Rideshare companies such as Uber and Lyft offer a relatively new method of transportation that is making it easier and less expensive.
Accidents involving ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft differ from other accidents. This is because in those cases, drivers are not considered employees of the ridesharing company. Rather, they are independent contractors. This creates difficulty when determining liability, and may give ridesharing companies the ability to easily deny an injury claim.
A majority of Uber and Lyft drivers are regular people who are required to have a standard driver’s license and personal insurance. Most drivers have no training in specific ride-sharing transportation skills. Additionally, ridesharing services require drivers to constantly use and check their phones, which creates the additional risk of distracted driving. Dozens of Uber and Lyft accidents have been traced back to distracted driving, texting and other forms of driver negligence.
