F.A.Q.'s

General Inquiries

What is The Black Car Fund?

  • The Black Car Fund (BCF) is a not-for-profit Workers’ Compensation Insurance Provider for Black Car and Luxury Limousine drivers who work with The Fund’s affiliated Member Bases.

 What is Workers’ Compensation?

  • Workers’ Compensation is a form of insurance that can provide you with wage replacement and medical benefits if you are injured while in the course of job-related activities.

  • Workers’ Compensation can cover medical expenses, hospital fees and medication costs related to the injury sustained while on the job.

Does The Black Car Fund provide any benefits beyond workers’ compensation?

  • Yes! The Black Car Fund provides a full suite of additional FREE health, wellness, and education-related benefits to our Covered Drivers through our Drivers Benefits program! These additional benefits include Accident Disability Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, a Critical Illness Benefit, telemedicine coverage, vision coverage, dental insurance, the IDG Mental Health and Wellness Program, and prescription, urgent care, and diagnostic imaging discounts.

  • Enrolling in the program is free and all the benefits are provided at no-cost to you.

  • To learn more and access these benefits, please visit Drivers Benefits.

 What is the legal basis for the establishment of The Black Car Fund?

  • The Black Car Fund was established in 1999 under statute of Article 6-F under executive law for the purpose of providing Workers’ Compensation Insurance coverage for Black Car operators in New York. Under the new law, for the purposes of Workers’ Compensation, The Black Car Fund is your employer.

 Where are you located?

  • Our address is 2833 Jackson Avenue, 6th Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101.

 Where is The Black Car Fund Driver Education Center located?

  • Our Driver Education Center is located in Long Island City, Queens. The address is 3710 Skillman Avenue, Long Island City, NY 11101

Drivers

How can I find out if I am covered?

  • If you are a driver affiliated with any of our Member Bases, then you automatically are covered. You can visit www.nybcf.org/members to check our Member list to see if a base you are affiliated with is a member of The Fund.

 What is the passenger surcharge? Who pays it?

  •  The passenger surcharge is added to the passenger’s fare, which is then collected by your base and sent to us on a monthly basis, allowing us to provide Workers’ Compensation to you and your fellow base drivers. While the passenger surcharge may appear on your paycheck as a deduction, it does not come out of your pay. The surcharge is paid for by the passenger as a part of their full fare. A portion of this surcharge is also used to fund our Drivers Benefits program so that all the benefits can be provided at no-cost to you.

 What do I do if I get into an accident?

  • If you get into an accident, you should first call the necessary authorities. Then, immediately notify the Member Base that dispatched you at the time of the work-related incident. Finally, notify us so we will be able to begin processing your claim as quickly as possible. The Black Car Fund App, available in the Google Play and Apple App Stores, is the best method to use to notify us.

 Does The BCF have an app?

  • The Black Car Fund App is a free app (available on all major app stores) that allows covered drivers affiliated with our Member Bases to quickly report their accidents. Reporting the accident early will notify our Claims Team and make the claims filing process easier for you down the road, as well as be processed quicker. You can find the app by searching “The Black Car Fund” in either the Apple App or Google Play Stores.

 Can I use The Black Car Fund App to file a claim?

  • The Black Car Fund App only reports the accident; to formally file a Worker’s Compensation claim, you must speak to a member of our Claims Team. If you reported your accident via the BCF Claims App, a member of our Claims Team will contact you within one business day to complete the intake of your claim. It is important that you provide the correct contact information when registering within our app, as our Claims Team will use that information to try to contact you.

How do I file a claim?

  • To file a claim, you can call us at 212.269.4800 to speak to a member of our Claims Team. Additionally, we recommend notifying us of the incident as soon as possible. Keep in mind, you MUST speak to a member of our Claims Team before your claim can begin to be processed.

 Do you have translation services available when filing a claim?

  • Yes. We offer language translation services over the phone to help you through the claim filing process.

 What documentation do I need when I make a claim?

  • To file a claim, you will need the following information:

    • Your state DMV and TLC license numbers,

    • Vehicle insurance information,

    • Police and/or medical reports related to the incident, if applicable.

    • Any emergency services reports related to the incident, if applicable.

    • Additionally, we require some information from your base, such as View Logs, Vouchers or Reservation Sheets.

    • In addition, you may send us photos, documents, or any other information you feel is relevant to the incident.

 Will you cover the damages to my car?

  • We do not provide coverage for car damage or any loss of wages due to car damage. You should notify your car insurance carrier to discuss vehicle damage.

 What if I do work for more than one company that is a BCF Member Base? Am I covered for both?

  • Overall, you are covered for an injury that occurred on a job while dispatched by a Member Base of The Fund. “Street hails” are not covered. NOTE: If your vehicle is affiliated with one base, but you accept dispatch jobs from one or multiple other bases, you are covered only on the dispatch jobs you accept from a Member Base of The Fund. If all the bases you accept dispatch jobs from are Member Bases of The Fund, then you’re always covered while working.

 What if I get hurt on my way to work before I begin completing calls or am dispatched?

  • Contact us for more information.

 What if I’m hurt while not on the job?

  • We are a Workers’ Compensation insurance provider, not a general health insurance provider. Workers’ Compensation does not cover any injuries sustained while not on the job/working. However, through our Drivers Benefits program, eligible enrolled Covered Drivers may be protected from injuries sustained while not working through our Accident Disability Insurance and Personal Accident Insurance benefits. You must be enrolled in the Drivers Benefits program to be eligible for these benefits. Click here to learn more and enroll in the program at no-cost to you.

