An Uber driver from Massachusetts is suing for disability pay after he was shot in the head while picking up a passenger in 2017. Now, there’s a debate regarding where to send the dispute. Neither Uber Technologies Inc. nor the driver believes the case belongs in federal court.
The family of an Uber driver who was killed by a passenger has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Maryland federal court against the rideshare company. The suit claims the killing was the result of inadequate passenger screening procedures.
The suit, brought by Tchakounte’s fiancee Carole Tchabert Tchatchoua and his three children, is seeking unspecified damages to compensate for their mental anguish, emotional pain and suffering, and loss of economic support.
In 2015, Uber and Lyft drivers sought the right to unionize in Seattle. A law was put in place that allowed them to do so, however, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Uber challenged the law in court. Now, however, Uber has agreed to dismiss the case.
When the unionization law passed in Seattle, it allowed drivers for ride-hailing apps to organize. This was unusual because the companies consider drivers independent contractors as opposed to employees. When the law was challenged in court, the Seattle City Council removed provisions that allowed drivers to negotiate pay if they organized. The rideshare companies continued to pushback against the new law even after changes were made, but have now decided to drop the lawsuit.
While rideshare companies offer useful services to people who are looking for a quick, efficient, and fairly inexpensive form of travel, there are negligent drivers that put passengers at risk. Any driver, whether they’re working for a rideshare company or not, can be reckless behind the wheel. Based on how rideshare companies work, however, it’s important to question if the systems indirectly encourage drivers to ignore or break traffic laws.
Uber and Lyft work in a similar way, and the system is fairly simple. Smartphones connect drivers with riders. When a person requests a ride, a nearby driver can accept the request. The rider is given an estimated time of arrival and is notified when their driver arrives. When the rider enters the vehicle, the driver will confirm the drop-off point and start the ride. Once the car reaches the destination, the rider exits and they are automatically charged for the fare on the preferred payment method. Some cities give riders the option to pay cash. When the trip ends, both parties are asked to rate each other.
In late December 2018, a lawsuit involving people who were injured after an Uber driver made them leave the car in a dangerous area was brought back by an appellate court in Illinois. They decided that the driver could have reasonably foreseen that the couple could have been injured by a speeding car.
The panel was made up of three judges. They decided that the Uber driver Farid Kessanti and other people involved acted negligently when the Uber passengers Sean Kramer and Jasmine Vega were left in a poorly lit area. The area also had bars and likely had people who weren’t sober, and the Uber driver could have seen that a car collision could possibly happen. The panel brought back this claim because of the context where the passengers were left.