Offering your services as a driver or delivery person
Are you thinking of using an app like Uber or Eva to offer your services as a driver to transport passengers? Do you use your personal vehicle to deliver goods on behalf of a company, such as a restaurant, UPS or Amazon? Here’s what you need to know about your automobile insurance coverage and what to do in case of an accident.
The company offering remunerated passenger transportation services via a mobile app must hold automobile insurance (pdf - 132 KB)
This link will open in a new windowUpdated on October 22, 2020 covering you.
Companies that offer to deliver goods can also hold insurance (pdf - 134 KB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on April 21, 2022To allow the employees of the goods delivery enterprise who use their own motor vehicle to carry on activities on behalf of the enterprise to benefit from insurance coverage to cover their employees who make deliveries with their personal vehicles.
Note: If you own an automobile, the law also requires you to have automobile insurance.
Do you have to inform your insurer?
Yes. You must inform your automobile insurer that you plan to offer your services as a driver or delivery person. This information is important as it helps your insurer assess risk. If you withhold the information, you may have problems when making a claim.
Who covers you in the event of an accident?
Drivers
Your automobile insurance covers you when you use your vehicle for personal purposes. However, the moment you open an app to make yourself available as a driver, you become covered by the insurance of the company that manages the app.
As soon as you close the app, you revert back to your own automobile insurance.
Delivery employees covered by their employers’ insurance
Your automobile insurance covers you when you use your vehicle for personal purposes.However, the moment you make yourself available to make a delivery, you become covered by your employer’s insurance. For example, this may be from the time you connect to the app used by your employer to distribute the deliveries to be made, until the time you disconnect.
Self-employed delivery persons or delivery employees whose employers do not hold insurance
Your personal automobile insurance contract does not cover the delivery activity.You must immediately contact your automobile insurer to inform it of the situation. If your insurer cannot cover your activity then you will have to take steps to find an insurer that will agree to do so.
Who should you contact in the event of a loss?
For accidents, glass breakage, theft, vandalism or any other type of lossIn the field of insurance, a loss is damage sustained following an unfavourable event, such as death, illness, fire, accident, etc., the procedure is the same. You must contact your personal insurer to inform it of the loss, regardless of whether or not you make a claim afterwards.
- If the loss occurs while the app to offer your services as a driver is open, in addition contact the company managing the app.
- If the loss occurs while you’re available to make a delivery as an employee of a company, in addition contact your employer.
What are you covered for?
You benefit from the same coverages as the ones chosen for your personal automobile insurance.
If you have replacement cost coverageFor automobile or home insurance, replacement cost is the amount needed to replace a damaged item with a new item.
If an insurance contract includes replacement cost coverage, the insured will receive a new item, or a cash amount equivalent to a new item, if an item has been irreparably damaged following a covered loss. on your personal automobile insurance, then you will also benefit from it under the insurance of the company managing the app or your employer’s insurance.
If the damage caused to your vehicle is not covered by your personal automobile insurance, then it won’t be covered as part of your activity as a driver or delivery employee.
Your deductibles (the amounts of money you are required to assume in the event of a covered loss) also remain the same at all times.
Questions or dissatisfaction?
Contact an agent at our Information Centre for help.
End of the Information