What Lyft’s Insurance Covers After a Crash

If you’ve been hurt in a Lyft accident, one of the first questions you’ll have is who pays. The answer depends almost entirely on what the driver was doing at the exact moment of the crash. Lyft’s coverage isn’t a single policy. It shifts based on the driver’s status in the app.

How Lyft’s Coverage Changes by Phase

California regulates rideshare companies like Lyft through the California Public Utilities Commission, which sets minimum insurance requirements for each stage of a ride. There are three distinct coverage periods, and each one carries different limits.

Period 1: App On, Waiting for a Request

The driver has the app open but hasn’t accepted a ride yet. During this window, Lyft’s coverage is limited:

• $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for death and personal injury
• $30,000 for property damage
• An additional $200,000 in excess liability coverage per occurrence

These limits are relatively low. If you’re hit by a Lyft driver who’s just cruising with the app open, the available insurance may not fully cover a serious injury.

Period 2: Ride Accepted, En Route to Pickup

Once the driver accepts a ride request and starts heading to the passenger, higher coverage kicks in. Lyft’s commercial policy becomes primary during this phase, providing up to $1,000,000 in liability coverage for death, personal injury, and property damage.

Period 3: Passenger in the Vehicle

This is the phase most passengers care about. From the moment you get in the car until you’re dropped off, Lyft carries $1,000,000 in primary liability coverage. If the Lyft driver caused the crash, this is the policy that applies.

But liability coverage only tells part of the story.

What Changed in 2026 Under SB 371

This is where things got significantly worse for passengers. Before January 1, 2026, Lyft was required to carry $1,000,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage during active rides. That coverage protected passengers when the at-fault driver had no insurance or not enough to cover the injuries.

Senate Bill 371 reduced that protection dramatically. The new minimums are just $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident. That’s a 94% reduction in a coverage category that matters most in hit-and-run accidents and crashes caused by uninsured drivers.

To put that in perspective, a single surgery and follow-up care can easily exceed $60,000. If the at-fault driver has no insurance and your injuries are serious, the gap between what Lyft’s policy covers and what your treatment costs falls on you.

Why the Driver’s App Status Matters So Much

Insurance disputes in Culver City rideshare accident cases often come down to one question: what was the driver doing in the app at the time of the collision? If the app was off, Lyft’s insurance doesn’t apply at all. Only the driver’s personal auto policy would be in play, and most personal policies exclude rideshare activity.

That’s why documenting the ride matters. Screenshots of your trip confirmation, the driver’s name, pickup and dropoff details, and timestamps help establish which coverage period was active. Without that evidence, insurers will look for any reason to deny your claim.

What You Can Do to Protect Yourself

If you’ve been injured as a Lyft passenger or hit by a Lyft driver, a few steps can make a real difference:

• Report the accident through Lyft’s app immediately
• Request a police report and ask officers to note the rideshare involvement
• Get medical treatment right away and keep detailed records
• Don’t give a recorded statement to any insurance company before talking to an attorney
• Check your own auto policy for UM/UIM coverage that might fill the gap left by SB 371

Cohen Injury Law Group represents people throughout Southern California who’ve been injured in rideshare accidents, including cases involving disputed coverage and multi-insurer claims.

Getting Answers After a Lyft Accident

Rideshare insurance is layered, and the rules shifted substantially in 2026. If you’ve been hurt in a Culver City rideshare accident and you’re not sure which policy applies or what your claim is worth, a Culver City rideshare accident lawyer can help you sort through the coverage and take the right next steps.