The LegalRideshare Podcast

$44 million awarded, riders get checked, and robotaxis get confused. LegalRideshare breaks it down. $44 MILLION LAWSUIT The family of a murdered Lyft driver has been rewarded $44 million. Chicago Sun Times reported: Kristian Philpotts, 29, accepted a request for a ride in Urbana on Jan. 12, 2022. During the ride, Philpotts was shot by the passenger, Tyjohn Williams of Champaign, according to criminal charges. Williams, now 18, is accused of requesting the ride using his mother's account. He allegedly got inside the vehicle with two other people, pulled out a gun and shot Philpotts in the back. Philpotts died shortly after. Champaign County Circuit Court Judge Benjamin W. Dyer awarded the family $44,724,193 at a hearing on damages Friday. The family now will seek to collect on that award from Williams and his mother. “Criminals must be held accountable when they destroy lives, families and communities,” said attorney Bryant Greening, of LegalRideshare LLC. “KP and his family suffered an unimaginable loss. While this award does not bring KP back, it does serve as a source of justice.” RIDER VERIFCATION HITS CHICAGO Riders will now be “verified” in 12 cities, including Chicago. ABC 7 Chicago reported: Riders will now be “verified” to make sure they are who they claim to be. Uber said this is in response to security and safety concerns that drivers have in Chicago and other cities. Uber says most people will automatically get verified without doing a thing. Uber will cross reference personal information that they already have in your account, no ID required. That completes the verification process for the vast majority of people. The verification process is a pilot program. It will not perform criminal background checks on riders. WAYMO TAXIS BLOCK TRAFFIC Traffic cones caused confusion for robotaxis. TechCrunch reported: Six Waymo robotaxis blocked traffic moving onto the Potrero Avenue 101 on-ramp in San Francisco on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m., according to video of the incident posted to Reddit and confirmation from Waymo. After hitting the road closure, the first Waymo vehicle in the lineup then pulled over out of the traffic lane that was blocked by cones, followed by six other Waymo robotaxis. Human-driven cars were then stuck behind some of the robotaxis; a video posted online shows fed-up drivers getting out of their cars to physically move the cones out of the way so they could pass both the road closure and the stalled Waymos. It's not the first time Waymo vehicles have caused a road blockage, but this is the first documented incident involving a freeway. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

High pay myths, AV food delivery and the future of rideshare. LegalRideshare breaks it down. PAYING DRIVERS MORE =/= HIGHER FARES Uber's classic threat has turned out to be false. Truthout.org reported: Our team analyzed over a billion rideshare trips, comparing four years of data in Chicago and New York. These are two of the biggest rideshare markets in the U.S. If Uber's argument was true, fares should have gone up more in New York after the pay standard took effect. In fact, the opposite happened. Over the four years we studied, Uber and Lyft raised fares by 54% in Chicago, where drivers have no pay protections. In New York, they only increased fares by 36%. The reality just doesn't match Uber's scare tactics. UBER EATS GOES AV Food delivery in Phoenix gets a lot more automated. Fast Company reported: Uber Eats will start delivering some orders in the Phoenix area via Waymo's autonomous vehicles on Wednesday, expanding on a multiyear partnership that already includes the self-driving cars shepherding passengers around town. Customers who have their food delivered by a Waymo will receive an in-app notification to take their phone outside to unlock the vehicle and pick up the items ordered. Users, who place an order where autonomous delivery is available, will be able to opt out of the tech at checkout if they prefer to have a courier deliver their food. MINNEAPOLIS AFTER UBER What does Minneapolis look like after Uber leaves? MPR news reported: Uber and Lyft have promised to end service in Minneapolis on May 1 because of a dispute with the city over driver pay. The situation leaves drivers with uncertainty over how to make a living and what comes next. One of those drivers is Farhan Badel, who has been driving for Uber and Lyft in Minneapolis since 2018. His work for Uber and Lyft helps him support his three children and wife and has allowed him the freedom to be able to choose his hours to better juggle life and work. If Uber and Lyft leave Minneapolis within weeks, Badel and other drivers may explore roads less traveled — driving for startup rideshare apps. At his home office in Woodbury, Murid Amini has been working around the clock since early March developing MOOV, a rideshare app which he says has around 900 users signed up so far — around 600 are drivers. Other rideshare companies are also looking for ways to fill the possible void, including HICH and The Drivers Cooperative, a driver-owned organization in New York, interested in signing up Minnesota drivers. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

We chat with LegalRideshare's co-founder & lead attorney Bryant Greening about accidents and deactivations caused by accidents.

