Uber or Lyft Crash: Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Illinois

Last Updated: October 6, 2026

After an Uber or Lyft crash in Illinois, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can come from two places: the $50,000 Illinois requires the insurance for the ride to include while a passenger is in the car, and your own auto policy. Many policies do not let you add limits together; the policy language controls.

“The driver who hit our Uber had no insurance. Who pays?” Three policies can be in the picture after a rideshare crash: the rideshare driver’s own auto policy, the coverage Illinois requires while the driver is using the app, and your own auto policy. Uninsured motorist coverage (UM) is the part of a policy that pays when the driver who caused the crash had no insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) fills the gap between that driver’s limits and your own UIM limit, after what you actually recover from that driver. Which policy answers, and whether two of them can be combined, depends on the driver’s app status and on the policy language.

This article is part of our complete guide to UM/UIM claims in Illinois.

What insurance does Illinois require for a rideshare crash?

The Transportation Network Providers Act, 625 ILCS 57/10, ties the required insurance to what the driver’s app was doing at the moment of the crash. It describes two situations:

App on, waiting. The driver is logged in with no ride accepted, and the same rules apply after a ride ends until the next acceptance or log-off. The Act requires liability coverage of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash for death or injury, and $25,000 for property damage. The driver’s own policy comes first, and the company must carry contingent coverage at those amounts that pays if the driver’s policy excludes the claim or carries lower limits. The Act’s uninsured and underinsured motorist requirement begins only when a passenger is in the car, as the next paragraph explains.

Ride accepted or passenger aboard. From acceptance of the ride request through the end of the ride, the Act requires $1,000,000 of primary liability coverage for death, injury and property damage. Primary means it pays first; the Act states that this coverage cannot depend on the driver’s personal policy denying the claim first. From the moment a passenger enters the car until the passenger gets out, the coverage must also include $50,000 of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If the driver’s own insurance has lapsed, the company provides the required coverage from the first dollar.

The $1,000,000 is a minimum the Act requires, and the Act says it does not limit what a company can owe in a lawsuit for damages above that coverage. The Act says nothing about whether drivers are employees or independent contractors; the coverage rules apply either way.

What coverage does a passenger have when the other driver had no insurance?

If you are a passenger in an Uber or Lyft and another driver with no insurance, or too little, causes the crash, the $50,000 of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage the Act requires while you are in the car is the first place to look. Ask for the policy itself, because the policy controls what it actually provides.

Your own auto policy is the second place to look. Under 215 ILCS 5/143a, every Illinois auto policy must include uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury. Under 215 ILCS 5/143a-2, that coverage is written at the same limits as your liability coverage unless you rejected the higher amount in writing, and a policy with uninsured limits above the state minimum must also carry underinsured motorist coverage at the same limits. Many policies do not let you add limits together, so the policy language controls whether your own coverage and the rideshare coverage can be combined. Tell your lawyer before accepting any settlement from the other driver’s insurer; your own policy has notice rules.

What if I drive for Uber or Lyft and an uninsured driver hit me during a ride?

While a passenger is in your car, the coverage the Act requires includes $50,000 of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, so that is the first policy to read. With no passenger aboard, whether you were waiting for a request or on the way to the pickup, the Act requires no uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, so your own policy’s terms decide. Your personal auto policy’s terms on driving for a rideshare company decide whether it covers the crash at all, and the policy language decides whether the two coverages can be combined. Bring both policies, and the trip record showing whether a passenger was aboard, to the consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Uber or Lyft carry UM/UIM coverage for passengers?

Yes. From the moment a passenger enters the car until the passenger gets out, the coverage required by 625 ILCS 57/10 must include $50,000 of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. It applies when the driver who caused the crash had no insurance or too little. The Act sets the required amount; ask for the policy itself to see what it actually provides.

Can I use both the rideshare company’s UM/UIM and my own auto policy?

It depends on the policy language. Every Illinois auto policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, and many policies do not let you add limits together with another policy’s coverage; the wording of your policy controls whether the two can be combined. Disputes with your own insurer about uninsured motorist coverage are usually decided in arbitration (a private hearing before a neutral decision maker) rather than by a jury. Bring your declarations page, the summary sheet listing your coverages and limits, and tell your lawyer before accepting any settlement from the other driver’s insurer, because your own policy has notice rules.

What if I am a rideshare driver hit by an uninsured motorist?

Start with the coverage the Act requires while a passenger is in your car, which must include $50,000 of uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and read your own personal auto policy for its terms on driving for a rideshare company. With no passenger aboard, whether you were waiting for a request or on the way to the pickup, the Act requires no uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, so your own policy is the place to look. Whether both apply, and whether they can be combined, depends on the policy language, so bring both policies and the trip record to the consultation.

Talk with Robert Parker about your uninsured or underinsured motorist claim

Call 309-673-0069 or send a message through the contact page for a free consultation. Robert Parker handles uninsured and underinsured motorist claims on a contingency fee: the fee is one-third of the recovery, and there is no attorney fee unless the firm recovers money for you.

If you were hurt by a driver with no insurance or too little, or you are reading this for a family member who was, Robert Parker reviews the coverage questions as part of the firm’s Peoria personal injury practice. The review starts with whatever information you have.

Need a lawyer? This article is part of our Peoria Uninsured Motorist Lawyer practice area. Call Parker & Parker at 309-673-0069 for a free consultation.

Related local guides: UM/UIM coverage guide, and car accident lawyer guide.

Rideshare Accident UM/UIM Coverage in Illinois: Uber and Lyft Claims