Luxury car services are spreading rapidly across the country, enabled by the development of smartphone technology. The most well-known of these services is Uber, which uses a smartphone app to allow customers to order car service at any time.
Uber operates in 40 American cities, including Minneapolis. It’s received a large amount of positive press, and it undoubtedly provides an invaluable service. However, Goldenberg Lauricella’s accident lawyers understand that technological innovation often leads to legal and regulatory headaches.
Uber takes a somewhat curious position: namely, that is not a transportation company. It states that it is merely an intermediary between customers and drivers, who are hired as independent contractors, rather than employees. As such, Uber, and many other similar services argue that they possess no liability for anything that occurs during your ride.
The company has faced regulatory difficulties in many communities, including San Francisco and Washington DC. Legislative bodies and courts across the country are struggling to clarify the difficult liability issues related to these car services.
The question of who is responsible when an Uber driver is involved in an accident remains a difficult one. At Goldenberg Lauricella, our Minneapolis accident lawyers have experience with companies who try to shield themselves from liability resulting from their employees’ and/or contractors’ actions. The independent contractor defense is commonly used by companies, and under some circumstances, it may be possible to prove that someone is instead an employee.
If you live in Minneapolis or in any other Minnesota community and you need an experienced accident lawyer, please contact Goldenberg Lauricella today for a free consultation.