Drivers protest, companies step up and the facts about minimum wage. LegalRideshare breaks it down. LOUISVILLE DRIVERS GO ON STRIKE Drivers step up in Kentucky. Spectrum News reported: Around 60 drivers went on strike starting at the Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. They said they chose the location because they don't make enough on rides from the airport to downtown hotels. Solomon Tamene has been driving for Uber and Lyft for six-and-a-half years, but he went on strike for the first time Monday. Lyft recently announced drivers will earn 70% or more of rider payments each week. If they don't, they will be paid the difference. “They say drivers make 70%,” Tamene said. “I'll show you; I have my evidence. Drivers say they make 70%, but we never make 70%.” UBER LEAVES. COMPANIES STEP UP. With Uber planning to leave, other rideshare companies are stepping up. KARE 11 reported: Rideshare companies Uber and Lyft said they will leave Minneapolis on May 1 if a new ordinance, passed by the city council, takes effect.But several companies said they are ready to come in if Uber and Lyft make good on their promise. Steve Wright, founder and CEO of Wridz, said their rideshare company can now be found in 20 cities across the country. But they started in Austin, Texas after Uber and Lyft left the city in 2016 under different circumstances. A new Texas law then eventually superseded the Austin ordinance, leading to Uber and Lyft returning a year later. Joshua Sear, founder and CEO of Empower, said their main market is in the Washington, D.C., metro area. But they also provide service to drivers in Winston-Salem/Greensboro, North Carolina and are beta testing the service in New York City. To date, no new company has submitted an application for a TNC license. Once the city of Minneapolis receives a license application from a TNC, it takes approximately two to six weeks for approval. Hill said any new companies will need to follow the city's permit and licensing process. 15 FACTS ABOUT MINIMUM WAGE With a win in Minnesota for the drivers, reporters break down the facts. Minnesota Reformer adds: 1. Minnesota has more than 10,000 app-based drivers2. Uber and Lyft drivers earned an average of $30.27 per hour3. The state report was written by two labor-friendly economists4. The Minneapolis City Council approved the ordinance before they saw the state report6. Higher prices could impact drivers' overall income13. Other companies will struggle to scale up if Uber and Lyft leave LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

NEW GIG WORKER RULES New rules have just taken place. The Dispatch reported: A new Biden administration rule that changes the criteria for determining who is considered an independent contractor under the Federal Labor Standards Act went into effect Monday, potentially redefining “gig work” as we know it. Advocates of the new rule say it will expand the benefits of full employment — federal minimum wage, unemployment insurance, overtime, and Social Security benefits — to millions of independent contractors, particularly those who are “misclassified” as such. Opponents, however, worry the change will have a chilling effect on hiring contractors, undermining the independent contracting model and forcing genuine contract workers out of the market. Though estimates for how many people engage in contract-based and independent work can vary widely, workforce surveys suggest that at least 25 percent of U.S. workers engage in some form of gig work — as independent contractors, freelancers, or through other non-standard work arrangements — and that roughly 10 percent of the workforce rely exclusively on gig work as their primary source of income AMAZON'S ZENBOOTHS ARE A “SLAP IN THE FACE” Stressed working for Amazon? Just think happy thoughts. NY Post adds: Amazon has sought to improve the morale of its stressed-out warehouse workers and reduce injuries by setting up so-called “ZenBooths” — interactive kiosks that are billed as “mindful practice rooms,” according to reports. A warehouse employee at the Seattle-based e-tailing giant founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos leaked a screenshot of a meditation and wellness guide from the company that encourages workers to “close your eyes and think about something that makes you happy.” The screenshot — which also shows a timer at the top right corner of the screen, saying “Repeat until timer ends” and showing 10 seconds left — was leaked by a worker at one of the company's fulfillment centers, where pay was recently increased to between $17 and $28 an hour. But the company deleted a promotional video announcing the rollout of the booths after it elicited scathing reaction on social media, where critics noted that Amazon has been accused of subjecting employees to poor workplace conditions and heavy workloads. MINNESOTA DRIVERS CLAIM VICTORY. UBER LEAVES. After a historic win for drivers, Uber announced it's leaving the city. Star Tribune reported: Rideshare giants Uber and Lyft said they will leave Minneapolis on May 1 after the City Council voted Thursday to enact a pay raise for drivers. The council voted 10 to 3 to override Mayor Jacob Frey's veto of the ordinance, which sets drivers' minimum pay for rides in the city starting May 1. Uber and Lyft are Minneapolis' only licensed rideshare companies, although several entities — both local startups and existing companies — have said they would be eager to fill the void. None have formally applied for a license, and it's unclear if any could scale up operations in a matter of weeks. On Thursday, Uber competitor Empower announced it could do so — and would — before May 1. That could open a new legal fight; Empower's business model is different, and CEO Joshua Sear told the Star Tribune he doesn't believe the company needs any special licensing. However, in December, Washington, D.C., accused Empower of operating illegally there, according to local media reports. The irony: A decade ago, Uber burst into many markets, including the Twin Cities, illegally before cities created a licensing regimen. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

