A tragedy has struck a college town that is making people examine safety methods when it comes to rideshares. Samantha Josephson entered a car she thought was her Uber around 2 a.m. on March 29 in Columbia, South Carolina. The car was a black Chevrolet Impala. The driver was not Josephson’s Uber driver, and the 21 year old student at the University of South Carolina was reported missing by her friends the next day. Josephson’s body was soon found by two turkey hunters 70 miles away in Clarendon County.

Since then, the police have arrested the driver, 24 year old Nathaniel D. Rowland. They’re charging him with murder and kidnapping, as they found traces of Josephson’s blood in his car, activated child safety locks in the back seat, and discovered Josephson’s phone along with bleach and window cleaner.

When you’re planning on using a rideshare service, everyone has a different method of choosing. You may be loyal to a specific company because you like their app or it’s what you’ve always used. Or, you might bounce back and forth in order to find the best deal. Regardless of whether you choose Lyft or Uber, it’s likely you’re aware of the possible dangers of getting into a car with a rideshare driver – as stories are all over the news.

You may have noticed that Uber accidents seem more common than crashes involving Lyft vehicles. A number of factors affect how these companies are portrayed in the media and why people are more aware of Uber wrecks. It’s important to note, however, that Uber and Lyft have not released data for accident rates, so it’s difficult to determine just how frequently rideshare accidents occur.

Planning out the logistics of using a car in a city involves knowing the quickest routes, where to park, and how much parking could cost. Many people choose to avoid this headache by using rideshare services like Uber or Lyft. As rideshare options are becoming more readily available to people all over the country, there are still important factors about the drivers that users should know.

Rideshare drivers are just like any other drivers—which means they can make mistakes if they act negligently or recklessly. If you’ve been in a car accident involving a rideshare driver, you can get justice. While these cases can be tricky, you can get the help of an Uber accident injury attorney from the Rideshare Law Group.

People often look to rideshare companies like Uber to help get them to their destinations. It works well for people if they’re in a new place and don’t know the way around. This is also a great option for people who don’t want to worry about driving and parking their car.

Uber drivers are considered independent contractors and are not legally considered employees of the company. They’re also not required to undergo any special training. In fact, it’s easier to get hired as an Uber driver than most other driving jobs in the U.S. Here are some additional facts and information you may not know about Uber drivers:

Nearly a year ago in March 2018, a woman in Tempe, AZ was killed in a crash involving a self-driving Uber vehicle. The woman’s family has recently filed a $10 million claim against the City of Tempe.

When Elaine Herzberg was hit and killed by the self-driving car, which was a Volvo sport-utility vehicle, she was walking outside of a crosswalk on Mill Avenue. Her husband and daughter, who are being represented by Skousen, Gulbrandsen & Patience, are claiming the city created a dangerous situation by paving the median where pedestrians were not supposed to walk. The lawsuit is seeking $5 million in compensation for each of the surviving family members.