On Wednesday, May 29 California Lawmakers took a step toward settling whether Uber and Lyft drivers are employees or contractors. The state Assembly passed Assembly Bill 5. The bill lays out an “ABC Test” to determine when a worker can be considered a contractor. This test factors in the kind of work being
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In July of 2015, a woman named Brenda from Austin joined her girlfriend for what was supposed to be a fun night out. She had been going through some things, and thought a night out socializing would be a nice change of pace. Brenda, who was admittedly intoxicated, decided to go home
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On Thursday, October 10, Shadi Aziz Abdul an Uber driver in Santa Maria, pleaded guilty to rape of an intoxicated person, and is expected to be sentenced to a year in prison. Shadi Aziz Abdul was arrested on May 20, after Santa Maria Police investigated a reported rape in late April at the conclusion
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Alexander P. Sowa, a Lyft driver in Chicago, was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a passenger. On Thursday May 2, Sowa allegedly picked up a female passenger and drove her to Elk Grove Village instead of the address she requested in Des Plaines. Sowa allegedly proceeded to sexually assault the victim, who had been
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On Saturday May 18, a woman in Washington DC named Donjay Wilkinson experienced a scare that left her in a state of shock. She escaped an Uber driver intent on not allowing her to leave his car. No charges were filed, but according to Wilkinson, the incident showed all the ear marks
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On Monday May 20, Richard Lomotey an Uber driver in Pittsburgh, was charged with kidnapping multiple women. Lomotey is an assistant professor of information science and technology at Penn State University who worked a side job as a Pittsburgh Uber driver. This is the third charge of kidnapping Richard Lomotey faces from three
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With both Uber and Lyft becoming publicly traded companies in 2019, the safety of riders using these ride-share apps is receiving more attention. Both CNN and Newsweek have conducted investigations into the shocking number of cases of rape and sexual assault drivers for Uber and Lyft have perpetrated on riders. One thing
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Ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft give the impression that their background checks help protect riders. Unfortunately, we at Estey & Bomberger know that the vetting practices of these companies are woefully inadequate. These companies need drivers as they look to expand their marketshare. Now that both Uber and Lyft have
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On Thursday May 9, a 23-year-old Uber driver named Gebrele Amare of Oakland, was arrested on two felony charges of kidnapping to commit a sex crime and sexual battery by restraint. The Berkeley Police suspect there may be more victims, and are searching for people who may have been victimized by Amare. If you
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An Uber Driver With a Violent History According to North Miami Beach Police, a woman who was visiting South Florida got into an Uber late on a Saturday night in March. The driver, a man named Emilio Victores, already had served time in prison due to convictions stemming from several violent felonies.
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