The revolution that wasn't, more threats from Uber and teens get a lift. LegalRideshare breaks it down. THE SELF-DRIVING REVOULTION THAT WASN'T Self-driving was basically “promised” in 2016. So what happened? The Week reported: There are a whole host of reasons that the dream of a self-driving revolution hasn't yet come to pass: cost, the slow evolution of the required technology, and a lack of public trust to name but a few. Perhaps the biggest, however, is safety. Humans are generally good at dealing with the unexpected; but machines must be “taught” to behave in certain ways in certain situations. How should a car with no driver respond if it sees, say, a rock in the road that may or may not be a paper bag? The industry says that self-driving cars are up to seven times less likely to get into crashes leading to injury than normal cars. After all, AI isn't susceptible to a temptation to drink and drive, and won't get tired. But a series of high-profile accidents have dented confidence in such claims. UBER/LYFT THREATEN TO LEAVE MINNEAPOLIS Here we go again. Star Tribune reported: The Minneapolis City Council has resurrected plans to raise wages and expand the rights of Uber and Lyft drivers — and the companies have resurrected their threats to leave town if those plans move forward. The battle, strikingly similar to one that played out last year, sprang anew before a Minneapolis City Council committee Tuesday. The subject of a public hearing was a proposed ordinance that would pay drivers a minimum of $1.40 per mile and 51 cents per minute while transporting riders on any trip within the city limits, among other guarantees. Since the battle played out last year, both Uber and Lyft have instituted a $5 minimum payment to drivers for all rides and have committed to other standards. They've also upped their local lobbying and PR campaigns. Uber, for example, hired a local PR firm and the firm circulated a letter this week signed by nearly 150 local drivers supporting not the Minneapolis proposal, but a New York settlement that set minimum pay and other protections, such as paid sick leave. UBER TEEN ACCOUNTS IN CA Uber has rolled out teen accounts in California with added safety. NBC Bay Area reported: When a teen requests an Uber, the parent or guardian will get a notification and will be able to track the car in real-time.Only the highest-rated, most experienced drivers are allowed to accept teen requests, and Uber does annual background checks on all drivers. Teens will get a PIN that they'll have to provide to the driver in order to make sure they're getting into the right car. And there will be an audio recording of all rides, encrypted for their privacy but available in case the teen or parent needs to file a report of any kind. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

The LegalRideshare team talks with Lenny Sanchez of Independent Drivers Guild about unfair deactivations, accidents, insurance and more.

