How much insurance is available after a Massachusetts Uber or Lyft accident?

Massachusetts changes liability coverage at ride acceptance

Massachusetts’ TNC insurance statute requires uninsured motorist coverage to the extent required by section 113L and personal injury protection to the extent required by section 34A of chapter 90 in both rideshare periods — not just liability, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 228(c), (d). That coverage may be held by the driver, the company, or a combination of the two, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 228(c), (d). If the driver’s own insurance has lapsed, failed to provide the required coverage, denied a claim for it, or otherwise ceased to exist, the company’s insurance must provide the required coverage beginning with the first dollar of the claim and has the duty to investigate and defend, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 228(e). The company policy’s coverage is not dependent on a personal insurer first denying a claim, and a personal insurer is not required to deny first, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 228(f). The Department of Public Utilities Transportation Network Company Division, in consultation with the commissioner of insurance, implements those section 228 insurance requirements, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 159A½, § 2.

Uber’s Massachusetts certificate is dated February 25, 2026. The policies on it run March 1, 2026 through March 1, 2027. While the driver is available to receive requests, it lists $50,000/$100,000/$30,000, uninsured motorist coverage of $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident, and personal injury protection. Once a ride is accepted, it lists a $1,000,000 combined single limit, with the same $20,000/$40,000 uninsured motorist coverage and PIP. Underinsured motorist coverage is not included in either period. The $20,000/$40,000 figure is what that February 25, 2026 certificate prints. It does not decide whether section 228 followed the July 1, 2025 compulsory change. Uber Massachusetts Certificate of Insurance.

Lyft’s Massachusetts certificate is dated August 13, 2026. The policies on it run October 1, 2026 through October 1, 2027. It lists the same $50,000/$100,000/$30,000 waiting-period limits, uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident, and PIP. The accepted-ride period lists a $1,000,000 combined single limit, with the same $25,000/$50,000 uninsured motorist coverage. Those are the figures on the August 13, 2026 certificate. Lyft Massachusetts Certificate of Liability Insurance.

When does the $1 million Massachusetts period begin and end?

Massachusetts defines a “pre-arranged ride” as the period that begins when a transportation network driver accepts a requested ride through a digital network, continues while the driver transports the rider, and ends when the rider safely departs from the vehicle. Mass. Gen. Laws c. 159A½, § 1.

Massachusetts does not create a separate, lower tier for the drive to pickup — the $1 million floor covers the entire pre-arranged ride, from acceptance through drop-off, in one continuous period.

The practical timeline is:

1. Offline: personal insurance.
2. Logged in, not yet matched with a rider: at least $50,000/$100,000/$30,000, plus UM and PIP.
3. Ride accepted: at least $1 million.
4. Passenger picked up: still the same pre-arranged-ride period.
5. Rider safely departs the vehicle: the pre-arranged ride ends.

If the driver stays logged in afterward, the earlier tier applies again until the next ride is accepted or the driver logs off.

Every Massachusetts rideshare tier already includes PIP and uninsured motorist coverage

A Massachusetts claim can change insurance tiers with a single app event — and unlike some states, every tier in Massachusetts already includes PIP and uninsured motorist coverage, not just liability.

Worth checking carefully. Uber’s certificate dated February 25, 2026, for policies running March 1, 2026 through March 1, 2027, lists uninsured motorist coverage of $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident in both rideshare periods. St. 2024, c. 275, approved December 23, 2024, changed the compulsory bodily-injury words in Mass. Gen. Laws c. 90, § 34A to not less than $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for motor vehicle liability policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. Section 113L requires uninsured motorist coverage in the amounts prescribed for bodily injury or death for a liability policy. Whether c. 175, § 228 picked up that July 1, 2025 change for a transportation-network policy is not settled by the certificate or by the text of chapter 275. Lyft’s certificate dated August 13, 2026, for policies running October 1, 2026 through October 1, 2027, lists $25,000/$50,000 uninsured motorist coverage in both periods. That is what the certificate prints. It is not a ruling that Uber’s lower figure violates section 228.