What if I’m killed while on the job? Does The Black Car Fund offer any protections for my loved ones?

  • The Black Car Fund offers a $100,000 Driver Death Benefit. If you pass away while on the job, and you are an affiliated driver of a BCF Member Base at the time of occurrence, then your loved ones are eligible to receive a $100,000 check.

How is the $100,000 Driver Death Benefit check disbursed, and who is eligible to receive it?

  • If before passing away, you filed a Last Will and Testament, then most likely, The Black Car Fund will give the check to the administrator of the estate. If you should pass away intestate (without a Last Will and Testament), then The Black Car Fund will ask your surviving relatives to file for an administrator to be appointed in probate court.

If I get into an accident with a passenger in the car and my passenger is injured, are they covered?

  • The Workers’ Compensation coverage afforded to you through The Black Car Fund extends only to you, the driver, while on the job. Your passenger(s) are not covered.

 What classes are available to me at The Black Car Fund Driver Education Center?

  • You can reduce up to three points on your license, fulfill a TLC requirement, and earn $300 every three years by attending and completing our Enhanced NYS Certified Defense Driving Course. You can also receive a $150 payment, once every three years, by completing our Wellness STEP class. You can sign up for one of these classes by clicking here.

  • Our newest course is the Driver Education Course. This course covers all the benefits that we provide and how to access them. It also contains some additional safety instruction specific to being a driver in New York. Once every three years, you can complete this course either in-person or online. If you complete it online you will receive a $125 payment and if you complete it in-person instead, you will receive a $250 payment. Please note, you cannot take both the online and in-person course within the same three year period. Sign up for this class now by clicking here.

 Can I get an attorney for my Workers’ Compensation claim?

  • You are entitled to representation by an attorney as you see fit. The Fund does not have a say.

Can you recommend a physician?

  • The Fund cannot officially endorse any physician. However, you can find a list of physicians associated with Workers’ Compensation treatment on the Workers’ Compensation Board website (www.wcb.ny.gov). Of course, you can also contact our Claims Team with any questions you may have.

 I got into an accident years ago. Is it too late to report?

  • The coverage afforded for an on-the-job accident varies on a case by case basis. While it is possible that you will not be entitled to certain benefits, we recommend you report your accident anyway to our Claims Team, and they will work to determine if you will be covered.

 I need to be seen by a doctor, but I can’t take the time off of work. Is there anything The Black Car Fund can do to help me not miss more work than needed?

  • ALL DRIVERS, AS WELL AS THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, are eligible to take advantage of our Telemedicine Benefit. Using only a smartphone, you can speak to, or video chat with a real doctor, 24/7, to conduct initial diagnoses, as well as even transmit prescriptions to the pharmacy of your choice (not controlled substances). The service is free of charge, however, payment for any prescriptions called in for Driver pick-up at a pharmacy are the responsibility of the Driver.

What is the First Fill Program?

  • The First Fill Program is an exclusive benefit through The Black Fund app. It works in conjunction with accident reports submitted on The Black Car Fund app. Once a report is submitted through the app, immediate access to a digital benefit card with up to $100 for prescription medicine will be provided. For more information, download and register with our app.

Member Bases

How do I know if I qualify for membership of The Black Car Fund?

  • The membership is an application process to ensure that your business meets the criteria of the state statute. The statue says that if you are a certified NYS Central Dispatch Facility (Base), you provide for-hire service in the state of New York, more than 90 percent of your for-hire business is on a payment basis other than direct cash payment by a passenger, and you do not own 50 percent or more of the cars you dispatch, by law, you are required to become a Member Base of The Black Car Fund.

 What constitutes “good standing”?

  • As long as monthly payments are up to date and you maintain all requirements for membership with The Black Car Fund, your company is in good standing with The Fund.

 Why is the passenger surcharge collected?

  • As a Member Base of The Fund, in accordance with the State Statute, you are required to apply the passenger surcharge on every trip that is dispatched by your New York base, no matter the pickup location. This surcharge affords your affiliated drivers Workers’ Compensation benefits.

 How frequently should the surcharge fees be sent to The Black Car Fund?

  • Surcharges must be submitted to The Black Car Fund on a monthly basis.

 If my drivers operate on an hourly wage, do we still qualify for membership with The Black Car Fund?

  • Yes. New York State law does not prohibit wage-based drivers from being afforded Workers’ Compensation benefits from The Black Car Fund, so long as your base is in good standing.

 Are there learning opportunities available for my drivers?

  • We offer an 8-hour Defensive Driving course at our Driver Education Center that drivers can register for. Drivers are eligible to be paid $300 for attending, once every three years. Drivers who attend and complete the course will receive a $300 check in the mail (to arrive in the mail within 6-8 weeks) as well as become eligible for a 3-point reduction on their DMV license (point reductions can only occur every 18 months).

  • Our Wellness STEP class can be completed by drivers once every three years for a payment of $150.

  • Lastly, our newest course is the Driver Education Course. This course covers all the benefits that we provide to drivers and how to access them. It also contains some additional safety instruction specific to being a driver in New York. Once every three years, drivers can complete this course either in-person or online. If they complete it online they will receive a $125 payment and if they complete it in-person instead, they will receive a $250 payment. Please note, drivers cannot take both the online and in-person course within the same three year period.