Car accident while delivering for Uber Eats in California: what's covered and what to do

General information, not legal advice. This site is not a law firm and isn't affiliated with Uber or any insurer. Company terms change, and every situation is different. Check the sources linked below and your own policy.

The short answer

Uber says the insurance it keeps for deliveries covers your liability to other people when you're at fault: state minimums while you're online and available, and at least $500,000 once you're en route or on a delivery (Uber). It says that insurance doesn't pay to fix your own car at any point in a delivery. For your car, look to your own policy (if it covers delivery) or the at-fault driver's insurer. If you're hurt, California's Prop 22 requires injury coverage while you're online (B&P §7455), and Uber's California page says you're covered automatically.

What Uber says it covers in each part of a delivery

These are Uber's own published terms for delivery trips, not California law, and they can change. Uber says the details for your state are in the Driver app under Account, then Insurance.

Your app status	Liability to others (if you're at fault)	Damage to your car	Your injuries (California)
Offline	None from Uber; your personal policy	Your personal policy	Not covered by Prop 22
Online and available (waiting for a request)	Uber: at least state minimums	Not covered by Uber	Prop 22 occupational accident coverage
En route or on a delivery	Uber: at least $500,000 (or more where required)	Not covered by Uber	Prop 22 occupational accident coverage

Your car

Uber says: "Coverage maintained by Uber does not pay for repairs to your car at any period of a delivery." Your options:

The at-fault driver's insurer. If someone else caused the crash, their liability insurance owes for the damage, whether or not you were on the app. That can include repairs, loss of use (the reasonable cost of renting a similar car while yours is fixed; see DentedValue's loss-of-use guide), and lost value.
Your own collision coverage, if your policy covers delivery driving. Uber says some personal insurers include delivery automatically and others sell an add-on (endorsement). Ask yours, in writing if you can.

If your insurer says no because you were delivering, see what to do when your insurance denies a claim because you were driving for an app.

Liability to other people

If you caused the crash, Uber says its third-party liability insurance may cover injuries and damage to others: at least state minimums while you're online and available, and at least $500,000 once you've accepted a delivery. Prop 22 also requires a delivery company to maintain automobile liability insurance of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence for injuries or losses during engaged time (from accepting a delivery to completing it) when the car isn't otherwise covered by a qualifying auto policy (B&P §7455(f)(1); engaged time is defined in B&P §7463). Uber's page doesn't spell out how its $500,000 figure fits with that rule; it says it maintains more "where required." The statute's $1,000,000 is the California floor for that situation.

If you're hurt: Prop 22

California requires delivery and rideshare companies to carry occupational accident insurance for injuries while you're online, meaning able to receive requests or during engaged time (B&P §7455(a), (c)). At a minimum it must pay:

Medical expenses up to at least $1,000,000.
Disability payments of 66% of your average weekly earnings from all apps (total earnings in the 28 days before the accident, divided by four), for up to the first 104 weeks.
Accidental death benefits for your spouse, children or other dependents.

Uber's California Prop 22 page says you're "automatically covered by an occupational accident insurance policy at no cost to you" while online with Uber, covering medical expenses, disability payments and survivor benefits, and that you file by reporting the incident in the Help section of the Driver app (Uber Prop 22 benefits).

Watch for the national page. Uber's general delivery insurance page says Uber's coverage "does not pay for your injuries during any period of a delivery" and offers optional injury insurance "in most states." That page covers every state. In California, Prop 22 requires the occupational accident coverage above, and Uber's California page confirms it.

Two exclusions in the law: Prop 22 coverage doesn't have to cover an accident while you're online but not on a delivery if you're on an active trip for another app at the time, or if you're doing personal activities (§7455(d)). If another driver caused your injuries, you may also have a claim against that driver.

Bikes, e-bikes and scooters

Uber says its delivery coverage doesn't include bikes, e-bikes or walking unless the law requires it. Prop 22's definition of delivery services includes deliveries by bicycle, scooter or on foot (B&P §7463(h)), and the occupational accident requirement is tied to being online, not to driving a car.

If the other driver has no insurance

Uber says it maintains uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage for delivery only in states where the law requires it. California's rideshare UM/UIM requirement, added by SB 371 in 2026, applies while a passenger is in the car on a rideshare trip (PUC §5433(b)(2)), not to food deliveries. Check the certificate in your Driver app and your own policy's uninsured motorist coverage. DentedValue explains uninsured and hit-and-run property damage in California.

