(WHTM) — A caution to anyone who is doing gig work to earn some extra money if it involves driving your own car… are you sure you’re insured?

Looking to earn some extra money delivering food or packages? If it involves using your own car, we have a very important warning.

Rosie Achenbach and her dad have received a very expensive lesson. In what can happen if you have an accident as a gig driver.

“Basically I clipped the back end of his vehicle,” Achenbach said.

Dad Steve Achenbach thought food delivery would be a good way for Rosie to earn some extra money for college. Little did either one of them know that using her car for business meant their insurance would not cover an accident.

The delivery company paid to fix the other’s driver’s truck. But Rosie and her dad were on their own for thousands in repairs.

“It ended up costing $8,000,” Steve said.

Two years ago Terrina Sheppard ended up with $3,000 in damage to her car’s fenders when she hydroplaned during a rain storm.

“That’s dented, this too around here,” she said showing the marks on her car.

“It hit the front and rear on the guardrail and I was turned the wrong way,” Sheppard said.

But when she contacted her insurer, her claim was denied.

“They said they are not covering the accident. They are not covering it,” Sheppard said.

Terrina learned its because of her job as a courier for local hospitals.

Many gig workers now use their personal cars for work, whether they are working for Door Dash, Uber Eats, or a courier service. But are you covered by insurance?

The law firm M.R. Parker, which handles many cases involving gig drivers, says “You absolutely must tell your insurer or they can decline to pay out anything.”

Money magazine says if you drive for Uber, Lyft, Door Dash, or courier services, you need to purchase rideshare or business insurance. It is typically a $ 200-a-year add-on to your policy.

“Given how much we ended up spending, it ended up obviously not being worth the little bit of money I was making,” Rosie said.

Rosie is now warning other gig drivers to check with their insurance first. So you don’t waste your money.