Los Angeles is one of the largest rideshare markets in the country, and its crashes have a geography. At LAX, passenger pickups happen at the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1, reached by shuttle or on foot, while drop-offs still use the terminal curbs; the loop roads, the Sepulveda and Century approaches, and the 105 and 405 ramps around the airport produce constant merging, stopping, and rear-end collisions. Hollywood and downtown nightlife, the Sunset Strip, and stadium events at SoFi, Crypto.com Arena, and Dodger Stadium generate the late-night trips where a rideshare driver is most likely to be tired, distracted by the app, or stopped in a traffic lane to load a passenger.

Which insurance applies depends on the app

California regulates Uber and Lyft as transportation network companies under Public Utilities Code 5433. The insurance available depends on what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of the crash:

  • App off (sometimes called Period 0). The driver is a private driver. Their personal auto policy is the main source of coverage.
  • Period 1: app on, waiting for a request. Required minimums are $50,000 per person and $100,000 per incident for injury, $30,000 for property damage, plus $200,000 in excess liability coverage.
  • Period 2: ride accepted, driving to the pickup. At least $1,000,000 in liability coverage applies.
  • Period 3: passenger in the car. At least $1,000,000 in liability coverage applies, plus uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for the passenger.

The 2026 change to uninsured motorist coverage

Rideshare companies used to be required to carry $1,000,000 in uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. SB 371, signed in October 2025, reduced that to $60,000 per person and $300,000 per incident, effective January 1, 2026. It applies from the moment a passenger enters the vehicle until they exit. That matters most when a rideshare passenger is hit by a driver with no insurance or too little, which in Los Angeles is common. Crashes before January 1, 2026 fall under the old limits. Our Uber and Lyft insurance guide covers the periods, the evidence to screenshot, and the deadlines in detail.

Whatever the period, the trip data that proves it belongs to the company. Our preservation letter to Uber or Lyft and their insurers goes out in the first week, before the record is gone.