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Since You Asked: Uber drivers face insurance requirements too Sunday Nov 19, 2017 at 12:01 AM Since the city of Medford's going to let Uber and others offer rides, is the city going to check that drivers' vehicle insurance covers them when they're transporting people for hire? Most personal vehicle insurance policies don't cover that. — Gary A., Medford Uber drivers and other drivers for ride-sharing services have a different insurance setup from traditional taxi drivers, but passengers and property are similarly protected in the event of a crash, according to Medford code changes going into effect Dec. 1. To paint in broad strokes, Uber and Lyft include supplemental insurance to its "driver-partners" when the drivers are online and on-duty with the service. Uber and Lyft use drivers who work as independent contractors for the service, not as employees, and drivers use their personal vehicles. For crashes that happen when an Uber driver is logged in but hasn't accepted a ride request, the service insures the driver for at least $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per incident for death and injury, and $25,000 for property damage. Crashes that occur while a driver is en route to pick up a passenger, or once the passenger is in the vehicle, are covered by Uber's insurance — specifically for liabilities to third parties, injuries caused by uninsured and under-insured motorists. The city mandates a minimum of $1 million in liability coverage per incident. Outside of those situations, a driver's personal insurance takes over. In Oregon, it's illegal to drive without liability insurance covering bodily injury, property damage, personal injury and uninsured motorists, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation. Traditional taxi companies' insurance requirements are simpler: At all times, drivers must have commercial automobile liability insurance with a combined limit of $1 million per occurrence. Agencies such as Uber must keep up-to-date records digitally and are subject to random audits. Records Uber must keep include the driver's name, date of birth, address, Social Security number, driver's license, insurance policy number and vehicle registration info. Services such as Uber and Lyft are also responsible for performing criminal background checks on drivers. Sex offenders and anyone with a felony conviction more recent than seven years ago are barred from the service, according to the city code. If the service later discovers a driver's license has been suspended, Uber must remove the driver from the app immediately and alert the city it has done so. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.