The war for wages, self-driving goes in circles, and Uber ends in the black. LegalRideshare breaks it down. THE FIGHT FOR MINIMUM WAGE Corporations go head-to-head with workers trying to make a living. The Stranger adds: Billion-dollar corporations such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, GrubHub, and InstaCart started ramping up their cry-bully tactics against gig workers after the City of Seattle instituted new “Pay Up”-branded protections on January 13 of this year. Workers don't want you or the brand new, business-backed City Council to fall for it. “They'll cry, they'll throw themselves on the ground, kicking and screaming like a toddler. Anything to make reasonable labor policy fail,” said driver and Pay Up advocate Carmen Figueroa. In 2022, former Council Members Lisa Herbold and Andrew Lewis passed a minimum wage ordinance, something workers in other sectors have enjoyed for more than 85 years. Through messages to their customers and statements in the press, app-based delivery companies have set up a narrative that a minimum wage has actually hurt the workers this legislation aimed to help. WHAT SELF-DRIVING CAR? The AV future has turned into a pipe dream. The Verge adds: One of the hallmarks of the race to develop autonomous vehicles has been wildly optimistic predictions about when they'll be ready for daily use. The landscape is positively littered with missed deadlines. The amount of money flowing into the autonomous vehicle space also had the knock-on effect of convincing regulators to take a lax approach when it comes to self-driving cars. AV boosters warned that too many rules would “stifle innovation” and jeopardize future gains, whether that was safety or job creation. When training an AI program on driving, you can predict a lot of what to expect, but you can't predict everything. And when those edge cases eventually emerge, the car can make mistakes — sometimes with tragic consequences. UBER MAKES A PROFIT Uber finally makes a profit. But at what cost? Disconnect adds: Between 2014 and 2023, the company set over $31 billion on fire in its quest to drive taxi companies out of business and build a global monopoly. It failed on both fronts, but in the meantime it built an organization that can wield significant power over transportation — and that's exactly how it got to last week's milestone. The profit it's reporting is purely due to exploitative business practices where the worker and consumer are squeezed to serve investors — and technology is the tool to do it. This is the moment CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has been working toward for years, and the plan he's trying to implement to cement the company's position should have us all concerned about the future of how we get around and how we work. As transport analyst Hubert Horan outlined, for-hire rides are not a service that can take advantage of economies of scale like a software or logistics company, meaning just because you deliver more rides doesn't mean the per-ride cost gets significantly cheaper. Uber actually created a less cost-efficient model because it forces drivers to use their own vehicles and buy their own insurance instead of having a fleet of similar vehicles covered by fleet insurance. For years, workers have been protesting and organizing to try to claw back the power they lost when Uber sold labor exploitation as innovation to credulous governments that rolled out the red carpet for the supposed innovator. The most high-profile of these campaigns was in California, where workers were successful in pushing the state government to pass Assembly Bill 5 that effectively made them employees, only for the platform companies to rally behind a ballot measure that became known as Proposition 22. The companies deceptively presented it as a progressive policy to help workers in the gig economy when it actually nullified their victory and cemented their status as independent contractors. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Lyft promises pay, Minneapolis considers minimum wage and Waymo hits a bicyclist. LegalRideshare breaks it down. Lyft drivers receive 70% of payments Lyft has a new promise for drivers. CBS News reported: The rideshare company is pledging to pay its lower-earning drivers the difference between their take-home pay (after insurance and taxes) and 70% of their clients' fares each week, Lyft said Tuesday in a statement. On Tuesday, Lyft said its drivers on average earn about 88% of rider payments, after taxes and other fees. But it noted that about 15 in 100 drivers earned less than 70% of their riders' payments, after fees, on a weekly basis last year. Under Lyft's new benefit package, riders will be able to access a breakdown of how they are paid out for their completed rides, in addition to being able to earn extra money for accepting scheduled pick-ups. The company will also offer an extra $100 for drivers who complete 50 rides with an electric vehicle within a week between February 12 and July 1. Minimum wage for drivers Minneapolis is considering a minimum wage for drivers. Axios reported: If Minneapolis leaders enact a proposal being pushed by rideshare activists, Uber and Lyft drivers would be guaranteed to make the equivalent of the minimum wage ($15.57/hour). That's according to a new report from the city auditor. Mayor Jacob Frey and members of the city council majority coalition are exploring three different models for minimum pay. In a presentation to the council on Tuesday, the auditor confirmed that all three options would guarantee drivers earn something like the city's minimum wage. The model drivers prefer — which would pay them $1.40 per mile and 52 cents per minute — would likely deliver the highest pay, audit staffer Andrew Hawkins told the council. Driverless car hits bicyclist A Waymo vehicle hit a bicyclist in San Francisco. The Verge reported: A driverless Waymo vehicle struck a cyclist in San Francisco, causing minor injuries. It was the latest incident in the city at a time when tensions around autonomous vehicles are particularly high after a driverless Cruise vehicle injured a pedestrian. The incident, which was first reported by Reuters, occurred at 3:02PM on February 6th at the intersection of 17th and Mississippi streets in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. A Google Maps Street View of the intersection shows a flat, well-lit area surrounded by warehouses with unprotected bike lanes on both streets. Police officers arriving at the scene found an autonomous vehicle had struck a cyclist, who only reported “non-life threatening injuries,” according to Eve Laokwansathitaya, public information officer with SFPD. Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina had more details to share. The Waymo vehicle was stopped at a four-way stop, as an oncoming large truck began to turn into the intersection. The vehicle waited until it was its turn and then also began to proceed through the intersection, failing to notice the cyclist who was traveling behind the truck. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Workers fight for the bare minimum, drivers get a settlement, and the truth behind tipping. LegalRideshare breaks it down. GIG WORKERS & MINIMUM WAGE A new study shows that most gig workers don't even make minimum wage. Nerd Wallet reported: Nearly a third of gig workers (29%) reported earning less than the minimum wage in their state, according to a June 2022 report by the Economic Policy Institute. In New York City, where the minimum wage is $15 per hour, app-based delivery drivers earn an average of $11.12 per hour after deducting expenses, according to a November 2022 study by the New York City Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. In Chicago, Uber and Lyft drivers earned $12.72 per hour after expenses in 2021, according to a study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In 2023, the city's minimum wage is $15.80 per hour for employers with 21 or more workers. New York City enacted the first minimum wage for rideshare drivers. The city's Taxi and Limousine Commission established a per-trip payment formula to ensure drivers earn an hourly rate that equates to the city's $15-per-hour minimum wage. Based on a typical ride, drivers could expect to earn $17.22 per hour after expenses. DRIVERS WIN $328M SETTLEMENT After claiming wage theft, some drivers receive a payout. Essence adds: … that's what the New York Attorney General's office formally accused Uber and Lyft of last year based on many wage theft complaints from drivers with the companies. Their outcries ultimately led to a historic $328M class action lawsuit settlement win that will pay the drivers what they're reportedly owed. The attorney general's office had taken action against Uber and Lyft, accusing the companies of charging sales taxes and black car fund fee to avoid paying drivers their fair wages they'd earned, per a report from NY 1 Spectrum News. The outlet also pointed out that passengers recognize that Uber's policies have more built-in provision for customers and not nearly enough for drivers. THE TRUTH BEHIND TIPPING Tipping doesn't mean better pay for drivers. View From The Wing explains: When Travis Kalanick left Uber, and Expedia's CEO took over, one of the first moves was to introduce tipping of drivers. Kalanick had opposed tipping because he wanted the experience to be seamless — no extra clicks or decisions, just get out of the car. People generally applauded the change as being good for drivers, because they do not understand how tipping works. It doesn't mean higher pay. That's exactly what's happened at Uber. They introduced tipping, and Uber pays their drivers less. They can get enough drivers on the road precisely because drivers expect that while Uber doesn't pay as much, the customer might make it up with a tip. What's happening, though, is that Uber is paying drivers less and people are tipping less than drivers have expected. That's reduced driver pay, which encourages better drivers with other opportunities to leave the platform. They're replaced by different drivers, and often less expensive, older, and less well-maintained vehicles. It's one reason that the overall Uber experience has gotten so much worse. However what's really interesting is data that sheds light on driver pay and tipping behavior. They found that Uber drivers made 17.1% less in 2023 than the year before. 51% of food and grocery driver income comes from tips. This figure is just 10% for rideshare drivers, in part because expected tipping isn't happening — only 28.3% of rides earn tips (compared to 88.5% of grocery deliveries and 74.5% of food orders). LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

