What is Nebraska’s $25,000 waiting floor, and how is it different from the certificate?
Nebraska rideshare insurance uses stages. The numbers in the statute and the numbers on a certificate answer different questions.
Waiting floor in the statute. While a driver is logged on and no ride has been accepted, Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-334 requires primary liability of at least $25,000 for death and personal injury per person, $50,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage. That $25,000 per-person figure is the waiting floor.
Uber’s certificate for that stage. Policy 606715851 prints $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. That is a certificate figure. It is not the $25,000 statutory floor. Lyft period 1, policy NEBA1T6624548270, prints $25,000, $50,000, and $25,000, which matches the floor. A match is still a certificate line. It does not replace 75-334.
Uninsured line on both certificates. Uber and Lyft each print uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. That line is not the waiting liability floor, and it is not Uber’s $50,000 per-person liability figure.
From acceptance until the driver completes the transaction or the passenger exits, whichever is later, 75-333 requires at least $1,000,000 in primary liability. It also requires uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage for the driver and passengers in the amounts required by the Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage Act. The drive to the pickup is already inside that stage. 75-323(2).
Nebraska is an at-fault state. A claimant whose fault equals or exceeds the defendants’ total recovers nothing. The injury deadline is four years.
Statute text read November 10, 2026, from the Nebraska Legislature: Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-333 and 75-334.
Nebraska & the Midwest
The $1 million stages start at acceptance and run until the trip is completed or the passenger exits
The engaged stage runs “from the moment a participating driver accepts a ride request” until the driver completes the transaction in the app “or until the passenger exits the vehicle, whichever is later.” The passengers on board stage covers time with passengers in the car. 75-323(2), (6). The drive to the pickup is already inside the $1,000,000 stage.
| Stage | Statute | Liability required | Uninsured and underinsured |
|---|---|---|---|
| App off | Personal policy, 60-310, 60-534 | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage. Not a rideshare figure. | Uninsured and underinsured each at $25,000 / $50,000 (44-6408) |
| Application open: logged on, no ride accepted | 75-334(1) | $25,000 per person, $50,000 per incident, $25,000 property damage, primary | Uninsured motorist coverage. Underinsured is not named. |
| Engaged: accepted, driving to the pickup | 75-333(1), 75-323(2) | $1,000,000 primary | Uninsured and underinsured for driver and passengers |
| Passengers on board | 75-333(1), 75-323(6) | $1,000,000 primary | Same |
| Trip completed or passenger exited, still logged on | Back to 75-334 | $25,000, $50,000, and $25,000 | Uninsured motorist coverage |
If the driver’s rideshare insurance lapses, the company covers from the first dollar
The driver’s rideshare insurance, the company’s, or a combination may meet the requirements, and the insurer must defend and indemnify. 75-333(2), (3), 75-334(2), (3). If rideshare insurance the driver keeps “has lapsed or ceased to exist,” the company must provide the required coverage “beginning with the first dollar of a claim.” 75-335(2). Rideshare coverage cannot depend on a personal policy, including an umbrella, denying the claim first. 75-335(1). Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-335.
The rideshare law does not limit a company’s liability above the required insurance. 75-336(1). The driver must carry proof of rideshare coverage and give it on request after an accident. 75-341. In a coverage investigation, the company must share the driver’s log-on and log-off times for the 24 hours before the accident, and keep those records for at least five years. 75-340.
Whether Uber or Lyft is liable for a driver’s negligence beyond its insurance is unsettled.
A personal policy is not required to cover app-on time
Nothing in the rideshare law requires a personal auto policy to provide primary or excess coverage from log-on until the driver logs off or the passenger exits, whichever is later. 75-338. Personal insurers may sell rideshare coverage by policy, amendment, or endorsement. 75-339. Companies must warn drivers that many personal policies don’t cover vehicle damage, uninsured coverage, or other first-party claims during app-on time. 75-332(1)(b).
The rideshare law has no section expressly authorizing personal insurers to exclude rideshare use. Whether such an exclusion holds up against Nebraska’s mandatory uninsured coverage is unsettled.
Why is the $25,000 / $50,000 uninsured line not the waiting floor?
