# Why doesn't Uber partner with an insurance company?



## Roogy (Nov 4, 2014)

Uber should find an insurance company to partner with who will offer coverage to drivers who Uber part-time. Uber has its own policy for when we're on the clock with Uber, but I'm talking about an insurer who will cover us when we are not on the clock. Then we wouldn't have to stress about policies getting cancelled if our insurers find out what we do for a few hours a week. 

They could even give that insurer a link to the hours worked for each driver they insure, so rates could be aligned with how many hours their insurees are ubering. For example, a person driving uber for 3 hrs a week should have a much less expensive policy than someone driving uber for 20 hrs a week.


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## LookyLou (Apr 28, 2014)

I know that Lyft was working on this type of thing with Met-Life, but I haven't heard anything more about it since they sent out the notice via email about 5-6 months ago. I wonder if it is still a possibility?


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## rukawa (Aug 30, 2014)

They are.. Go to ur waybill and check insurance.. Says insurer and the name of the company...


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## Roogy (Nov 4, 2014)

That's uber insurance while you are driving a fare. I am talking about when you are not driving for Uber in your day-to-day life. Apparently some insurance companies will cancel your policy if they know you drive for uber, even if you're only doing it for 3-5 hrs a week.


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## toi (Sep 8, 2014)

Because all and all ubers insurance coverage is a scam.
Why would they wanna partner up and spend money on an actual insurance when they can get away for free?


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## Kaz (Sep 16, 2014)

Great question and I suggested that, among others, in the survey they sent me. I'm trying to get some quotes on a commercial policy and though they're available, some brokers don't understand Uber and Lyft. I am a part timer too and will post quotes, limits, etc when I get a call back. We are NOT covered outside of the Meter, for the most part and it sucks and is so lame of Uber. We need their help in getting coverage. Bahhhh!


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## Jay2dresq (Oct 1, 2014)

Because they're a "technology company" not a "transportation company".


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## troubleinrivercity (Jul 27, 2014)

And whatever kind of company they are, they're not _our_ company. We don't _have_ a company. We're on our own and the difficulty some people here have accepting that is curious. You are a company and companies are liable for damages, end of story. Uber can't cover an army of part-timers who show up and disappear for weeks. They can't negotiate and extend any sort of meaningful protection for such a disorganized bunch. Too costly, and they've already seen that the service is popular and states will legislate away their problems rather than attempt an unpopular and embarrassing crackdown.

How things are is basically how they're gonna be, and every once in a while on the 8th page of the news we'll hear about a driver who got sacrificed and lost everything. Nobody cares and it will be unremarked after a day. We barely even do, since it won't be us, or none of us would drive.


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## Piotrowski (Sep 9, 2014)

Roogy said:


> That's uber insurance while you are driving a fare. I am talking about when you are not driving for Uber in your day-to-day life. Apparently some insurance companies will cancel your policy if they know you drive for uber, even if you're only doing it for 3-5 hrs a week.


Search around online and all you will ever find are articles saying it "could" happen. I have yet to see one solid example of where it HAS happened. Anything can happen, I could get hit by a meteorite tomorrow.


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## Tim In Cleveland (Jul 28, 2014)

An Uber driver who's insurance had been cancelled because of working for Uber would post here. It wouldn't be a rumor.


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## Killeen Ubur (Oct 29, 2014)

Roogy said:


> Uber should find an insurance company to partner with who will offer coverage to drivers who Uber part-time. Uber has its own policy for when we're on the clock with Uber, but I'm talking about an insurer who will cover us when we are not on the clock. Then we wouldn't have to stress about policies getting cancelled if our insurers find out what we do for a few hours a week.
> 
> They could even give that insurer a link to the hours worked for each driver they insure, so rates could be aligned with how many hours their insurees are ubering. For example, a person driving uber for 3 hrs a week should have a much less expensive policy than someone driving uber for 20 hrs a week.


Wow Beautiful and smart I'm in LOVE


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## Casuale Haberdasher (Dec 7, 2014)

Kaz said:


> Great question and I suggested that, among others, in the survey they sent me. I'm trying to get some quotes on a commercial policy and though they're available, some brokers don't understand Uber and Lyft. I am a part timer too and will post quotes, limits, etc when I get a call back. We are NOT covered outside of the Meter, for the most part and it sucks and is so lame of Uber. We need their help in
> 
> THREAD # 6 / KAZ IN AZ.: A BIG part of their
> Cheapo M.O. could be to remove a reason for
> ...


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## makes_sense (Sep 26, 2014)

@Tim In Cleveland we are not supposed to tell our insurance companies we work for uber I have no doubt they would not like it commercial insurance cost between 350 and 800 dollars a month ascendant commercial insurance is down here in miami


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## BlkGeep (Dec 7, 2014)

If you add up the safe driver fee for real full time drivers we are already paying enough to cover most commercial insurance policies. Up vote.


