Georgia HB 529: What Changed for Rideshare UM/UIM Coverage in 2023?
Georgia HB 529 took effect July 1, 2023, and reduced the uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage Uber and Lyft are required to carry during active rides in Georgia. Before the law took effect, both platforms were required to maintain $1,000,000 in UM/UIM coverage per occurrence during active rides. The new law reduced that floor to $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident / $25,000 property damage.
The change affects every Uber and Lyft trip taken in Georgia since July 1, 2023.
Why does UM/UIM coverage matter in a rideshare accident?
UM/UIM coverage pays when the party at fault for a crash is uninsured or carries insurance that is insufficient to cover the full loss. When an uninsured driver rear-ends an Uber, the Uber driver and any passengers in the vehicle cannot recover from the at-fault driver’s insurance, because that driver has none. The only available coverage for their injuries is the rideshare platform’s UM/UIM policy.
Before HB 529, Uber and Lyft’s $1,000,000 UM/UIM limit provided the same level of coverage during active rides as during liability scenarios where the rideshare driver was at fault. After HB 529, those two coverage amounts diverged: $1,000,000 still applies when the rideshare driver is at fault (liability coverage), but only $100,000 per person applies when a third-party uninsured driver causes the crash.
What changed with HB 529 and when?
The pre-HB 529 requirement for UM/UIM during active TNC rides in Georgia: $1,000,000 per occurrence.
The post-HB 529 requirement (effective July 1, 2023): $100,000 per person / $300,000 per accident / $25,000 property damage.
The per-person reduction is 90 percent. A serious injury claim that would have had access to $1,000,000 in UM/UIM coverage on June 30, 2023, had access to $100,000 per person on July 1, 2023. For example, emergency care and surgery for a spinal injury from a serious crash commonly runs well past $100,000 in Georgia, leaving a victim who cannot recover from the at-fault uninsured driver with uncovered losses.
Does HB 529 affect the $1 million liability coverage?
No. HB 529 amended only the UM/UIM minimums. The $1,000,000 primary liability coverage that Uber and Lyft provide during active rides (Periods 2 and 3) was not changed by HB 529. The $1M liability pays when the rideshare driver is at fault and a third party files a claim. The $100K/300K UM/UIM pays when a third-party uninsured or underinsured driver is at fault.
The practical scenario where HB 529 matters: a Georgia rider in the back seat of an Uber is injured when an uninsured driver runs a red light and hits the Uber. The Uber driver was not at fault. The at-fault driver has no insurance. The platform’s UM/UIM, capped at $100,000 per person since July 2023, is the primary source of recovery for the rider’s injuries.
How does Georgia’s UM/UIM stacking rule interact with HB 529?
Georgia follows an add-on UM/UIM rule under O.C.G.A. § 33-7-11. A rideshare driver or passenger who carries their own personal auto UM/UIM coverage can stack that coverage on top of the platform’s $100,000, rather than having the personal coverage offset against the platform’s limit.
A Georgia rideshare driver or passenger with $250,000 in personal UM/UIM can potentially recover up to $350,000 total in a worst-case uninsured driver scenario: $100,000 from the platform’s UM/UIM, then up to $250,000 from the personal policy for the remaining loss.
The stacking benefit requires that the personal auto policy be in force and that the policy includes UM/UIM coverage. Drivers who dropped UM/UIM to lower their premium, and passengers who have no personal auto policy at all, have access only to the platform’s $100,000 per-person floor. For example, a rideshare passenger who has never owned a car, carries no personal auto policy, and is injured when an uninsured driver runs a stoplight can only draw on the platform’s $100,000 limit no matter how high the hospital bills reach.
What does HB 529 mean for rideshare drivers in Georgia?
Rideshare drivers face the same UM/UIM reduction as passengers. A Georgia Uber driver who has collision and liability protection through a rideshare endorsement but no personal UM/UIM policy above the standard state minimum is limited to $100,000 in UM/UIM recovery from the platform if an uninsured driver strikes them during an active ride.
A coverage review can confirm what UM/UIM limits are currently in force on a specific rideshare driver’s policy and whether personal UM/UIM stacks on top of the platform’s post-HB 529 floor. Schedule a coverage review
Full rideshare insurance guide for Georgia drivers
What insurance covers you as a Georgia rideshare passenger
Personal auto insurance options in Georgia