in your car or if you are on route to pick up a passenger - contact the ride-sharing company insurance directly. Call your own car insurance company if the accident happened when you just started your shift or between passengers. In both cases, you are required to report the accident to your ride-sharing company.

Challenges of liability claims

The claims process for ride-sharing companies is different compared to regular car accidents. First, multiple insurance companies are involved. Second, a 3rd party insurance may be involved - if a person responsible for the crash is not the Uber or Lyft driver. Third, with the rise of Uber Pool services, attorneys also see an increase the multi-passenger accidents.

If you are party at-fault

Nevada is a comparative negligence state, and comparative negligence rules apply to all Uber and Lyft accidents. The plaintiff could collect compensation from all other at-fault parties if the plaintiff was less than 51% responsible for the accident.

The car accident lawyer can help

Whether you were a passenger in an Uber or Lyft car, a pedestrian, bicyclist, or motorcyclist injured in an accident caused by an Uber or Lyft driver, or you are an Uber or Lyft driver injured in a crash, you want to get a full and fair accident compensation.

The Law Offices of Heshmati & Associates handle liability claims against ride-sharing companies all the time. Even though we cannot disclose the received settlement amounts, we have a positive experience dealing with Uber and Lyft commercial car insurance. Most of our clients are happy with the results.

If you got in an Uber or Lyft accident, call us at 702-432-1000.

The initial consultation is always free.

We take all personal injury cases on a contingency basis, which means - you don't have to pay until we get you money.

Written by Parish Heshmati, Esq.

Last updated on February 4, 2024.

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Phone: 702-432-1000

Fax: 702-446-6776

Heshmati & Associates
515 S. 7th Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101-6903

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