California rideshare insurance depends on the app period under Public Utilities Code section 5433. The current, reduced UM/UIM figure since January 1, 2026 for a passenger during Period 3 is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident after SB 371; the Period 2/3 liability coverage remains $1 million.
Key Takeaways
- When the rideshare app is off, the driver's personal policy applies, although rideshare exclusions may apply.
- During Period 1, the TNC must provide $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $30,000 property-damage primary coverage plus $200,000 excess liability under Public Utilities Code section 5433(c).
- During Periods 2 and 3, the TNC's primary liability coverage is $1 million under section 5433(b)(1).
- Since January 1, 2026, Period 3 passenger UM/UIM coverage is reduced to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident under SB 371.
After a Los Angeles rideshare crash, the key insurance question is often what the app showed at the moment of impact. California's transportation-network-company coverage changes across the trip: app off, app on while waiting, and ride accepted through drop-off. This guide is for passengers and other injured people who need to understand those periods before interpreting an insurance contact or limit. It also explains the current, reduced UM/UIM figure since January 1, 2026, and why trip timestamps should be preserved rather than reconstructed from memory.
Why the app period matters to a rideshare claim
California's rideshare insurance framework assigns different coverage requirements to different stages of the driver's app use. Public Utilities Code section 5433 is the cited authority for those transportation-network-company obligations. A crash a few minutes before accepting a trip can raise a different coverage question from a crash after a passenger has entered the vehicle. The app status at the exact time of impact is therefore a central fact, not a minor screen detail.
Three periods help organize the timeline. Period 0 is when the app is off; Period 1 is when it is on but no ride has been accepted; Periods 2 and 3 begin with acceptance and continue through drop-off. The exact records and timestamps help place the collision in the applicable period. A passenger's memory of when the ride began may be approximate, so retain the trip receipt and any in-app timestamps.
Coverage requirements identify insurance that must be maintained; they do not alone resolve every question about who caused the crash, whether a particular loss is covered, or what an insurer will pay. Keep the liability inquiry separate from the insurance-period inquiry. Establish what happened, who was injured, and the app period using available records before treating an advertised policy figure as a final claim determination.
Period 0: the app is off
When a driver's rideshare app is off, the driver's personal automobile policy is the identified policy. Rideshare exclusions may apply, so the existence of a personal policy does not answer whether a particular trip-related loss is covered. Obtain the policy and insurer contact information rather than assuming that the normal personal-auto terms control a rideshare-related event.
This period can be disputed if the app history is incomplete or if people disagree about whether the driver had logged in or accepted a request. Preserve the driver's status information, any available trip records, and the timeline shown in the app. Do not rely solely on a verbal description of what the driver was doing; record when the driver says the app was turned on, whether a ride had been accepted, and what records support the account.
If the app was truly off, the Period 1 or Period 2/3 transportation-network-company requirements described in section 5433 do not automatically apply on the facts listed here. The personal-policy question may still require careful review because an exclusion can affect coverage. Keep the crash evidence and injury records moving forward while the period and policy are confirmed; uncertainty about coverage does not change the general lawsuit deadline.
Period 1: app on, ride not yet accepted
During Period 1, the driver is logged into the app but has not accepted a ride. Under Public Utilities Code section 5433(c), the TNC must provide primary coverage of $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess liability. Keep the limits in their correct categories: per-person bodily injury, per-incident bodily injury, property damage, and excess liability are not interchangeable numbers.
To evaluate this period, establish that the app was on and no ride had yet been accepted when the collision happened. Save a screenshot of the app if available, preserve any notifications, and record the precise crash time. A dispatch request arriving shortly before a collision does not by itself establish that the driver accepted it; a timestamped trip or app record can help distinguish those events.
The existence of required Period 1 coverage does not mean a particular claim has been accepted or that the full limits are available to one claimant. The claim still depends on the collision facts, the applicable policy, and the losses presented. Ask which insurer is handling the TNC coverage, retain correspondence, and compare the carrier's stated period with the actual timeline instead of assuming that the first classification is final.