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## Jeeves (Apr 10, 2014)

This is a good idea, for Uber. Much like they can get you a 20% APR car loan, you would think they would beoffering overpriced personal insurance policies to go with your new 5 year debt.


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## mauimark (Feb 11, 2015)

They will never offer insurance that covers drivers outside of the app, for one reason: It prevents drivers from building their own client base of of Uber's system, then using Uber's "app off" insurance to make money without giving Uber 20%.


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## BlkGeep (Dec 7, 2014)

Smart like a fox you are.


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## Tim In Cleveland (Jul 28, 2014)

There's no reason for your personal insurance not to cover you between trips. That is just going to/from work while waiting for calls.


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

Tim In Cleveland said:


> There's no reason for your personal insurance not to cover you between trips. That is just going to/from work while waiting for calls.


Oh god, that again? Come on Tim, that has been addressed by countless insurance companies. Trolling phase is commercial use, they've all made it clear. There is no practical way for them to differentiate between the driver who only does one ride between home and work, and the cab type drivers, furthermore, doing Uber in your car -PERIOD is commercial use, whether Uber provides a window of liability or not. If your company has a livery exclusion, and you are providing livery service, you are excluded from their coverage. It really is that simple. That is why hybrid plans are being developed. Until a driver had one of those plans, or a commercial policy, or coverage with no livery exclusion, they are effectively uninsured. Latest, clearest explanation I've seen:
http://www.propertycasualty360.com/2015/02/09/uh-ohuber-has-some-coverage-issues?t=commercial


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## mauimark (Feb 11, 2015)

Tx rides said:


> Oh god, that again? Come on Tim, that has been addressed by countless insurance companies.


I'm pretty sure he's joking, 'cause that's childish talk. Nobody would really buy that, if they stop and think about it. Consider this: If a driver leaves his house with the intention of ubering but hasn't yet turned on the app, then causes an accident, the accident wouldn't have occurred had he not been an Uber driver. Now multiply this risk by x times that he leaves his house to Uber in year, and multiply this by the thousands of Uber drivers who have personal auto policies with a particular company..... Someone's premiums are going up, am I wrong? And if I had to guess, I'd say that everyone's premiums are going up, because of drivers who think like Tim: "There's no reason for your personal insurance not to cover you between trips."

Tim, if you were serious, then even you can see the obvious. From the insurance company's shoes, no, those drivers weren't out on a personal drive around the countryside prior to turning on the app. They are commercial drivers the moment they enter the vehicle because, if not for the intention of making money, they'd still be sitting in the living room. More time on the road equals greater risk that you will be in an accident.

I personally think this Period 0/1/2/3 or whatever is BS and will eventually break down. Just wait til someone with this Geico hybrid coverage gets in a serious accident just after he turns on the app. How do you prove the exact moment the accident occurred? Was the app on or off? Now there are 3 insurance companies denying the claim (Geico, Raiser, and the other driver), 3 investigators, potentially 3 attorneys (4 if the driver has to hire one) and the driver/passengers/bystanders will be caught in the middle.


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## Tx rides (Sep 15, 2014)

mauimark said:


> I'm pretty sure he's joking, 'cause that's childish talk. Nobody would really buy that, if they stop and think about it. Consider this: If a driver leaves his house with the intention of ubering but hasn't yet turned on the app, then causes an accident, the accident wouldn't have occurred had he not been an Uber driver. Now multiply this risk by x times that he leaves his house to Uber in year, and multiply this by the thousands of Uber drivers who have personal auto policies with a particular company..... Someone's premiums are going up, am I wrong? And if I had to guess, I'd say that everyone's premiums are going up, because of drivers who think like Tim: "There's no reason for your personal insurance not to cover you between trips."
> 
> Tim, if you were serious, then even you can see the obvious. From the insurance company's shoes, no, those drivers weren't out on a personal drive around the countryside prior to turning on the app. They are commercial drivers the moment they enter the vehicle because, if not for the intention of making money, they'd still be sitting in the living room. More time on the road equals greater risk that you will be in an accident.
> 
> I personally think this Period 0/1/2/3 or whatever is BS and will eventually break down. Just wait til someone with this Geico hybrid coverage gets in a serious accident just after he turns on the app. How do you prove the exact moment the accident occurred? Was the app on or off? Now there are 3 insurance companies denying the claim (Geico, Raiser, and the other driver), 3 investigators, potentially 3 attorneys (4 if the driver has to hire one) and the driver/passengers/bystanders will be caught in the middle.


