Delivering food? Is your coverage right?

April 4, 2025

Food delivery services like Uber Eats and Door Dash have made a business of providing consumers with an easy way to get food from their favorite restaurants right to their home. No longer does a restaurant have to provide delivery services—these services will provide the driver for these restaurants. Of course, those who are thinking about delivering for one of these services should stop to consider the insurance implications before doing so.

States like Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont have laws that requires ride-hailing companies to provide certain coverages and limits to drivers. However, the states don’t have similar laws that applies to food delivery companies. This has led to much more variability in the amount and availability of coverage for food delivery drivers.

Many personal auto insurance policies do not provide coverage if the driver is using the car for food delivery. This means there is no protection for the driver’s injury in an accident, the driver’s (for owners) liability for an injury or property damage to others caused by the driver and damage to the driver’s vehicle. If that is the case, where might the driver find coverage?

The coverage ride-hailing delivery drivers need

The first thought would be to look to the food delivery services for which the driver is driving. Many of the food delivery services provide insurance on behalf of the driver, which may include coverage for bodily injury and property damage liability, uninsured/underinsured motorists and contingent comprehensive and collision coverage. You will find limitations and restrictions in these policies; for example, coverage may vary depending on whether the driver actively is delivering food or available to receive a delivery request.

Generally, if comprehensive and collision coverage is provided by food delivery services, it applies only if the food delivery driver has that coverage on his or her personal auto policy. Be aware that in New York state, Uber Eats does not provide any coverage at all.

Seeking additional protection?

If only limited insurance coverage is available through the food delivery services, where can a food delivery driver find additional protection? There are two ways in which drivers might protect themselves when acting as food delivery drivers.

First, many insurance companies offer an endorsement covering delivery services—including food—for additional premium. Second, you may wish to look at purchasing a commercial insurance policy.

Typically, these policies will provide more robust coverage but can be more expensive than an endorsement on a personal policy. If you are thinking about acting as a food delivery driver, please contact your insurance professional’s office to discuss your insurance options.

This article was originally published in the 2023 spring edition of PIA’s consumer newsletter, Insights & Updates.

PIA Northeast |  + posts

Matt McDonough is PIA Northeast's writer, editor and content curator. Matt joined PIA Northeast in September 2023. Before that, he had been an editor for the online entertainment magazine Collider from 2021-23 as a copy editor for its lists section. Matt entered the world of journalism at his alma mater, SUNY New Paltz, writing and reporting for the college's student run newspaper, The New Paltz Oracle. He graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a Bachelor of Arts in English and a minor in Creative Writing in 2020.

Your ad could be here. ads@pia.org

Related stories…

Share This