The Rise of Ridesharing Services and Their Impact on Daily Life

Ridesharing services are transforming the way many of us go about our day-to-day lives. Even if you don't use ridesharing services such as Uber, you've probably seen vehicles that have Uber stickers become more prevalent over the years. Consider this – there are over 400,000 Uber drivers in the US alone.

The Consequences of Negligence: Examining an Avoidable Uber Accident

Uber accidents occur. This year in Arizona, an Uber driver was streaming videos on her phone when her vehicle hit someone who was crossing the street. Unfortunately, the pedestrian that was hit died. Police said that the crash was “deemed entirely avoidable” if the driver had been paying attention.

Navigating the Brave New World of Uber and Self-Driving Technology

Here is the thing – the vehicle was in an autonomous mode at the time of the crash and was part of Uber's testing of self-driving vehicles on the streets of Arizona cities. Recently, Uber has been experimenting with self-driving cars that require a back-up driver to intervene if the autonomous system fails or a difficult driving situation arises.

In this case, the driver did not intervene until it was too late. Her attention was on reality television.
If you have been a victim of an Uber driver's mistake, you may need a personal injury attorney in Phoenix. At Lorona Mead, our attorneys will help you.

A Brave New World

Uber has disrupted the world of transportation. Uber drivers are independent contractors with the company and do not have the same oversight that taxi drivers do. This does not mean that all Uber drivers are unsafe, but some of them do make mistakes.

There have been cases of Uber drivers operating their vehicles while impaired by alcohol and drugs as well as other cases of distracted driving similar to this one. When you consider the prevalence of DUI cases involving Uber drivers, such as this one in Nebraska, there is cause for concern.

As self-driving and autonomous vehicles become more prevalent in the world of ridesharing services, the outcomes are uncertain. The testing is being done on real roads that have real world consequences. Pair autonomous vehicles with unregulated Uber drivers, and the consequences could be deadly.

We want you to know that Uber drivers and passengers are covered by insurance from the company. Uber offers up to $1 million of liability coverage per accident. If you are injured in an accident caused by Uber, you have the right to be covered by insurance. We want to ensure that you are treated fairly.

What To Do

Whether you using Uber or not, you expect their drivers and vehicles to be safe. When you get into an Uber ride, you want to arrive at your destination safely. If you are a pedestrian, the last thing you expect is to get hit and injured by an Uber vehicle. If that does happen, you may need a uber accident attorney in Phoenix. At Lornoa Mead, we understand that navigating personal injury claims against a company can be confusing. We will sit down with you and discuss your options. You can contact us by clicking here or calling 602-554-0006.