Lakeland Uber and Lyft Cases

Ridesharing company Uber released new rules on December 8, 2016 for passenger’s behavior.  The list of new rules, taken as a safety measure, also include vandalism, flirting, and sex.  Here is a list of what you should expect:

• Causing damage to drivers’ or fellow passengers’ property;
• Intentionally spilling food or drinks inside a vehicle;
• Smoking;
• Vomiting or being too intoxicated;
• Zero tolerance of sexual contact;
• Touching or flirting with drivers or passengers;
• Use of inappropriate language or obscene gestures;
• Asking personal questions to drivers;
• Making threats to drivers;
• Asking drivers to speed or break traffic laws;
• Texting, calling, or visiting a passenger after a ride has been completed;
• Committing a crime during a ride, such as human or drug trafficking.

Drivers Rate Passengers Too

On Uber, passengers get to rate drivers, however, many people did not know that drivers also get to rate the passengers as well.  In addition to passenger rating issues, inappropriate behavior as a passenger can get you banned from using the service.  In the past, passengers did not have access to their passenger rating.  However, the app has recently been updated to allow you to view your own passenger rating score on a one to five star scale.  If you open the app and go to the profile icon on the top left, then click:

–Help>Account and payment>Account settings and ratings>I’d like to know my rating>Submit.  After that, your passenger rating should appear.

The Rating System is Important to Maintain Safety and Civility

Unless people are being watched and are subject to consequences, then behavior tends to suffer.  When people do bad things in a taxi, the company had an overarching responsibility to passengers that was enforced by local governments through licensure.  Since ridesharing companies are not licensed taxi cab companies, the company itself has to take the steps required to increase safety.

Ridesharing Companies Can Be Responsible for Drivers’ Bad Behavior

We must not forget that ridesharing companies attempt to skirt legal liability by allowing people to drive their own vehicles as their business model.  They do this by calling their drivers “independent contractors.”  Despite calling them “independent contractors,” the ridesharing companies have a legal responsibility to do a background check for safety (driving history) and behavior issues (criminal convictions) to appropriately determine who should not be driving in a ridesharing service.  Failure to do this, or doing it inadequately, may result in legal liability for the ridesharing company.

Talk to a Personal Injury Lawyer Today About Your Uber Case

If you have a case against Uber, or any other ridesharing service, please contact a Lakeland personal injury attorney for a free case review.  You may have a case if you were involved in an accident caused by an Uber driver, if you were physically attacked, stalked by a driver or passenger, or if a violation of any of the rules above caused injury or damage to you.  You should not tolerate inappropriate behavior as a result of taking an Uber ride.  Call us today to discuss your case.

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