California Rideshare UM and UIM After SB 371: What Passengers Should Know

A rideshare trip feels simple on the phone: request, enter, ride, exit. The insurance map behind that trip is not simple. California’s transportation network company (TNC) rules set different coverage themes depending on whether a driver is merely logged on, has accepted a ride, or already has a passenger in the vehicle. Senate Bill 371 changed a key piece of that map for uninsured and underinsured motorist protection during the passenger period.

SB 371 was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on October 3, 2025, as Chapter 314 of the Statutes of 2025. It amended Public Utilities Code section 5433. The amended statute is effective January 1, 2026, according to the Legislative Counsel text and code notes on leginfo. Primary source: leginfo bill text for SB 371. This guide summarizes statutory themes for passengers in plain English. It does not invent coverage grants, stacking results, or dollar outcomes for any real trip. It does not claim Win Attorneys represented anyone in the legislative process. This is general information, not legal advice.

If you were hurt as a rideshare passenger when another driver was uninsured, underinsured, or unidentified, or if your household needs help sorting app-status periods and policy notices, Win Attorneys handles rideshare and delivery accidents and UM and UIM claims statewide. Related hubs: personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, and wrongful death and catastrophic injury.

Talk to us at (562) 296-5380 or reach out through our contact page for a free case review. Office: 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780.

What SB 371 Changed for Passenger-Period UM and UIM

Before SB 371, Legislative Counsel’s digest described existing law as requiring uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of one million dollars from the moment a passenger enters a participating driver’s vehicle until the passenger exits. That coverage could be satisfied by insurance maintained by the participating driver, the TNC, or a combination of both.

SB 371 lowered the required passenger-period UM and UIM amounts and shifted the maintenance obligation. Under amended Public Utilities Code section 5433(b)(2), as set out in the chaptered bill text:

A TNC shall provide uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) per person and three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) per incident
That obligation runs from the moment a passenger enters the vehicle of a participating driver until the passenger exits the vehicle
The policy described in that paragraph shall be primary over any other applicable uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
The coverage shall be solely the obligation of the transportation network company

Educational takeaway for passengers: the passenger-period UM and UIM floor described in the amended statute is lower than the prior one-million-dollar UM and UIM figure many riders associated with TNC trips. Serious injuries can exceed sixty thousand dollars per person. That is why personal auto UM and UIM themes, MedPay themes when available, and careful claim mapping still matter. We do not invent stacking grants or tell any passenger that a personal policy will automatically fill a gap. Policy language controls.

Read our UM and UIM claims and rideshare and delivery accidents pages for practice themes.

The One-Million-Dollar Liability Layer Still Matters During an Accepted Ride

SB 371 did not erase the separate primary liability requirement that applies from the moment a participating driver accepts a ride request until the driver completes the transaction on the app or platform or until the ride is complete, whichever is later. Under amended section 5433(b)(1), transportation network company insurance shall be primary and in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for death, personal injury, and property damage during that accepted-ride window. That liability coverage may be satisfied by driver-maintained TNC insurance, TNC-maintained insurance, or a combination, subject to the statute’s verification rules when the company relies on a driver’s policy.

Passengers should keep the layers distinct in their minds:

Accepted-ride liability (section 5433(b)(1)): one million dollars primary for death, personal injury, and property damage during the accepted-ride period described above
Passenger-period UM and UIM (section 5433(b)(2)): sixty thousand per person and three hundred thousand per incident, primary over other UM or UIM, solely the TNC’s obligation, from passenger entry until exit

A crash caused by another motorist who is uninsured or underinsured often puts UM and UIM themes in view even when the TNC vehicle’s liability layer is not the at-fault driver’s coverage. A crash caused by the rideshare driver may put the liability layer in view first. Facts and policy conditions decide which lane applies. Counsel sorts that map; a social post cannot.

