Gig Worker Insurance Gaps: What Victims Should Know

When DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, or other gig delivery drivers cause accidents, victims often encounter a frustrating insurance maze. Industry research shows 58% of gig workers lack proper commercial coverage—creating gaps that require experienced legal navigation.

The Three-Layer Coverage Problem

• Layer 1 - Personal insurance: Often excludes commercial delivery
• Layer 2 - Platform contingent coverage: Only triggers when Layer 1 denied
• Layer 3 - Your UM/UIM: Backup when other coverage insufficient

Why Personal Insurance Denies Claims

Standard auto policies exclude commercial use. When drivers use personal vehicles for gig work without commercial endorsements, insurers deny claims. This denial should trigger platform coverage—but platforms often dispute.

Platform Coverage Limitations

Per Insurance Journal analysis, platform coverage has significant gaps: only applies during active orders (not between deliveries), requires personal insurance denial first, has its own exclusions and deductibles, and may not cover "waiting for orders" periods.

Coverage Period Comparison

• DoorDash: $50K waiting, $1M active delivery
• Uber Eats: $50K waiting, $1M active delivery
• Instacart: Varies by order status
• Grubhub: Contingent during active delivery
• Off-app: NO platform coverage (personal only)

Protecting Your Claim

Critical steps: document driver's delivery status (bags, phone app visible), photograph vehicle and any company branding, get police report noting driver was working, and preserve driver's statements about current delivery.

Your Own Coverage as Backup

Your UM/UIM coverage fills gaps when gig worker coverage is insufficient or disputed. Check your policy limits—this may be your most reliable recovery source when platform coverage fails.