Whether you’re driving for Uber Eats full-time or supplementing your income, there are still a few things you need to have in order before you even apply. Many applicants wonder whether they require a specific insurance policy before working for Uber Eats. Let’s take a look.
The only insurance that you need to drive for Uber Eats is the mandatory liability insurance expected by your state (if applicable). This is because Uber Eats provides insurance for their drivers as long as the Driver App is on.
In this blog, we’ll go over the different types of insurance necessary for Uber Eats drivers as well as
Uber Eats Insurance Requirements
Fortunately, Uber is one of the less complicated companies to go to work for. They don’t make you carry a prepaid credit card or red card to pick up deliveries. They’ve also expanded their services to include things like renting customers cars, and their food delivery is one of the most popular.
Getting a car to drive for one of these companies can be more than the job ultimately pays, that’s why many companies like Lyft let their driver lease a car.
Whether you drive for Postmates, Doordash or Uber Eats, all food delivery services give their drivers some sort of insurance. Uber Eats insurance requirements are there for a reason, to cover drivers during work hours. It’s not dissimilar to Uber’s insurance for ridesharing, insuring you when you’re using the car for work-related purposes.
When you pick up an order for a customer, your insurance is activated and remains as such until the task is completed. This insurance comes with the contract.
The contract you’re signing is from Porier LLC, an Uber subsidiary. According to the company, each driver has $1 million of commercial coverage liability per accident during pick-ups and dropoffs. Drivers have some coverage between deliveries as well.
If, however, you have your own personal auto insurance, Porier provides coverage for physical damage to your car up to its cash value. Who is at fault is no issue, and the coverage includes a $1000 deductible.
When you are in between deliveries, Porier also offers a three-part commercial auto liability policy. $25,000 of property damage, $50,000 of bodily injury per driver and $100,000 of bodily injury per accident.
This is standard for all Uber Eats drivers, except in New York, but it only applies to drivers who don’t already have the coverage yourself. For instance, if you have personal car insurance that includes business-coverage, it would not apply.
This is more than some other rideshare companies offer their drivers. Not all delivery companies cover their drivers between deliveries.
Why You Need More Insurance
Since most delivery companies don’t cover you between deliveries, it can cause major headaches for some drivers. Technically, you’re still working even though you haven’t picked up the item, so it’s somewhat unfair they’d allow their drivers to work unprotected.
Uber Eats has made some adjustments to lighten that burden on its employees, but they haven’t worked it out entirely yet. There are still some restrictions you should be keenly aware of before considering your application.
Restrictions
- Without collision or comprehensive insurance of your own, Uber does nothing to protect you from physical damage left by theft, fire, vandalism, storm damage and other uncontrollable crises.
- The bodily injury insurance that Uber offers may not be enough if it’s a serious accident. Worse, if you are at fault, your claim may be denied.
- With a denial from Uber, your regular insurance may not be applicable either.
What About Standard Car Insurance?
It would stand to reason that your regular insurance should cover any accidents, but it might not. Standard car insurance stops being active when you’re using the car for business. Uber Eats’ insurance takes over, and if they deny your claim, then your insurance may as well.
Check your insurance policy to see if it says anything about driving for a rideshare company, as many companies have made it explicit that they do not provide coverage for deliveries. Other companies, though, have been known to be a little less restrictive. Some allow you to be covered if you don’t use the car for business for more than 50 per cent of miles driven.
Whether or not your insurance will cover you will also depend on where you live, as conditions vary state by state. Many companies even offer special insurance for delivery drivers.
Delivery for Uber Eats: A lot of companies added delivery insurance for drivers. All you need to do is add a delivery insurance endorsement to your policy and you should be covered while making deliveries.
Rideshare for Uber Eats: Rideshare insurance is mainly for Uber, but certain insurance companies have added delivery drivers to the list as well. Geico offers a policy starting at $25 a month.
Uber is one of the fastest growing companies out there, with vehicles of all sizes to fit all customers’ needs. Uber Eats provides you coverage when making deliveries and in some cases between deliveries, but you should definitely check with your insurance company to ensure you’re fully protected.
