

Uber sued for wrongful death of 6-year-old - zkoch
http://www.cbdlaw.com/Uber/

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mjolk
If this is the case, then my employer is also responsible for actions I take
while I'm on-call (with the important distinction that my on-call is not opt-
in and is per the terms of my employment contract).

If I break the law and hack someone's wifi for internet access in case I need
to log in and fix something, that's on me. Likewise, Uber didn't make this guy
drive without regard for others safety (or even suggest it for increased
availability), so he alone should see the consequences of his actions. I
sincerely hope that the Uber X driver has criminal charges brought against
him.

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zkoch
What was interesting to me, though, was this bit: "Applying the same law which
holds taxi companies responsible for the injuries caused by their drivers,
whether or not they have a passenger at the time of collision, Christopher
Dolan, the Liu family attorney, states that the change in technology doesn't
change the legal liability for Uber."

If that's the case, and the law states that the taxi company is liable
irrespective of whether someone is in the car, why shouldn't Uber be held to
the same standard?

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mjolk
Uber doesn't have the same model as a taxi company -- what would stop a driver
from staying logged into the Uber application whenever she's running errands?
Taxi drivers drive shifts in which they're using cars that are the property of
their employers.

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pm24601
The key bit in the lawsuit is that Uber's business model depends on
availability of drivers in a certain area. Those drivers are required to look
at their cell phone while driving.