Why App-Status Periods Still Control the Claim Map

California’s TNC insurance framework has long treated “periods” as legally meaningful. Educational framing only:

Logged on, waiting for a request: different minimum liability themes apply under section 5433(c), including lower primary liability floors plus excess coverage the TNC must maintain. Passenger-period UM and UIM under (b)(2) are tied to passenger entry and exit, not to mere login.
Ride accepted, en route or on trip until completion: the one-million-dollar primary liability theme under (b)(1) applies during the accepted-ride window described in the statute.
Passenger in the vehicle: the UM and UIM theme under (b)(2) applies from entry until exit, at the sixty thousand and three hundred thousand figures, as the TNC’s sole obligation and primary over other UM or UIM.

Screenshots of trip status, pickup and drop-off times, and app receipts can matter later. Do not invent what an adjuster will accept. Preserve what you already have. Ask counsel before mass-deleting phone media related to the trip.

Delivery-platform crashes can raise related commercial themes, but SB 371’s section 5433 amendments are TNC-focused. For mixed rideshare and delivery fact patterns, see rideshare and delivery accidents and ask counsel which statutory and policy lanes apply.

Personal UM and UIM Themes Without Inventing Stacking

Because passenger-period TNC UM and UIM limits under SB 371 can be lower than the older one-million-dollar UM and UIM figure, passengers often ask whether a personal auto policy can “stack” or otherwise respond. Educational themes only:

The amended statute says the TNC’s passenger-period UM and UIM policy shall be primary over any other applicable uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
“Primary” is not the same as “exclusive forever.” Other policies may still contain their own conditions, exclusions, and excess language. We do not invent how any named insurer will respond
Underinsured motorist themes can arise when an at-fault driver’s liability limits are real but too thin relative to the harm
Uninsured motorist themes can arise when the at-fault driver has no liability coverage, or in certain hit-and-run fact patterns when policy conditions are met
MedPay on a personal policy, when present, sometimes helps with early medical bills. See California MedPay benefits in personal injury when that lane is relevant

Do not assume the rideshare company’s first phone call settles everything. Do not assume your personal declarations page is irrelevant. Have counsel read both the TNC notices and your own policy endorsements. See UM and UIM claims.

Evidence and Notice Themes After a Rideshare Passenger Injury

Rideshare scenes clear quickly. Other drivers leave. App data and third-party video overwrite. Calm early steps protect health and claim clarity:

Seek medical care. Call 911 when needed. Delayed pain and concussion symptoms are common. Medical decisions belong to licensed clinicians.
Preserve trip proof: confirmation emails, in-app receipts, pickup and drop-off pins, and screenshots of trip status when safely available.
Document the other vehicle when involved: plate, make, model, color, direction of travel, and whether the driver stopped.
Witness contacts and nearby camera leads (storefronts, intersections, dash cams).
Police or CHP report numbers when officers respond.
Avoid hasty recorded statements to any insurer while medicated or still awaiting imaging. Be polite. Be accurate. “I need time” is allowed.
Do not sign quick releases that waive claims before counsel reviews them.
Tell counsel promptly so preservation letters and coverage notices can go out on the right clocks.

Catastrophic harm and fatality themes belong with licensed clinicians and, when civil claims are in view, with counsel evaluating California wrongful-death and survival theories on the facts. See wrongful death and catastrophic injury. We do not invent outcomes.

Study and Reporting Themes Passengers May Hear About

SB 371 also directed collaboration between the Public Utilities Commission and the Department of Insurance on a study of the impacts of the UM and UIM requirements under section 5433(b)(2), with a report to specified legislative insurance committees on or before December 31, 2030. Separate annual-report data themes appear in added section 5436. Those study and reporting provisions are for policymakers. They do not decide your individual claim. Passengers still need fact-specific counsel when hurt.