The $25,000 / $50,000 amounts on the Uber and Lyft certificates are uninsured and underinsured motorist limits. They are not 75-334’s $25,000 per-person waiting liability floor, and they are not Uber’s $50,000 per-person certificate liability for the waiting stage. Every Nebraska auto liability policy for a car principally garaged in the state must include uninsured and underinsured coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. 44-6408(1). During the engaged stage and the passengers-on-board stage, 75-333(1)(b) requires uninsured and underinsured coverage for the driver and passengers “in the amounts required by” that act, not $1,000,000. During the application-open stage, 75-334(1)(b) requires uninsured motorist coverage pursuant to that act. It does not use the words “uninsured and underinsured,” and it does not set a $1,000,000 uninsured limit. There is no stacking, and when you are hurt in a car you don’t own, that car’s uninsured coverage pays first. 44-6410, 44-6411. Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-6408.
If the at-fault driver’s insurer offers its limits, you must give your underinsured insurer written notice by certified or registered mail, and it has 30 days to substitute its own payment. 44-6412.
Whether underinsured coverage is required in the application open stage is unsettled; 75-334 names only uninsured motorist coverage.
Why does Uber’s waiting certificate say $50,000 per person?
Uber’s Nebraska certificates are issued by Farmers Insurance Exchange, NAIC 21652, for March 1, 2026 to March 1, 2027. Uber certificate PDF.
| What the form describes | Policy | Liability printed | Uninsured printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logged in and available, no acceptance recorded | 606715851 | $50,000 / $100,000 / $25,000 | Uninsured and underinsured $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Acceptance recorded, en route to pickup or traveling to the destination | 606715852 | $1,000,000 combined single limit | Uninsured and underinsured $25,000 / $50,000 |
| Physical damage on accepted trips | 606715852PD | Comprehensive and collision, $2,500 deductibles | Not applicable |
Uber’s period 1 liability of 50/100/25 is the certificate on policy 606715851. It is above the 25/50/25 waiting floor in 75-334, and it is not that floor. The $25,000 / $50,000 line on both Uber rows is uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.
Where does Lyft match the $25,000 floor, and where is that a different line?
Lyft’s certificate SEA-004219091-05 says “Evidence of Insurance Only for the State of NE.” The insurer is Mobilitas Insurance Company, NAIC 16392, and the policies run October 1, 2026 to October 1, 2027. Lyft certificate PDF.
| Policy | Period printed | What is printed | Uninsured printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEBA1T6624548270 | Period 1 | $25,000 / $50,000 bodily injury, $25,000 property damage | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| NEBA2T6624548270 | Period 2 | $1,000,000 combined single limit | $25,000 / $50,000 |
| NEBA3T6624548270 | Period 3 | Only a $2,500 physical damage deductible | $25,000 / $50,000 |
Lyft’s period 1 liability of $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000 matches the 75-334 waiting floor. It is still the certificate on policy NEBA1T6624548270, not a substitute for the statute. The $25,000 / $50,000 uninsured line on the Lyft rows is a separate coverage. It is not the waiting liability floor, and it is not Uber’s $50,000 per-person waiting liability.
The certificate says “Policies for Period 2 and Period 3 include UM/UIM $25,000/$50,000.” Physical damage pays actual cash value or repair cost, whichever is less, minus $2,500. The certificate prints no liability figure for period 3. Whatever the certificate shows, 75-333 requires $1,000,000 from acceptance through the passengers on board stage.
Nebraska has no PIP, so the at-fault driver’s liability coverage pays
Nebraska is not a no-fault state. Injury claims go against the at-fault driver’s liability coverage, and in rideshare cases that means the stage in effect at the time of the accident. Personal policies must carry at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. 60-310, 60-534. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-534.
50 percent fault recovers nothing, and the injury deadline is four years
A claimant’s own negligence reduces damages proportionately, but if it is “equal to or greater than the total negligence of all persons against whom recovery is sought,” the claim is barred. 25-21,185.09. Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-21,185.09.
Defendants acting in concert are jointly and severally liable for everything. Otherwise, economic damages such as medical bills and lost earnings are joint and several, and noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering are several only, by each defendant’s share. 25-21,185.10. Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-21,185.10.
