Plain language
Taxi and rideshare accident glossary
The name on the app does not answer every insurance question. Coverage can turn on driver status, state law, policy language, vehicle ownership, and the role of each company involved.
Published August 23, 2026 · Last reviewed August 23, 2026
- App-on period
- A period when a rideshare driver is logged into the platform and available for requests but has not yet accepted a ride. Statutory and policy terminology varies by state.
- Causation
- The connection between the defendant's conduct or product and the injury. A case can fail even when conduct was careless if the available evidence does not connect that conduct to the harm claimed.
- Commercial auto policy
- Insurance issued for business vehicle risks. Taxi, livery, fleet, and platform policies can differ in limits, exclusions, and who qualifies as an insured.
- Damages
- The losses a claim seeks to recover. Depending on the facts and governing law, these can include medical costs, lost income, future care, pain, disability, disfigurement, or loss of support.
- Defendant
- The person or organization against whom a civil claim is made. One incident can involve several possible defendants with different duties and insurance policies.
- En route period
- The period after a rideshare driver accepts a request and is traveling to pick up the passenger.
- Liability
- Legal responsibility for an injury. Liability depends on the applicable law and provable facts, not simply on whether someone was hurt.
- Occupant
- A driver or passenger inside a vehicle. A rideshare passenger is generally an occupant during the accepted trip.
- Statute of limitations
- A law that limits the time for filing a claim. The deadline varies by state, claim type, defendant, and sometimes the date the injury was or could reasonably have been discovered.
- Transportation network company (TNC)
- A statutory term many states use for companies that connect passengers with drivers through a digital network.
- Trip period
- The time from accepted ride through passenger pickup and completion, as defined by applicable law and policy. Read the related guide.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
- Coverage that may apply when an at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient limits, subject to state law and policy terms.
- Vicarious liability
- A theory that can make one party responsible for another's conduct because of a qualifying relationship. Platform-driver classification issues are fact- and state-specific.
Terms are not conclusions
A definition explains a concept; it does not establish that the concept applies to a particular event. State law, contracts, medical records, product identity, insurance language, and other facts can change the analysis.
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