The chaptered bill also stated that the act shall become operative only if Assembly Bill 1340 of the 2025-26 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2026. Public leginfo status shows AB 1340 chaptered the same day as SB 371 (October 3, 2025, Chapter 335). Code display text on leginfo for section 5433 reflects the SB 371 amendment effective January 1, 2026. If a reader needs operative-date certainty for a specific crash date, counsel should still confirm chaptering and contingency status against primary legislative sources for that date. We do not invent operative outcomes beyond what primary sources show.

California Reach and Southern California Depth

Rideshare passenger injuries occur on freeways, downtown corridors, airport queues, and neighborhood pickups across Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Diego County, and the Inland Empire. Win Attorneys helps injured passengers and families across California, with day-to-day depth around our Tustin office.

Our office is fluent in Spanish and Vietnamese. Prefer to talk in either language? Say so when you call or contact us.

Talk With Win Attorneys

If you or a family member were hurt during a California rideshare trip and need help understanding passenger-period UM and UIM themes after SB 371, you do not have to sort app periods and insurer notices alone.

Talk to us at (562) 296-5380, write through our contact page, or visit 17291 Irvine Blvd., Suite 210, Tustin, CA 92780. The case review is free. You focus on care. We help you understand preservation, coverage lanes when they apply, and claim posture.

Start with our rideshare and delivery accidents and UM and UIM claims pages, plus personal injury and motor vehicle accidents.

California Rideshare UM and UIM After SB 371 FAQs

What did SB 371 change for rideshare passenger UM and UIM?

It amended Public Utilities Code section 5433 so that, during the passenger period from entry until exit, the TNC must provide UM and UIM of sixty thousand dollars per person and three hundred thousand dollars per incident. That coverage is primary over other applicable UM or UIM and is solely the TNC’s obligation, per the chaptered bill text on leginfo.

Is the one-million-dollar rideshare liability coverage gone?

No. The separate one-million-dollar primary liability requirement for death, personal injury, and property damage during the accepted-ride period remains under section 5433(b)(1) as amended. Keep liability layers distinct from passenger-period UM and UIM layers.

Why can passenger-period UM and UIM limits feel lower than before?

Prior law, as described in the Legislative Counsel digest, required one million dollars of UM and UIM during the passenger period, which could be satisfied by the driver, the TNC, or both. SB 371 lowered the required amounts to sixty thousand per person and three hundred thousand per incident and made the TNC solely responsible for that passenger-period UM and UIM policy.

Can my personal auto UM or UIM still matter after SB 371?

Possibly, depending on policy language, exclusions, and how “other insurance” clauses interact with the TNC’s primary passenger-period UM and UIM. The statute says the TNC policy is primary over other applicable UM or UIM. We do not invent stacking grants. Have counsel review both sets of documents.

Do app-status periods still matter after a rideshare crash?

Yes. Logged-on, accepted-ride, and passenger-in-vehicle windows can point to different statutory coverage themes. Preserve trip screenshots and receipts. Ask counsel which period fits your facts.

What should passengers do in the first days after a rideshare injury?

Seek medical care, preserve trip proof, document other vehicles and witnesses, collect report numbers when available, avoid hasty recorded statements and quick releases, and contact counsel so notices and preservation can start.

When should I call Win Attorneys about a California rideshare UM or UIM question?

Call when a passenger was hurt and another driver may be uninsured, underinsured, or unidentified; when TNC and personal policy notices conflict; before recorded statements or releases; or when catastrophic harm or a fatality is involved. A free review helps you understand posture without rushing care.

Disclaimer

This page is general information for educational purposes. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Summaries of SB 371 and Public Utilities Code section 5433 rely on primary legislative text available on leginfo and are not a substitute for reading the statute, regulations, or your policies. We do not invent verdicts, coverage grants, stacking results, or settlement dollars. Outcomes depend on the facts of each matter, crash date, app status, and policy language. Seek medical care for injuries. Consult a licensed California attorney about your situation.

Related reading: Company abandonment liability after a reported Orange County Uber freeway-dump arbitration award (distinct angle from SB 371 UM and UIM floors); see Orange County Uber freeway passenger abandonment claims.