A driver protects himself, Uber kills Drizly and DoorDash hikes fees. LegalRideshare breaks it down. DRIVER DEFENDS HIMSELF. GETS DEACTIVATED. A driver fended off his passenger to save his life. Uber's response? Deactivation. KSDK reported: Keith, 37, said he picked up three men at North Kingshighway Boulevard and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. Keith said the man pointed a gun right at his face and told him to get out of the car. “As I started to exit, I reached down and grabbed my gun and he said ‘What are you reaching for? What are you reaching for?' I hear ‘pop pop' and I started firing back.” Bullets hit the car seats, doors and shattered two windows on his wife's Toyota Corolla. A bullet grazed Keith on his chin. “Uber did call to make sure that I was OK. Their insurance rep also totaled my wife's car. I really liked working there. I know they have a policy that prohibits drivers from carrying guns, but I was protecting myself and I don't think I should have lost my job,” he said. UBER KILLS DRIZLY Drizly stops flowing. Axios reported: The big picture: Drizly was always a bit of an odd match for Uber, in that it didn't hire or contract its own delivery workers. Instead, Drizly provided backend tech that let local liquor stores provide their own deliveries. The bigger issue, however, might have been cybersecurity. Drizly in 2020 confirmed a hack that exposed information on around 2.5 million customers. What it didn't say, however, was that the company had been aware of the security flaw for two years without fixing it. DOORDASH HIKES FEES A win for drivers turns into more fees for customers. New York Post adds: DoorDash is raising delivery fees for Big Apple customers and restaurants alike in response to recent minimum wage hikes — driving already-stratospheric prices even higher, The Post has learned. A month after city legislation forced food-delivery apps to pay higher hourly wages — at least $17.96 an hour — DoorDash told restaurants that they will be paying a higher commission rate effective Wednesday, according to a memo obtained by The Post. The memo also warns because of the “extreme minimum pay rate” customer fees will go up “to help offset the increased costs.” LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Driverless cars are immune, Uber shrugs the rules, and how $110,000 became $14,000. LegalRideshare breaks it down. DRIVERLESS CARS IMMUNE FROM TICKETS Driverless cars can break the rules. NBC News reported: Driverless cars have been documented running red lights, blocking emergency responders and swerving into construction zones. But NBC Bay Area has learned that when driverless cars break the rules of the road, there's not much law enforcement can do. In California, traffic tickets can be written only if there is an actual driver in the car. While autonomous vehicles in California have received parking citations, the state's transportation laws appear to leave driverless vehicles immune from receiving any type of traffic ticket stemming from moving violations. HOW GIG COMPANIES ARE RESPONDING TO RULE CHANGES Rule changes? What rule changes? Fast Company adds: The Department of Labor on Tuesday enacted a new rule aimed at preventing the misclassification of workers as independent contractors. The effort, first proposed in October 2022, provides a guide to whether a worker is an employee or an independent operator under the Fair Labor Standards Act, a difference that could afford someone key legal protections and compensation. The rule is set to take effect March 11. DoorDash said in a statement that it did not believe the ruling would have a big impact on the company. Instacart emphasized that the ruling itself doesn't reclassify workers, but rather provides a framework for future consideration. Lyft also made it clear that there is no immediate impact on the company as of Tuesday. In its own statement, Uber also stressed workers' interest in flexibility and the fact that the rule does not have any current impacts on the company. “This rule does not materially change the law under which we operate, and won't impact the classification of the over 1 million Americans who turn to Uber to make money flexibly,” FROM $110,000 TO $14,000 How does one go from making $110,000 to $14,000? By driving for Uber. Business Insider reported: Michael, a ride-hailing driver in his late 30s, made more than $110,000 in gross earnings driving for Uber and Lyft in 2022. But after commissions paid to the ride-hailing companies, taxes, and other expenses, he ended up with net earnings of just $14,000. Michael, who's based in New Jersey and asked to use only his first name for fear of professional repercussions, shared tax documents and screenshots of recent rides that disclose just how little he took home in 2022. Expenses included buying a new engine, having numerous car repairs, and driving amid elevated gas prices. He said he'd noticed ride-hailing driving had become increasingly less profitable after more than 17,000 rides across six years. As a driver with a spinal injury who takes care of two young kids, he said he'd struggled to make ends meet for himself and his family. He's soon set to enroll in a bachelor's degree program funded entirely by Uber, but in the meantime, driving is one of his only options to pull in cash. “At the end of the year, we incur every single cost from wear and tear to mechanical, cellphones, oil changes, gas, which is our biggest expense, and we're now getting less pay,” Michael said. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

