(a) A transportation network company and any participating driver shall maintain transportation network company insurance as provided in this section.
(b) The following requirements shall apply to transportation network company insurance from the moment a participating driver accepts a ride request on the transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform until the driver completes the transaction on the online-enabled application or platform or until the ride is complete, whichever is later:
(1) Transportation network company insurance shall be primary and in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) for death, personal injury, and property damage. The requirements for the coverage required by this subdivision may be satisfied by any of the following:
(A) Transportation network company insurance maintained by a participating driver.
(B) Transportation network company insurance maintained by a transportation network company.
(C) Any combination of subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(2) Transportation network company insurance coverage provided under this subdivision shall also provide for uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage in the amount of one million dollars ($1,000,000) from the moment a passenger enters the vehicle of a participating driver until the passenger exits the vehicle. The policy may also provide this coverage during any other time period, if requested by a participating driver relative to insurance maintained by the driver.
(3) The insurer, in the case of insurance coverage provided under this subdivision, shall have the duty to defend and indemnify the insured.
(4) A transportation network company may meet its obligations under this subdivision through a policy obtained by a participating driver pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (C) of paragraph (1) only if the transportation network company verifies that the policy is maintained by the driver and is specifically written to cover the driver’s use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform.
(c) The following requirements shall apply to transportation network company insurance from the moment a participating driver logs on to the transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform until the driver accepts a request to transport a passenger, and from the moment the driver completes the transaction on the online-enabled application or platform or the ride is complete, whichever is later, until the driver either accepts another ride request on the online-enabled application or platform or logs off the online-enabled application or platform:
(1) Transportation network company insurance shall be primary and in the amount of at least fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for death and personal injury per person, one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for death and personal injury per incident, and thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for property damage. The requirements for the coverage required by this paragraph may be satisfied by any of the following:
(A) Transportation network company insurance maintained by a participating driver.
(B) Transportation network company insurance maintained by a transportation network company that provides coverage in the event a participating driver’s insurance policy under subparagraph (A) has ceased to exist or has been canceled, or the participating driver does not otherwise maintain transportation network company insurance pursuant to this subdivision.
(C) Any combination of subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(2) A transportation network company shall also maintain insurance coverage that provides excess coverage insuring the transportation network company and the driver in the amount of at least two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) per occurrence to cover any liability arising from a participating driver using a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform within the time periods specified in this subdivision, which liability exceeds the required coverage limits in paragraph (1).
(3) The insurer providing insurance coverage under this subdivision shall be the only insurer having the duty to defend any liability claim arising from an accident occurring within the time periods specified in this subdivision.
(4) A transportation network company may meet its obligations under this subdivision through a policy obtained by a participating driver pursuant to subparagraph (A) or (C) of paragraph (1) only if the transportation network company verifies that the policy is maintained by the driver and is specifically written to cover the driver’s use of a vehicle in connection with a transportation network company’s online-enabled application or platform.
(d) Coverage under a transportation network company insurance policy shall not be dependent on a personal automobile insurance policy first denying a claim nor shall a personal automobile insurance policy be required to first deny a claim.
(e) In every instance where transportation network company insurance maintained by a participating driver to fulfill the insurance obligations of this section has lapsed or ceased to exist, the transportation network company shall provide the coverage required by this section beginning with the first dollar of a claim.
(f) This article shall not limit the liability of a transportation network company arising out of an automobile accident involving a participating driver in any action for damages against a transportation network company for an amount above the required insurance coverage.
(g) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2015.
(Added by Stats. 2014, Ch. 389, Sec. 1. (AB 2293) Effective January 1, 2015. Section operative July 1, 2015, by its own provisions.)