If you also drive rideshare

Uber says it keeps separate policies for rides and deliveries, and your coverage depends on the type of trip at that moment. Rideshare trips follow California's rideshare insurance law, including Uber's coverage for your car after you accept a trip (with a $2,500 deductible, per Uber). See rideshare insurance periods in California and the Uber and Lyft $2,500 deductible.

What to do after an Uber Eats crash

Stop, check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt. California requires drivers in a crash to stop and exchange information, and to help anyone injured (Vehicle Code §20002, §20003). Uber also says to contact police if there are injuries or damage and to save the police report number.
Screenshot your app status (online, en route, or on a delivery) and the time. It decides which coverage applies.
Get the other driver's name, license, plate and insurance, and photos of both cars, the scene and any witnesses. Save dash cam footage right away (see recording with a dash cam in California for what to keep and what not to share).
Report it in the Driver app. Uber says to tap the Safety Toolkit (the blue shield on the map), then Report a crash, or choose Safety in Help and select the Safety Incident Reporting Line. The app then sends you to the Crash Center for claim status, Uber's insurer's contact details and rental car options.
Report any injury for Prop 22 through the Help section of the app.
Open a claim with the other driver's insurer if they caused it.
Tell your own insurer the truth about the delivery. Knowingly giving false or misleading information about a material fact in a claim is a crime (Penal Code §550).
File an SR-1 with the DMV if required. If anyone was hurt or any one person's property damage is over $1,000, the driver must report it within 10 days (Vehicle Code §16000). DentedValue's SR-1 guide walks through it.

Deadlines

The general deadline to sue over an injury caused by someone else is two years (CCP §335.1); for damage to your car it's generally three years (CCP §338(c)(1)). Insurance and app reporting expectations are much shorter, so report right away.

Common questions

Does Uber Eats cover car accidents?

Partly. Uber says its delivery insurance covers your liability to other people if you're at fault: state minimum limits while you're online and available, and at least $500,000 once you're en route or on a delivery. Uber says that coverage doesn't pay to repair your own car during any part of a delivery. Those are company terms. Separately, California's Prop 22 requires injury coverage for you while you're online (B&P §7455).

Will Uber pay to fix my car after an Uber Eats accident?

No. Uber says coverage it maintains doesn't pay for repairs to your car at any period of a delivery. Your own policy may cover it if it covers delivery activity, and if another driver caused the crash you can claim against that driver's liability insurer.

Am I covered if I get hurt delivering for Uber Eats in California?

California's Prop 22 requires delivery apps to carry occupational accident insurance for injuries while you're online: medical expenses up to at least $1,000,000 and disability payments of 66% of your average weekly earnings for up to 104 weeks (B&P §7455(a)). Uber's California Prop 22 page says you're automatically covered at no cost and to report the injury in the Help section of the app. Uber's general delivery insurance page says it doesn't cover your injuries, but that page is written for all states.

What's the Uber Eats accident claims phone number?

Uber's delivery insurance page doesn't list a phone number. It says to report a crash in the Driver app through the Safety Toolkit's 'Report a crash' option, or to choose Safety in the app's Help section and select the Safety Incident Reporting Line. After that, the app's Crash Center shows your claim status and how to contact Uber's insurer.

Do I need special insurance to deliver for Uber Eats in California?

Uber says you need personal auto insurance that meets your state's minimum requirements, and that extra delivery coverage isn't required to sign up. But it also says its insurance never fixes your car during a delivery, so ask your insurer whether your policy covers delivery driving and what it would take to add it. Be truthful about app work; hiding it in a claim can be insurance fraud (Penal Code §550).

Does Uber's rideshare insurance apply if I was delivering food?

No. Uber says it keeps separate policies for rides and deliveries, and your coverage depends on the type of trip at that moment. California's rideshare insurance law (PUC §5433) is written for transportation network companies carrying passengers, so the rideshare limits don't carry over to a food delivery.

What if the driver who hit me has no insurance?

Uber says it maintains uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for delivery only in states where the law requires it, and points to details in the Driver app under Account, then Insurance. California's rideshare UM/UIM requirement applies while a passenger is in the car (PUC §5433(b)(2)), not to deliveries. Check your own policy's uninsured motorist coverage and whether it covers delivery time.

Sources

The sources this guide cites. We check the guide against these sources before publishing and each time we review it.

Published October 31, 2026 · Last reviewed October 31, 2026 · How we write and review guides