The gig is up, fees on funds, and carjackings continue. LegalRideshare breaks it down. DELIVERY'S GOLDEN AGE IS OVER Has delivery's golden age gone rusty? Some workers think so. Business Insider reported: In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Juan started delivering groceries through Instacart and takeout orders via Uber Eats in Southern California. The money was good enough that he didn't need any other job. Three years later, Juan is still a full-time gig delivery worker. But he's running out of options to stay that way. Most of those conversations included a common theme: Working as a delivery driver got a lot harder over the past year. Lots of workers tell me that they got into delivering early in the pandemic when lots of people were willing to pay extra to have groceries, takeout, and other things brought to their door. But now, things are harder. Just finding orders to deliver can be a challenge. Some services, like Instacart, have also cut base pay for delivering orders. Less than 10% of gig workers make over $2,000 a month, according to research from PayQuicker, a payments company with clients in the gig-work space. NY WORKERS' COMP FUND CAN CHARGE FEES ON TIPS A court ruled in favor of keeping fees on non-cash tips. Reuters explains A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday said a fund created by the state of New York to compensate black car drivers who are injured on the job did not break the law by imposing a fee on noncash tips given to drivers, nixing an $8.5 million award for a class that could include hundreds of thousands of passengers. Ira Goldstein, the fund's executive director, in a statement said the 2nd Circuit ruling makes clear that the fund acted in accordance with state law. “The Black Car Fund's nation-leading model provides workers' compensation and other benefits at no cost to drivers, which gig workers in other states don't have, by charging passengers a small amount on each trip,” he said. CHICAGO RIDESHARE DRIVER SHOT DURING CARJACKING As carjackings continue in Chicago, advocates demand change. CBS 2 reported: A rideshare driver was in critical condition Thursday after he was shot last night during an attempted carjacking in the Austin community. As of late Thursday afternoon, the 51-year-old Uber driver was in critical condition at Mount Sinai Hospital after being shot several times in the chest. Rideshare drivers said it was just the latest incident in a recent wave of violence against drivers. Bryant Greening's law firm, LegalRideshare, specializes in rideshare cases and agrees that companies have not done enough to strengthen identity requirements for passengers. “We're dealing with some of the most innovative companies in the world,” Greening said. He also thinks rideshare drivers should be offered basic safety training — before they hit the road. “Perhaps self-defense classes, perhaps what to look out for in a situation; how to react if a passenger or community member is giving you problems,” Greening said. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Women make less, tips get buried and Amazon uses a blob. LegalRideshare breaks it down. WOMEN MAKE LESS A new study reveals that women make less than men in the gig economy. Business Insider reported: About 23% of Lyft drivers and 20% of Uber drivers are women, according to the most recent company data provided to Business Insider. In 2021, the number of women Uber drivers nearly doubled and surpassed pre-pandemic levels. A 2020 study by Stanford researchers found that women who worked as ride-hailing drivers earned roughly 7% less per hour, on average, than male drivers. Among the researchers' explanations for this disparity: Men had more experience using driving platforms, they tended to drive faster (enabling them to complete more trips), and they were more likely to drive in areas with greater safety risks. UBER MAKES TIPPING HARDER Uber has decided to bury tipping options in NYC. Bloomberg reported: The obligatory base rate for delivery workers of at least $17.96 an hour, which went into effect Dec. 4, has resulted in higher overall earnings in the first week, according to receipts from drivers sent to Bloomberg and posted on social media sites. But to compensate for the added costs, Uber Technologies Inc., DoorDash Inc. and Grubhub, owned by Just Eat Takeaway.com NV, have made changes to their apps that workers say will reduce their hours and could limit earnings potential in the long run. One of the most controversial changes concerns tipping. As a result of the new law, Uber and DoorDash said they'll have to pass increased costs on to consumers in the form of added fees. So as not to overwhelm customers, both companies moved the prompt for tipping on the app to appear after customers have already placed their orders, which could mean fewer tips for drivers. DoorDash said the move is necessary “to ensure our platform remains affordable for all New Yorkers.” BROKE? TALK TO THE BLOB. Amazon workers facing financial hardships were given some advice: talk to our blob. Business Insider reported: An Amazon warehouse told workers they could write to the company's orange blob of a mascot if they're facing financial hardship around the holidays, according to a new report, and at least one employee at the warehouse is criticizing the initiative as tone deaf. “Are you or someone you know facing financial hardship this holiday season?” the flyer read, according to The Guardian. “Peccy wants to help! Write a letter to Peccy. If the Peccy team selects you, some of your holiday wishes could come true!” Keith Williams, a worker at the Amazon SWF1 warehouse who spoke to The Guardian, criticized the initiative. To him, Amazon could be spending more money on “giving us the safety and security of a living wage” and less on company initiatives like Peccy. Along with the pay and hours, an April study from Strategic Organizing Center found that in 2022 the rate of worker injuries at Amazon was 70% higher than those at similar warehouses, and the rate of serious injuries was double that of other warehouses. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

A new EU deal for gig workers, the struggles of one Lyft driver and Amazon robots come cheap. LegalRideshare breaks it down. GIG WORKERS AS EMPLOYEES The EU tells delivery apps gig workers are now employees. Fortune reported: European Union negotiators backed a deal to reclassify millions of people working for ride-hailing and food-delivery apps as employees in a set of rules that could cost the industry billions of euros each year. The provisional deal will require platforms to give full status to the estimated 5.5 million workers who meet at least two out of five conditions that indicate their relationship with the apps fits that of an employee rather than someone who's self employed, the EU said in a statement on Wednesday. The deal will also require platforms to tell workers when they're being monitored or managed by algorithms, which can result in a lack of transparency for workers about how decisions are made and how their personal data is used, the statement said. Platforms won't be allowed to process certain kinds of personal data including private conversations and information that can be used to infer race, political opinions, migration or health status. DRIVING WITH A DISABILITY One disabled Lyft driver is now struggling to make ends meet. Business Insider reported: Elizabeth, who's in her mid-30s and works in the Southeast, said she first started gig work after suffering an injury that limited her work options. She told Business Insider she valued the flexibility of driving for Lyft and Uber, given she could take the day off if she was in pain. She still loves how she can take days off when she's not feeling up to driving. Though now, some weeks — which can vary between 15 to 40 hours given the limitations of her disability — she barely makes $200 a week over what she spends on her vehicle's maintenance and gas. She said she struggled to make her $400 car payment last month. Forty-five percent of Gen Z and 44% of millennials are making $2,500 or more a month in gig work after considering expenses, compared to 36% of Gen X and 30% of boomers, a TransUnion study of nearly 1,000 adults found. AMAZON ROBOT WORKERS WILL COST $3/HR A new Amazon warehouse robot comes at a very low cost. Business Insider reported: Amazon recently began testing a new robot in its warehouse operations — meet Digit, a humanoid bipedal robot with a turquoise torso and smiley eyes. Digit costs about $10 to $12 an hour to operate right now, based on its price and lifespan, but the company predicts that cost to drop to $2 to $3 an hour plus overhead software costs as production ramps up, Agility Robotics CEO Damion Shelton told Bloomberg. Of course, Digit's human-like appearance probably also isn't going to quell the fears of any workers worried they'll eventually be replaced, but Amazon is saying Digit is designed to “work collaboratively” with employees, not replace them. Amazon has been building up its robot fleet for years. It had 45,000 robots across 20 fulfillment centers back in 2017, Insider previously reported, and now says it has “750,000 robots working collaboratively with our employees.” LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

LegalRideshare's Bryant Greening is launching a new service called Amazon Accident, focused on helping Amazon Flex, DSP, and warehouse workers after accidents and injuries.

