Black Car Fund Workers' Comp: How to File a Claim

In short: if you were hurt on a trip dispatched by a Black Car Fund member base, including Uber and Lyft, the Black Car Fund (BCF) is your workers' compensation insurer. Make three contacts in this order: the authorities, your base, then the BCF (app or 212-269-4800, press 1). Your claim only starts after you speak with the BCF Claims Team. Cash benefits are two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to state limits, and medical care for the injury is covered.

The BCF was created by New York State law in 1999 (Executive Law Article 6-F). Its FAQ says: "for the purposes of Workers' Compensation, The Black Car Fund is your employer." It is only your employer for that purpose; it does not change your tax status or your relationship with the app. Everything on this page comes from the BCF's own pages and TLC rules, read on October 12, 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.

Are you covered?

Coverage depends on who dispatched the trip, not on which base your car is affiliated with.

Check whether a base is a member at nybcf.org/members. Bases, not drivers, join the Fund. If you drive for a member base, you are covered automatically; you don't have to sign up for workers' comp.

Report it: the three calls

The BCF's reporting page says the best thing you can do is contact them as quickly as possible. If the accident happened a while ago, its FAQ still says to report it: coverage is decided case by case.

Translation: the BCF says it offers language translation over the phone during the claim.

First Fill: when you report through the BCF app, the FAQ says you get a digital benefit card with up to $100 for prescription medicine right away.

Documents to gather

Your base has duties too

You are not the only one who must report. The BCF's FAQ says member bases must notify the Fund of any accident or injury involving an eligible driver within five days of learning about it, and send the driver's trip log for 18 hours before and after the incident. If a base does not answer the Fund's information request within seven days, it faces a $500 fine per request, rising to $1,000 for later missed requests. If the Fund has to pay a claim without the base's information, the base must pay the Fund back. So if your base says "it's not our problem," that is not what the Fund's rules say. Ask the base for the name of the person who sent your report, and give it to your adjuster.

What the benefits are

The BCF claimant benefits page lists three kinds of workers' compensation benefits:

Medical benefits. These may include hospital care, doctors, dentists, physical therapy, chiropractic treatment, x-rays, lab tests, nursing, medical equipment and prescribed drugs. Prescriptions go through Mitchell ScriptAdvisor: network pharmacies bill the Fund directly, so you don't pay out of pocket. If you have not received your ScriptAdvisor card, call the Claims Team; ScriptAdvisor's own number is 866-846-9279. The BCF cannot recommend a doctor, but it points to the list of workers' comp physicians on the NYS Workers' Compensation Board website (wcb.ny.gov).

Cash (compensation) benefits. These replace part of your lost wages: two-thirds of your average weekly wage (AWW), subject to the state's maximums. The state maximum is set under New York workers' compensation law; check the current figure with the Workers' Compensation Board rather than relying on an old number.

Death and survivor benefits. If a driver dies from a work injury, the spouse and/or minor children (or other dependents defined by law) receive survivor benefits, and funeral expenses are paid up to state limits. The FAQ also describes a separate $100,000 Driver Death Benefit paid when an affiliated driver of a member base dies on the job.

The waiting period

Your TLC license while you are on workers' comp

Don't overlook this TLC rule. Rule 80-13(b) in chapter 80 says a driver who suffers a disabling work injury and files for workers' compensation must surrender the TLC driver license to the Commission and stop driving while claiming the disability. The fines are $75 for not surrendering and $150 for driving while claiming. The license comes back when you give TLC documentation that you have recovered and are no longer receiving benefits. The full TLC process is on can I drive while on workers' comp.

Driving for any app while you claim an injury that stops you from working breaks that rule. If you are unsure whether you are able to work, ask your doctor and your lawyer before you log on.

What the BCF does not cover

• Damage to your car, or wages lost only because the car is damaged. The BCF says to call your vehicle insurer. See does the Black Car Fund pay for car damage.
• Your passengers' injuries. The BCF says workers' comp covers only you, the driver; passenger claims go through other insurance, such as the vehicle's policy.
• Street hails and non-member dispatches. See am I covered on a street hail and does the BCF cover yellow taxi drivers.
• Injuries when you are off the job. Workers' comp is not health insurance. The BCF's separate Drivers Benefits program offers accident disability and critical illness coverage, but only if you enrolled before the injury or illness.

If you are not sure who pays in your situation, our page hurt while driving: who pays compares the options.

Getting help with your claim

You may hire a lawyer for a workers' comp claim; the BCF says it has no say in that choice. Ask any lawyer to explain the fee in writing before you sign. For general questions, the BCF's email is info@nybcf.org; for an open claim, use your assigned adjuster's email or phone. Our free legal help guide lists free hotlines, and how much BCF workers' comp pays works through the wage math.

While you recover, you may also be able to use the BCF's paid classes later: see Earn While You Learn. More rights and help programs are on the driver rights hub.