- Personal injury and property damage: four years. 25-207. Neb. Rev. Stat. 25-207.
- Claims against a city, county, or other local government: much shorter. See below.
Ordinary injury damages have no general statutory cap
Separate caps apply to medical-malpractice recoveries under the Nebraska Hospital-Medical Liability Act, $2,250,000 for any occurrence after December 31, 2014, and to claims against political subdivisions, $1,000,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence. 44-2825, 13-926. Neb. Rev. Stat. 44-2825; Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-926. The medical malpractice cap in 44-2825 does not apply to accident claims. Caps for local government claims are covered below.
Local government claims must be filed within one year and are capped
Under the Political Subdivisions Tort Claims Act, which covers cities, villages, counties, school districts, and other local bodies, a written claim stating the time, place, and known facts must be filed with the clerk, secretary, or other designated official within one year after the claim accrued, or it is forever barred. 13-905, 13-919(1). If the governing body hasn’t decided within six months, the claimant may withdraw the claim in writing and sue. 13-906. Suit must start within two years of accrual, with a six-month extension after a final decision or withdrawal if needed. 13-919(1). Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-919.
Recovery is capped at $1,000,000 per person and $5,000,000 per occurrence. 13-926. Neb. Rev. Stat. 13-926.
Claims against the State or a state agency go to the Risk Manager within two years of accrual under the State Tort Claims Act. 81-8,212, 81-8,227(1). Neb. Rev. Stat. 81-8,227.
Check with a Nebraska attorney about any dollar limit on claims against the State.
Stop, give aid, and file a written report in 10 days for $2,000 in damage or any injury
- Property damage: stop and give your name, address, phone number, and license number to the owner or the other driver. For an unattended car or property, leave a written note and report to police without unnecessary delay. 60-696.
- Injury or death: stop, give your name, address, and plate number, show your license, and give reasonable assistance, including getting the injured person to a doctor. 60-697. Failing to do so is a felony. 60-698.
- Written report: for injury, death, or property damage to any one person of $2,000 or more, the driver must send a report to the Department of Transportation within 10 days, unless a peace officer investigated. 60-699(1). Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-699.
Driverless cars need ordinary coverage, and the rideshare stages are unsettled for them
Nebraska’s driverless vehicle law starts at 60-3301 (Laws 2018, LB989). Driverless vehicles may operate with no human driver if they can reach a minimal risk condition and obey traffic law, and on-demand driverless networks are allowed, including shared and for-hire rides. 60-3302, 60-3305. The owner must show insurance meeting the ordinary financial responsibility law, with no higher amount set. 60-3304. Neb. Rev. Stat. 60-3304.
Whether the 75-333 and 75-334 limits apply to driverless trips is unsettled.
The Public Service Commission permits rideshare companies
No one may operate a rideshare company in Nebraska without a Public Service Commission permit. 75-324(1). The Commission can inspect company records, and the insurer must give it 30 days’ notice before canceling or not renewing the company’s policy. 75-329, 75-335(3). Drivers must be at least 21, pass a national criminal history check, and may drive no more than 12 hours in 24. 75-326, 75-327. Neb. Rev. Stat. 75-324.
The main markets are Omaha and Lincoln. Whether state law displaces city rideshare rules is not settled.
What decides which floor and which coverage applies
- Whether the driver was logged off, in the application open stage, engaged, or carrying passengers, and when the trip was completed or the passenger exited.
- The log-on and log-off record for the 24 hours before the accident. 75-340.
- The uninsured and underinsured coverage on the rideshare policy, and your own.
- Written notice to your underinsured insurer before accepting the at-fault driver’s limits. 44-6412.
- Fault allocations, because 50 percent fault recovers nothing.
- The accident date, for the four-year deadline, and the one-year claim if a city or county is involved.
Latest from Nebraska
Which Nebraska number is the statute, and which number is the certificate?
The waiting liability floor in 75-334 is $25,000 per person. Uber’s certificate prints $50,000 per person for that stage. The $25,000 / $50,000 line on both certificates is uninsured coverage. A free review can sort out which policies apply to your accident.