Why the periods exist
Personal auto policies exclude commercial driving — the moment the app goes on, the driver's own coverage starts disclaiming. California's TNC framework filled the gap with tiered mandatory coverage, and the tiers turn every claim into a timestamp question first, an injury question second.
Period 0 — app off
An off-duty rideshare driver is just a driver; their personal policy responds normally. The trap runs the other way: drivers who were secretly “waiting” while claiming to be off-app, because Period 1 embarrasses their personal claim. Subpoenaed app records settle it.
Period 1 — the gap tier
App on, cruising for pings — think drivers circling the Victoria Gardens curb or staging near the Route 66 nightlife stretch. Coverage: contingent liability at 50/100/30 — real but thin against serious injuries, and it applies only after the personal policy formally denies. Claims here move slower and need more pushing; underinsured-motorist coverage often becomes the difference-maker for badly hurt victims.
Periods 2–3 — the million-dollar window
From acceptance through drop-off, the TNC's $1M commercial policy covers the driver's liability — and passengers get uninsured/underinsured protection layered on. Hypothetically: a passenger picked up at the Epicenter after a game, injured when a third car runs the Rochester light and has minimal insurance, may still recover fully — through the TNC's UM tier. Passengers rarely know this; it's the single most valuable fact in this article.
Winning the timestamp fight
Screenshot the trip while you can (receipt, route, times), report in-app promptly, and expect the insurers involved to each point at another period. The trip data is subpoenaable and decisive — passengers' claims in particular resolve well once the period is nailed. When carriers stall in the gaps, that's the moment for a free case review — period disputes are exactly what representation converts into coverage.
