Arizona law says that when a rideshare crash triggers a coverage investigation, the rideshare company and any insurer involved must "fully cooperate in the exchange of information" — including the precise times the driver logged on and off the app in the 24 hours before the accident. That rule, in A.R.S. § 28-4038, exists because the amount of insurance available often turns on what the driver's app was doing at the moment of impact.
What the statute requires
Under § 28-4038(G), in a claims coverage investigation, transportation network companies (TNCs, such as Uber and Lyft) and any insurer providing coverage under that section "shall fully cooperate in the exchange of information, including the precise times that a transportation network company driver logged on and off of the transportation network company's digital network or software application in the twenty-four-hour period immediately preceding the accident." They must also "disclose to each other a clear description of the coverage, exclusions and limits provided under any insurance policy each party issued or maintained."
Read closely, that duty runs between the companies and the insurers. The statute's text does not say the injured person can demand the same records directly, so do not assume you are entitled to them on request.
Why login times matter
Section 28-4038 sets different minimum coverage depending on the driver's status. According to the statute, a driver who is logged in but not providing service must have at least $25,000 per person for bodily injury or death. Once the driver is providing service, the minimum is $250,000 per incident in commercial liability coverage, rising to $1,000,000 per incident when a passenger is in the vehicle, plus uninsured motorist coverage. We walk through those tiers in our guide to the three tiers of rideshare insurance.
Because the gap between the lowest and highest tiers is so large, the log-on and log-off times are not a technicality. They help establish which tier applied.
What drivers must do after a crash
Subsection F of the statute requires a TNC driver to carry proof of insurance in the vehicle at all times while logged in or providing service. After an accident involving a TNC vehicle, the driver "shall provide proof of insurance to the parties involved in the accident at the time of the accident" and must notify the TNC of the accident.
Practical steps if you are hurt
These are general steps, not legal advice, and your situation may differ:
- Ask for the driver's proof of insurance at the scene, as the statute requires the driver to provide it.
- Document what you can see. Photograph the driver's phone screen if it shows the app status, along with the vehicle, the scene and any visible injuries.
- Note the time of the crash as precisely as you can, since it will be compared against the app's log-on and log-off records.
- Get a police report and seek medical care promptly.
- Keep copies of everything you send to or receive from any insurer or the rideshare company.
If you were a passenger, see what coverage applies to Uber and Lyft passengers in Arizona.
The takeaway
The statute builds an information-sharing requirement into the claims process because the app's status decides the coverage. It does not, by its text, guarantee that an injured person will receive the records, so it is worth speaking with a licensed Arizona attorney early about how to request them in your case.
Source: A.R.S. § 28-4038, Arizona Legislature.