Uber Offers Minneapolis Airport Rides, but Are They Safe?

 According to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Uber will now offer rides to travelers from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Uber and other ride sharing companies like Lyft will now be able to pick up travelers at the airport thanks to changes in regulation. Yet, with so much in the news about these ride sharing companies, many wonder whether riders are more at risk of getting in an auto accident when riding and what their rights are if they’ve been hurt. If this has happened to you, make sure you contact a law firm like The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino in Minneapolis so you can find out what your rights are.

With Uber and Lyft operations growing in major cities, more states are passing legislation to regulate the industry. However, many note that legislation hasn’t quite kept up with the quickly-changing industry. Many are questioning whether Uber provides sufficiently comprehensive background checks of its drivers.   According to the Baltimore Post-Examiner, there is little data available to help consumers gauge the safety of ride-sharing and ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Many municipalities have no method in place to track accidents when they involve a driver for Uber and Lyft. Therefore, any claims about the safety or lack thereof of the industry are simply not backed up by data. There is similarly no data on crimes related to ride-sharing or ride-hailing services. The service is simply too new and cities and states don’t yet have the infrastructure in place to track the safety of these services.

Many states are passing emergency legislation, requiring drivers to have proper insurance. The New York Times recently reported on Uber’s big loss in Austin. Austin never banned Uber outright, but it asked that the company abide by regulations which would require that drivers get fingerprinted. This came in the wake of alleged sexual assaults committed by drivers. Rather than abiding by the city’s regulations, which would require Uber drivers to submit to the same rules that taxi drivers must follow, Uber fought to eliminate regulation. Then, Uber threatened to leave Austin if it lost the referendum. It lost. It left.

The company’s actions send a loud and clear message. Uber doesn’t appreciate regulation and it doesn’t respond well to it. Yet, critics of Uber and Lyft claim that this regulation is necessary to keep passengers safe. Background checks ensure that drivers aren’t putting riders at risk. Insurance requirements ensure that if a passenger gets hurt while riding in an Uber or if an Uber car gets into an accident with another vehicle, that innocent drivers and passengers are protected.

In Minneapolis, Uber, Lyft, and other ride-sharing companies are legal. Laws govern what kind of insurance drivers are required to have. While Uber and other companies claim to perform strict background checks on drivers, Uber riders need to be aware that they are trusting the company’s checks when they hail a car.

At the end of the day, Uber offers convenience and practicality. That said, many critics claim that more regulation is required to keep passengers safe. If you’ve been involved in an accident with an Uber car or driver, you may have certain protections under the law. The Law Office of Martin T. Montilino is an auto accident lawyer in Minneapolis, Minnesota who may be able to help you collect a recovery for pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses, if you’ve been hurt. Visit attorney Martin Montilinos website www.martinmontilino.com or call 612-236-1320 to get your legal questions answered.