New England Area Rideshare Insurance
Many people have found a way to earn a living or simply make extra spending cash by driving for a rideshare company such as Uber or Lyft. It can be lucrative, but it also creates risk. At the Massachusetts insurance agency of Gallant Insurance, partnering with L. F. Robbins, we offer coverage that minimizes that risk.
Why Do I Need Rideshare Insurance?
When you drive for a rideshare company, you are an independent contractor. This means that you are not fully covered by the rideshare company’s insurance unless you are actually driving a fare. But your basic auto policy does not cover you in between the time when you accept a fare and actually pick up that fare. This insurance gap leaves drivers vulnerable to significant expense and liability.
Here are some of the risks of driving for Uber or Lyft without proper coverage:
- Your personal lines auto insurance company does not provide rideshare coverage under most state laws.
- If your personal insurance carrier drops you, you could have trouble finding new personal auto coverage or need to pay much higher rates.
- Rideshare companies, in most states, do not provide coverage from the time you turn on your app to the time you have secured your fare in the vehicle.
- If you injure another driver or pedestrian in an accident while waiting for a fare, the liability coverage from Uber or Lyft may not cover the claim or lawsuit from the injured person.
The bottom line: If you are a rideshare driver and you have only your personal auto insurance policy, that coverage has gaps that leave you at risk.
I Am a Massachusetts Rideshare Driver. What Are My Insurance Options?
You have several possibilities that will improve your protection.
- You can find a personal auto coverage policy that will not cancel when they find out you are driving your personal car, although most rideshare-friendly policies do not actually cover you in the event of an accident while working.
- You can seek out rideshare insurance coverage that will cover you during Period 1, when you are driving around waiting for a passenger.
- lternatively, you can try to find commercial insurance coverage.
Our specialists at Gallant Insurance can walk you through all the options and explain the pros and cons of each.
Call Gallant Insurance for a Free Quote and Information
Contact us at our Acton, MA, office or at the offices of our partner agency, L.F. Robbins, in Pepperell or Townsend. We have been serving the New England area’s cities and towns since 1957 and look forward to helping you.