A tragedy at Amazon, drivers have options and a shopper almost loses her life. LegalRideshare breaks it down. AMAZON WORKER KILLED After a worker was killed at an Amazon facility, Amazon was fined….$7000. The Washington Post reported: After an 11-week investigation, Indiana safety officials found that Amazon failed to ensure a workplace “free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death” and issued a serious safety citation. The penalty? A $7,000 fine, the maximum in Indiana. Amazon, America's second-largest private employer, is under unprecedented scrutiny for a high rate of injuries at its warehouses as multiple government agencies raise alarms about ergonomic safety. But cases like Gruesbeck's reveal the limited ability of state and federal safety regulators to effectively levy penalties or enforce safety policies on powerful corporations like Amazon, which made $9.9 billion in profits in the last quarter. DRIVERS HAVE OPTIONS Drivers in Minneapolis have a message for Uber: “If you leave, we got options.” Sahan Journal reported: In a press conference Tuesday, Eid Ali, president of the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA), said his group has been talking to two other “transportation network companies,” or rideshare companies, about entering the Twin Cities market in the event that Uber and Lyft leave. “Over 1,000 drivers who are ready,” Eid said. “The same day that they [Uber and Lyft] pull out, we have people who will cover that so we don't have any problem.” Eid also said the other companies, which he declined to name, would be willing to make drivers stakeholders in the business. Uber and Lyft threatened on August 15 to pull or limit their services in Minneapolis if the City Council approved a then-pending ordinance to increase pay and workplace protections for their drivers. INSTACART WORKER STABBED An Instacart workers gets stabbed while on the job and is denied assistance. Business Insider reported: She walks up to me, stating, “What was that shit you were talking inside?” And then she lunged forward and stabbed me in the chest. I stepped back, and she hit my right lower pec close to my liver and collapsed my lung. I tried to see if I could file a claim for assistance with Instacart. I get that we don't have full insurance coverage like a full-time job. But I thought that they could provide some help for me since I was injured while shopping an order. When I filed my claim the first time, they said my claim was denied for assistance. I didn't understand why being stabbed doesn't qualify for assistance. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

We talk with Abdul from DisplayRide about the latest news and topics affecting gig workers. ------------------------- LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free. https://LegalRideshare.com (312)767-7950 Help@LegalRideshare.com

An Uber driver shares his story, DoorDash pushes tips, and Amazon destroys evidence. LegalRideshare breaks it down. MONDAY 10/30/23 One driver shares how he made $80,000 last year. Business Insider reported: Last year, Rich said he made over $80,000 driving for Uber, according to a tax document viewed by Insider. But he said it took a lot of hours to earn this income. Rich considers himself retired, but he said whenever he's not traveling, he usually drives between about 40 and 55 hours a week for Uber. He's completed over 17,000 trips since he began driving, and over just the past year, he said he's put about 77,000 miles on his vehicle — which he uses strictly for Uber. Including tips, Rich estimated that he makes about $22 an hour before gas, maintenance, and other vehicle expenses are accounted for. He said making money from driving is more difficult than ever. “There were a number of times when I'd make over $2,000 a week — as high as $2,700 one week — however, those days are long gone,” Rich said. “I can't remember the last time I made $2,000 in a week.” TUESDAY 10/31/23 What happened when Uber came to down? One article breaks down the arrival of Uber in D.C. in 2011. Dissent Magazine explains: Public debate arose immediately. While few denied that Uber's operations in D.C. violated the law, the question remained: What should D.C. policymakers do about it? Three answers emerged: (1) change Uber to accommodate the law; (2) change the law to accommodate Uber; and (3) whatever is done, make sure the city does not appear to be anti-innovation. That same day, a venture capitalist and early Uber investor tweeted something similar: “What happened today with @Uber & DC is dawn of a new local politics: Tech/social exercising newfound muscles on a policy level in real-time.” Bloomberg News editor and author Brad Stone agreed: “Uber had flexed its political muscles for the first time, and won. A new tactic was then added to the playbook: when traditional advocacy failed, Uber could mobilize its user base and direct their passion toward elected officials.” WEDNESDAY 11/1/23 DoorDash warns users who don't tip. People.com reported: The food delivery service has been testing the efficacy of issuing a warning message for customers trying to leave a $0 tip for drivers, DoorDash confirmed to PEOPLE. Orders with no tip could potentially sit for longer at the restaurant, so now a pop-up will appear on the food delivery app if a user puts $0 in the tip amount. But this new in-app message might not be on DoorDash apps forever. “This reminder screen is something that we're currently testing to help create the best possible experience for all members of our community,” Rosenberg says in a statement. “As with anything we pilot, we look forward to closely analyzing the results and feedback.” THURSDAY 11/2/23 Instacart's carts get smart. PYMNTS adds: Caper Carts use computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify products as they're put into the cart. Customers can bag items as they shop and pay from anyplace in the store, the release said, while also using loyalty accounts to get savings and promotions. “At launch, they'll reduce lines and congestion while freeing up store associates to focus more on customer support. The carts' screens help customers easily find items on their list, stay on budget, and access tailored recommendations and deals as they browse the aisles.” FRIDAY 11/3/23 Amazon exec's are accused of destroying evidence. Seattle Times reported: Amazon executives allegedly destroyed two years of communications that the Federal Trade Commission requested as part of its antitrust investigation into the company, according to legal documents made public Thursday. Amazon executives knowingly deployed practices that would avoid a “perfectly competitive market” or changed tactics when it realized Amazon could lose its competitive advantage, the FTC alleged in newly unsealed sections of its lawsuit against Amazon. Amazon also switched course on a controversial algorithm that the FTC alleges raises prices for consumers during periods of “heightened outside scrutiny.” From 2015 to 2019, Amazon ran a secret algorithm, internally called Project Nessie, to induce other online stores to lower their prices because they felt compelled to keep track with Amazon's prices, the FTC alleged. “Aware of the public fallout it risks,” Amazon will turn the algorithm off during times of intense scrutiny — and flip it back on “when it thinks that no one is watching,” the FTC alleged. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.

