Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft will soon have to further protect drivers and riders with greater insurance coverage following a series of loopholes one Colorado man fell through.
Gov. Jared Polis recently signed a bill that will soon require the companies to cover most underinsured drivers and riders when injuries are a result of a collision during a ride.
Because Fritts did not own a vehicle he did not purchase motorist insurance that would cover his bills if injured in another vehicle. He always assumed that companies like Lyft and Uber would have either insurance or policies for their drivers that would cover riders like himself.“The mailbox always has a new bill from one of the multiple doctors I have seen through the process,” Fritts said.
“There was a legal loophole in our statutory scheme in terms of what types of insurance these rideshare companies have to carry,” Faddis said. “I contacted my local legislator and said, ‘Hey look, we need to fix this. We have a problem that is putting tens of thousands of Coloradans at risk. Possibly more.’”