How Does Insurance Work After an Uber or Lyft Accident in Georgia?
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It depends on what the driver was doing in the app at the moment of the crash. O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 requires a transportation network company (TNC) such as Uber or Lyft to maintain, or cause to be maintained, a primary motor vehicle insurance policy with one set of minimums while the driver is logged on and waiting for a request, and higher minimums from the moment the driver accepts a ride until it is complete. When the app is off, the driver’s own personal policy is the starting point.
The two statutory periods and their minimums
Section 33-1-24(a)(5) defines two periods of “transportation network company services”: time logged on and available, and time from accepting a ride request until the ride is complete.
| Driver's status | Required primary coverage (§ 33-1-24(b)) |
|---|---|
| App off | No TNC requirement; the driver's personal policy applies, subject to its own terms |
| Logged on and available, no ride accepted (§ 33-1-24(a)(5)(A)) | Liability of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $50,000 for property damage |
| From accepting a ride request until the ride is complete (§ 33-1-24(a)(5)(B)) | Liability of at least $1 million per occurrence, plus uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage |
The statute requires uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage only for the second period.
The 2023 cut in UM coverage
Before 2023, § 33-1-24(b)(3) required uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage “of at least $1 million” during an accepted ride. House Bill 529 replaced that requirement with minimum limits of $300,000 per accident and $100,000 per person for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage, for causes of action accruing on or after July 1, 2023. That is a 70 percent reduction per accident ($1,000,000 to $300,000). For a passenger hurt by an uninsured or underinsured third driver during a ride, the TNC’s required UM floor is now $100,000 for one person, and the passenger’s own UM coverage may also apply; see how UM coverage and stacking work in Georgia.
Who pays first
- The TNC policy is primary. The statute calls it “a primary motor vehicle insurance policy”. Coverage under it “shall not be dependent on a personal vehicle insurer first denying a claim” (§ 33-1-24(h)(4)).
- The driver’s personal policy may exclude TNC driving. Personal auto insurers “may exclude any and all coverage” for a loss while the driver is logged on or providing TNC services (§ 33-1-24(g)(2)).
- If insurance a driver keeps to meet these requirements lapses, the TNC “shall provide coverage which shall become primary beginning with the first dollar of a claim” (§ 33-1-24(f)).
- Defense of the driver. When the TNC provides primary coverage, its insurer bears the costs of defense and indemnification (§ 33-1-24(i), (j)).
Proving the driver’s app status
Because the period sets the coverage, the driver’s log-in times matter. Section 33-1-24(h)(4) requires the TNC, at the request of the driver’s personal insurer, to provide within 15 days the date and time of the accident and the driver’s log-on and log-off times “in the 12 hours preceding and following the accident”. A passenger or other injured person can preserve their own record too:
- Screenshots of the trip in the rider’s app, with times.
- The driver’s name, the vehicle, and its license plate as shown in the app.
- Whether a ride had been accepted, and whether a passenger was in the car.
- The police report number.
Delivery driving and other business use of a personal vehicle raise different coverage questions, explained in what happens when a personal vehicle is used commercially.
Sources
- O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24 (text as published March 2024).
- House Bill 529 (2023), as passed House and Senate
General information about Georgia law as of October 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.