Japan lifts its ban, how much drivers actually make and Uber goes self-driving. LegalRideshare breaks it down. MONDAY 10/23/23 Japan may lift its ban on ride sharing. Bloomberg reported: Facing a shortage of drivers and shrinking options for transportation, the Japanese government is moving toward lifting its ban on ride sharing, a move that could open the door for Uber Technologies Inc. and its rivals to expand services. The number of drivers in the taxi industry has declined about 20% since 2019, according to Japan Federation of Hire-Taxi Associations. Looser regulations on ride sharing could make travel more convenient for inbound travelers and depopulated areas that lack public transportation. The federation has criticized ride-sharing as an attempt to “position drivers as independent sole proprietors and evade labor regulations.” In order to ensure safe and secure transportation services, the organization said it will “do its utmost to prevent the lifting of the ban on ride sharing” with local groups, it said. TUESDAY 10/24/23 Amazon paid $350,000 for fake meals. Forbes reported: Every other month, Amazon runs an induction event for new executives called Escape Velocity. There are speakers — sometimes including the top brass like founder Jeff Bezos and CEO Andy Jassy — as well as training, happy hours and food. It's a costly event to run, as evidenced in expenses for catering and drinks filed by one event organizer between March 2021 and May 2022, totalling over $350,000. There was something odd about the organizer's expenses, however: they were filed during a period in which Escape Velocity events had gone virtual due to Covid-19 and there was neither food nor drink required. According to the Department of Justice, she was really furnishing a lavish lifestyle with “fictitious” expenses, filed with Seattle catering company Gourmondo (totaling $243,000), UberEats vouchers ($51,000) and fake happy hours at local restaurant 2120 ($55,000). (She has not yet been charged, so Forbes is not publishing her real name.) After the FBI was told by the three companies that they had no record of the Amazon employee's spending, investigators looked into her various outgoings financed, in part, by the expenses, which reached $410,000, according to search warrants reviewed by Forbes. They included a $55,000 Land Rover and three Chanel bags worth a combined $18,500. Those items have now been seized by the FBI. WEDNESDAY 10/25/23 How much do drivers really make? Business Insider reported: Over the last few years, studies have come to a wide range of conclusions about drivers' hourly pay, from as low as between about $9 and $12 an hour to as high as between about $23 and $28 an hour. These findings run contrary to the pay figures that ride-hailing companies have provided. In the past year, Uber and Lyft have said their typical driver earns about $35 and $36 an hour, respectively. Meanwhile, Insider has spoken with several drivers whose pay has ranged from about $22 to $40 an hour, per their calculations. Five drivers previously told Insider that their driving expenses — including gas and maintenance — amounted to between about $4 and $8 an hour. Uber and Lyft's $35 and $36 hourly figures didn't account for expenses. THURSDAY 10/26/23 Uber will offer self-driving cars in Phoenix. CNBC reported: Uber partnered with the autonomous car company Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, in May. Phoenix is the first city where Uber has publicly rolled out access to Waymo's cars, in part because it is “the largest fully autonomous service area in the world,” according to a release. The autonomous Uber rides will be serviced by Waymo vehicles, and rides will be the same price as the traditional car rides Uber offers, an Uber spokesperson told CNBC. The spokesperson added that both Uber and Waymo have received support from local regulators. FRIDAY 10/27/23 Uber's CEO is very confident about its future. Just Auto reported: “We are seeing weekday commutes as [a] particular strength,” Khosrowshahi said. “As more companies like us are telling their teams, ‘Hey let's get back to the office.'” Khosrowshahi also noted that Uber has found the formula for increasing (spending) activity on the platform, which focuses on getting users to use different services. He gave the example of someone who books an UberX, being able to be moved to the delivery/grocery segment. Uber's Q2 2023 delivery gross bookings were up 14%, an increase from 12% growth posted in Q1 2023. LegalRideshare is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber®, Lyft®, gig workers, delivery and e-scooter accidents and injuries. Consultations are always free.