Uber?

Eventually Uber will face situations like the following (if it hasn't already started)

Some Uber driver with a high and good rating will pick up 3 or 4 people at the same time, drive in some way causing fatal and severe injuries to the people involved.

Upon further investigation, the driver will somehow have lied in several ways, perhaps even have several accidents on his record, and Uber will have missed it and kept him on anyway.

Then the big lawsuit -- because Uber has the deep pockets.

Quote: rxwine

Then the big lawsuit -- because Uber has the deep pockets.

But also smart enough to insulate themselves.

Quote: AZDuffman

But also smart enough to insulate themselves.

Maybe, Maybe not. Remains to be seen.

Surely there will be cases though.

You would be the first to note a bunch of judges and lawyers can come up with different outcomes than you might expect.

I sometimes end up with cold coffee probably because of some ruling. Not to my liking that lady won her suit against hot coffee.

Uber is constantly being sued by passengers
and former drivers and over accidents. It's
nothing new to them.

Uber is valued at over $50 Billion (Yes, that is a B). It will take more than a few big lawsuits to derail them.

Quote: DRich

Uber is valued at over $50 Billion (Yes, that is a B). It will take more than a few big lawsuits to derail them.

Well that certainly explains why they won't easily be intimidated by opposition.

Quote: Evenbob

Ride-share companies are prepaid by the
passenger. The driver owns his own car,
he's not working for any city owned company.
The ride is a pre paid contract between the
driver and the passenger, how do you make
that illegal. It's like your brother calls you and
says he'll give you 5 dollars to take him to
the store. How can that be illegal.

Ebay is the same. If I buy something for $50 at
the store, I pay 6% sales tax. If I buy the same
thing on Ebay from a guy in Calif, no sales tax
is involved. Perfectly legal, I don't live in Calif
and the tax doesn't apply to me.

It seems more like Napster than Ebay. Napster argued that they weren't bootlegging music. Napster merely provided server space and an interface that allowed individuals to share music files. If those individuals broke the law, that wasn't Napster's fault. Uber is clearly deploying a fleet of drivers who offer ride service to the general public. They run ads on the radio here in Austin and the ads don't talk about how cool it is that their app connects people who need a ride with people willing to share one. They only talk about how much cash you can make driving for Uber. Napster lost their fight and it would seem that smarter legal minds than mine could argue that Uber is a bootleg cab company hiding behind an app. One difference could be that the music piracy laws are federal while taxis are regulated by thousands of municipalities.

Quote: JimRockford

It seems more like Napster than Ebay. Napster argued that they weren't bootlegging music. Napster merely provided server space and an interface that allowed individuals to share music files. If those individuals broke the law, that wasn't Napster's fault. Uber is clearly deploying a fleet of drivers who offer ride service to the general public. They run ads on the radio here in Austin and the ads don't talk about how cool it is that their app connects people who need a ride with people willing to share one. They only talk about how much cash you can make driving for Uber. Napster lost their fight and it would seem that smarter legal minds than mine could argue that Uber is a bootleg cab company hiding behind an app. One difference could be that the music piracy laws are federal while taxis are regulated by thousands of municipalities.

Not quite a valid comparison. Uber is not breaking someone else's copyright like Napster did.

Quote: AZDuffman

Not quite a valid comparison. Uber is not breaking someone else's copyright like Napster did.

Napster merely enabled other people to violate copy right laws. Uber enables other people to provide cab rides to the general public as a part time or full time vocation.