For crashes since July 1, 2023, the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage Uber and Lyft must carry during a ride in Georgia dropped from $1 million to $300,000 per accident, with up to $100,000 per person. For passengers hurt by an uninsured or underinsured driver, that is a big drop. Your own auto policy is now a much more important backup.
What Changed in Uber’s Uninsured Motorist Coverage in 2023
House Bill 529 rewrote the rideshare insurance law, O.C.G.A. § 33-1-24. During a ride, the rideshare company’s policy must still carry at least $1 million in liability coverage. But the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage it must carry dropped to these minimums:
| Coverage during a ride | Before July 1, 2023 | Since July 1, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Liability | $1 million | $1 million |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist, per person | No separate per-person limit | Up to $100,000 |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist, per accident | $1 million | At least $300,000 |
The change applies to claims from crashes on or after July 1, 2023.
Who Uber’s Lower Uninsured Motorist Coverage Affects Most
The liability coverage still protects you when your Uber or Lyft driver causes the crash. The lower uninsured motorist coverage matters when someone else causes it and that driver has little or no insurance. Georgia’s minimum liability coverage is only $25,000 per person, so a serious injury can easily outrun the at-fault driver’s policy. If you were a passenger, our guide on who pays when you’re hurt as an Uber or Lyft passenger covers the full claim.
Rideshare drivers are affected too. A driver hurt by an uninsured motorist while carrying a passenger may be able to claim under the Uber or Lyft policy’s uninsured motorist coverage, which may be limited to $100,000 per person.
How to Protect Yourself
- Check your own uninsured motorist coverage. If you or a relative you live with has it, it generally follows you, even as a passenger in someone else’s car.
- Ask whether your coverage is “add-on.” In Georgia, add-on coverage pays on top of the at-fault driver’s liability limits. It applies unless you chose the “reduced-by” option in writing.
- Consider higher limits. Ask your agent what more uninsured motorist coverage would cost on your policy.
- Don’t reject it. Georgia lets you reject uninsured motorist coverage in writing, but doing so removes your main backup in a crash like this.
Read more about uninsured motorist coverage in Georgia.
Settling When Several Policies Apply
When the at-fault driver’s policy isn’t enough, the order and wording of each settlement matter. Accepting that driver’s policy limits with a general release can end your claim against the uninsured motorist coverage. A limited release under O.C.G.A. § 33-24-41.1 can protect it, but only if it meets the statute’s exact terms. See general vs. limited releases in Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for liability during a ride. Only the required uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage dropped, to $300,000 per accident with up to $100,000 per person.
It applies to claims from crashes on or after July 1, 2023. For earlier crashes, the old $1 million uninsured motorist requirement applies.
Often, yes. If you or a relative you live with has uninsured motorist coverage, it generally follows you, and in Georgia it is add-on coverage unless reduced-by was chosen in writing.
Then your own policy won’t help in this situation, and the rideshare policy’s uninsured motorist coverage, which may be limited to $100,000 per person, may be all that is available. A relative’s policy in your household may still apply.
Talk With Jonathan About Your Rideshare Crash
See our Georgia rideshare accident guide for coverage by app status, or our Atlanta rideshare accident attorney page if you were hurt in the Atlanta area. Request a free consultation or call (678) 653-0309.
This article is general information about Georgia law, not legal advice for any specific situation. Laws change and outcomes depend on facts particular to each case. Reading this page or contacting Flack Injury Law through this website does not create an attorney-client relationship. Do not send confidential information until an attorney-client relationship has been established.