Uber, Lyft Riders Might Not Be Covered by Insurance, Industry Claims

When you’re in a car you hailed through a ride-share app on your smartphone, are you covered by insurance if you end up in an accident? The National Insurance Association says no. While firms such as Uber and Lyft say they maintain $1 million coverage in "excess insurance" per incident, the devil’s in the details: The companies say the driver’s own personal insurance is the coverage of first resort. And Uber, for example, says you’re not really a customer, and the driver is not their "partner" (never employee), unless the app has activated an on-the-record ride.