Are there different city rules?

Massachusetts bars a municipality or other local or state entity — with narrow exceptions — from imposing an additional license, tax, or rate requirement on a transportation network company, driver, or vehicle in connection with pre-arranged rides; a municipality may still regulate general traffic flow and traffic patterns. The main exception is airports: the Massachusetts Port Authority (which includes Boston Logan International Airport) and the airport commissions for a handful of regional Massachusetts airports — including Cape Cod Gateway, Martha’s Vineyard, New Bedford Regional, Nantucket Memorial, and Provincetown Municipal — may charge a reasonable pick-up fee and designate staging and pickup locations. Mass. Gen. Laws c. 159A½, § 10. There is no separate Boston, Worcester, or Springfield insurance minimum for rideshare accidents; the limits above apply statewide.

Uber’s Massachusetts certificate still prints $20,000/$40,000 UM — check it against the current compulsory minimum

Liability insurance protects against claims made because an insured driver caused an accident. Uninsured motorist coverage addresses injuries caused by a driver with no applicable liability coverage. Underinsured motorist coverage addresses a responsible driver whose available liability insurance is lower than the injured insured’s applicable underinsured-motorist limits. Massachusetts is also a no-fault state for initial medical bills: personal injury protection pays a driver’s or passenger’s own medical expenses and lost wages up to $8,000, regardless of fault.

Massachusetts requires uninsured motorist coverage on an ordinary personal auto policy — it is not merely offered and rejectable the way it is in some other states. Section 113L requires that coverage in the amounts prescribed for bodily injury or death for a liability policy, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 113L. St. 2024, c. 275, approved December 23, 2024, replaced the prior “at least twenty thousand dollars” and “at least forty thousand dollars” bodily-injury words in Mass. Gen. Laws c. 90, § 34A with not less than $25,000 and not less than $50,000. Sections 1 to 3 apply to motor vehicle liability policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025. During both rideshare periods, section 228 requires uninsured motorist coverage to the extent required by section 113L and personal injury protection to the extent required by section 34A of chapter 90, Mass. Gen. Laws c. 175, § 228(c), (d). The certificates do not close the question of whether a TNC policy had to print the July 1, 2025 personal-auto figures.

Uber

Uber’s Massachusetts certificate is dated February 25, 2026. The policies run March 1, 2026 through March 1, 2027. It shows:

• Waiting for a request: $50,000 bodily injury per person / $100,000 per accident / $30,000 property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage of $20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident. Personal injury protection included. Underinsured motorist coverage not included.
• Accepted ride through the passenger period: $1,000,000 combined single limit. Same $20,000/$40,000 uninsured motorist coverage and PIP. Underinsured motorist coverage not included.
• Comprehensive/collision: during the accepted-ride period, actual cash value or cost of repair, whichever is less, subject to a $2,500 deductible.

See the Uber Massachusetts Certificate of Insurance, certificate dated February 25, 2026; policy period March 1, 2026–March 1, 2027.

Lyft

Lyft’s Massachusetts certificate is dated August 13, 2026. The policies run October 1, 2026 through October 1, 2027. It shows:

• Waiting for a request: $50,000 bodily injury per person / $100,000 per accident / $30,000 property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident. Personal injury protection included.
• Accepted-ride liability: $1,000,000 combined single limit, with the same $25,000/$50,000 uninsured motorist coverage carried through.
• Auto physical damage: actual cash value or cost of repair, whichever is less, subject to a $2,500 deductible.

See the Lyft Massachusetts Certificate of Liability Insurance, certificate dated August 13, 2026; policy period October 1, 2026–October 1, 2027.

Because both companies’ certificates already show meaningful uninsured motorist coverage, confirming the exact carrier, policy, and amount in force on the accident date is still the safest way to know what is actually available — the two companies do not carry the same number.