I disappoint myself every time I reply to those who imply that drivers will be fine with personal coverages :-( I can't help it; I just want to keep contradicting people who say that, so people like this young single mom I met last week will think twice about the risk. She lives 20 miles away from her "real wage job", and hasn't even lived near Austin very long. She has visions of 600/weekend to make her car payment, by driving drunks, and thinks she will really clean up during SXSW. Her age, and inexperience downtown makes her a high risk. If she has an accident, even if she is not injured, she can lose her insurance, AND car. 23 years old with a 5 year old, who would then be unemployed because she had no way to get to her regular job. I'm going to train her on some dispatch/reservations so she can work some nights and weekends from home. There was a time when I was a young, struggling, single mom, I remember how gullible I was


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## rlb28 (Feb 16, 2015)

An insurance company came out last week in several states w/ a program just for auto-for-hire drivers. Hit up my inbox.


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## mauimark (Feb 11, 2015)

rlb28 said:


> An insurance company came out last week in several states w/ a program just for auto-for-hire drivers. Hit up my inbox.


Hit up your inbox? Dude, everyone already knows ALL of the companies currently offering "rideshare" coverage. I don't see the point in not stating it here if you think you have another.

Point is, I don't see how "auto-for-hire" insurance should be any different or cheaper than commercial for-hire insurance. It's the same job, and there's no way to determine the difference without pegging the premiums to the mileage driven. But for that to happen the insurance companies would need to have something hooked up to the vehicle's OBD-II port and then check it all the time.

But even if they did this, there's still the question of app on/app off. You know Uber is going to deny every claim now that Geico or whomever is offering rideshare insurance. So if Geico is on the hook for it, then it might as well be full-time commercial insurance. If not, then commercial operators might as well cancel their insurance and go with the part-time BS.

Once Geico starts dealing with Uber's attorneys, I just don't see it working out. I see Geico either back-pedaling and getting out of it, or the premiums adjusting to near commercials levels.


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## rlb28 (Feb 16, 2015)

Dude! I asked u to hit up my inbox bc the mods dont want ppl advertising. I am an agent and would like to quote a few ppl with the new program to see if it's worth my time and yours. It's so new that i have to call it in to the company to even get a quote. The co. even used Uberx and Lyft in their marketing. Don't be such a know-it-all.


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## mauimark (Feb 11, 2015)

Then just say that instead of being so vague about it.

Shit, if I'm a know-it-all, what do you call the people who are just spewing BS out of their asses? Am I wrong in what I'm saying?


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## rlb28 (Feb 16, 2015)

From Progressive: You can write ridesharing risks (those who drive for Transportation Network Companies such as UberX and Lyft) in our new Commercial Auto For-Hire Livery program. These companies use mobile apps, text messages and the web to connect fare paying passengers with drivers to provide transportation.

*Our For-Hire Livery program is available to agents in 21 states: *

Arizona
Colorado
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky Maine
Missouri
Nebraska
New Hampshire
Ohio
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Wisconsin
Wyoming


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## mauimark (Feb 11, 2015)

Thank you. So what's the difference between this and a commercial policy? Or, why is there a difference? What info does your company collect to make sure the driver is a TNC driver and not some limo driver? Do they track mileage?

Do they somehow verify that the driver uses "mobile apps, text messages and the web to connect fare paying passengers with drivers to provide transportation"? If so, how? What questions are you required to ask?


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## rlb28 (Feb 16, 2015)

As i stated before, it is so new that i havent even quoted one yet. I guess I'll use myself as a guinea pig and report back today. When i spoke w/ them yesterday there were a few stipulations like "no driver under 25". I dont think mileage will enter into equation.


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## geeman (Aug 22, 2014)

Jay2dresq said:


> Because they're a "technology company" not a "transportation company".


Then why does Uber have any insurance. They shouldn't even care if you get into an accident with a passenger as "they are a technology company" that's just a load of bullshit and they will eventually get called out on it by some judge. They control fares prices, they take a percentage of fares, they hire and fire drivers, etc. I would agree they were just a technology company if the only thing they do is provide the app for both the driver and passenger and charge for the app and have nothing else to do with it from that point forward. I believe very little of what Uber says they are nothing but a bunch of liers not to be trusted.


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## Lakeside (Feb 14, 2015)

geeman said:


> Then why does Uber have any insurance. They shouldn't even care if you get into an accident with a passenger as "they are a technology company" that's just a load of bullshit and they will eventually get called out on it by some judge. They control fares prices, they take a percentage of fares, they hire and fire drivers, etc. I would agree they were just a technology company if the only thing they do is provide the app for both the driver and passenger and charge for the app and have nothing else to do with it from that point forward. I believe very little of what Uber says they are nothing but a bunch of liers not to be trusted.


I just read a number of articles where specific counties and cities are calling Uber to the mat on this self-described "technology company" BS. They are not cab companies and they are not technology companies, hence the new term TNC. The state/city/county regulations will continue to evolve and change both the cab industry and TNC business as they both pertain to rules, regulations, and most importantly insurance. Just google "Uber, Insurance, Lawsuit" and you'll have enough reading for the weekend.


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