Periods 2 and 3: ride accepted through drop-off
Periods 2 and 3 cover the time from ride acceptance through passenger drop-off. Under Public Utilities Code section 5433(b)(1), the TNC primary liability coverage is $1 million. The verified facts state that the $1 million liability coverage for injuries the rideshare driver causes to others remains in place. They also state that a passenger generally has access to the TNC's $1 million Period 2/3 policy regardless of which driver caused the crash while the passenger was in the vehicle.
Time boundaries can matter. Preserve the trip receipt and in-app timestamps that show acceptance, pickup, and drop-off. If the collision happened during pickup or while the trip was ending, the exact sequence may be important to establishing whether the ride had been accepted and whether the passenger was still in the vehicle. Do not round times or replace app entries with an estimated start time if the original record is available.
A $1 million policy figure describes the applicable liability coverage identified for these periods; it is not a statement that every claim will be paid at that amount. Liability, coverage conditions, competing claims, and the documented harm still require review. For a passenger, distinguish the Period 2/3 liability policy from the separately reduced Period 3 UM/UIM coverage, which addresses a different coverage situation and has different current limits.
Period 3 passenger UM/UIM coverage after SB 371
For a passenger in the vehicle during Period 3, the current, reduced UM/UIM figure since January 1, 2026 is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident. SB 371 reduced the required coverage from $1 million and made the TNC, rather than the driver, responsible for maintaining it. The change was effective January 1, 2026, so the date and trip period matter when reviewing a passenger claim.
UM/UIM is distinct from the TNC's $1 million Period 2/3 liability coverage. The reduced figure matters when an injured rideshare passenger is relying on coverage for a collision involving another driver who is uninsured or underinsured. A passenger should not assume that the $1 million liability limit is the amount available under every possible coverage path; first identify which driver caused the crash and which policy provision is being evaluated.
Preserve the trip record and any coverage letters that identify the period and limit. If an insurer describes a number, ask whether it is the liability coverage or the Period 3 UM/UIM limit and whether the passenger was considered to be in the vehicle when the collision occurred. SB 371 changed the required UM/UIM amount; it did not eliminate the stated $1 million Period 2/3 liability coverage for injuries the rideshare driver causes to others.
How to verify a coverage-period decision
Build a timeline with app activation if known, ride request, acceptance, pickup, impact, and drop-off. Use the recorded time shown in the trip history, messages, receipts, collision report, and witness accounts. The trip data can help establish which period applied at impact, while a second source may help check whether a phone's clock or a report time differs from the app entry.
Ask the insurer to state the period on which its coverage position relies and keep the response. Compare that position with the records rather than arguing from labels such as active trip or passenger ride. If a timestamp is missing or disputed, note the gap and seek the underlying trip or GPS data. The facts identify app timestamps and GPS data as useful evidence, but the exact record available depends on the particular trip.
Finally, keep the policy-period question distinct from other deadlines and liability issues. The general personal-injury lawsuit period is two years under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, and a public entity may introduce the separate six-month written-claim procedure in Government Code section 911.2. A coverage review does not file either claim. Maintain both a coverage chronology and a legal-deadline calendar from the outset.
This guide is attorney advertising and general information only. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
Rideshare coverage questions in Los Angeles
Los Angeles County trips may begin, end, or pass through areas where a public vehicle or agency is also part of the collision; preserve markings and trip details rather than assuming the app company is the only relevant party. Most personal-injury cases arising in Los Angeles County are filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and Los Angeles County Superior Court; the exact courthouse assignment should be confirmed for each case. For the app-period analysis, the important records are the trip acceptance, pickup, impact, and drop-off times. The current, reduced UM/UIM figure since January 1, 2026 for a passenger in Period 3 is $60,000 per person and $300,000 per accident under SB 371, while the Period 2/3 liability coverage remains $1 million.