Do You Participate in the Ridesharing Economy?
Basically, the college students had sessions that they needed to attend in the morning. They fed the group breakfast and lunch, or they would give the students vouchers that were good for restaurants at the union station.
On the unscheduled day of the leadership trip, the students were able to visit any museum that they wanted to visit. From Smithsonian museums to the Holocaust Museum, there are many places where people want to visit in the fall, the time of the year when the crowds are much smaller.
Any trip to Washington, D.C. is spectacular, but if you plan your days in the nation’s capitol for those times when it is less busy you can visit more museums, see more sites, and experience more history. All of these museums, however, are not located right next to each other. As a result, the group of students who were allowed to travel the city on their own as long as they were in groups of at least three, had to navigate the available transportation options. Although the weather was perfect and many of the distances could be walked, after long days at sessions the group was limited in the amount of time that they had.
One of the most popular transportation options today is ridesharing. In a group that had various previous experiences, both good and bad, they were extra careful that they were reading reviews on drivers and following all of the proper identification checks.
Rideshare Lawyers Are a Fairly New Type of Legal Classification
Unfortunately, the stories that are on the news are often the extreme situations when things go wrong. From rideshare customers who have merely felt uncomfortable with their assigned driver to those customers who have been physically attacked, these are the stories that are more likely to be on the news. And while the majority of rideshare exchanges are successful and uneventful, it is important to realize that there are now reideshare lawyers who can provide guidance. Both the rider and the driver can be at risk when they enter into these short term economic exchanges. One of the greatest risks to the rider, however, is if the driver who picks them up is not legally eligible to be driving. Intoxification, in fact, is a concern in some situations.
Rideshare lawyers, like other attorneys, can find themselves covering both sides of a situation. In one case, for instance, an Uber accident injury lawyer may be representing the rider; at another time the rideshare lawyer may be representing the driver. Unfortunately, around the world, nearly 50% of drivers admit to drinking alcohol while they are on the clock. Not a problem that is limited to the new ridesahre economy, it is also important to note that nearly 12.5% of American truck drivers have tested positive for alcohol. In all of these cases, it is important to get the legal representation you need if an accident happens.
Rideshare lawyers like Uber accident injury attorneys find themselves dealing with past driving records and tracking the most recent reliability checks that have been completed by the overseeing company. Although the shared economy is a popular option for travelers, there are times when the homesharing and ridesharing does not go as planned. It is at these times when it is important to make sure that you are getting the legal help that you need to deal with what can be a very difficult situation.
Initially, victims injured in automobile accidents involving drivers and passengers of Uber, Lyft, and other rideshares may feel as if they have little recourse, but there are a growing number of court cases showing there are legal ramifications to this still rather new shared economy trend. If you have been involved in a rideshare accident as a passenger, a driver of another vehicle, or the rideshare driver it may be in your best interest to seek legal advice and understand what kinds of options are available to you. Rideshare attorneys are increasingly familiar with the latest court cases that have been settled and can advise potential clients on what the first steps should be after an accident.
Whether you are in D.C. with a group of fellow college students or traveling for work, it is important to make the best travel decisions.