Rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft are used regularly by people throughout the United States. These services can make transportation easy and convenient. However, people may not be aware of the risks that they may face when using rideshare apps. In a troubling trend, thousands of people have reported sexual assaults by rideshare drivers. Those who have been assaulted or otherwise harmed by drivers for Uber or Lyft will want to understand their options for pursuing a personal injury lawsuit against these companies.

Reports of Rideshare Driver Sexual Assaults

Due to ongoing concern about the safety of rideshare passengers, Uber and Lyft have released reports detailing the number of incidents that occurred in recent years. Lyft’s most recent report showed that there were 4,158 reports of sexual assault from its customers between 2017 and 2019. These incidents included 360 reports of rape, with other cases involving nonconsensual touching of body parts or attempted sexual penetration. Reports involving Uber drivers have been even more troubling. Between 2017 and 2018, the company logged around 6,000 reports of sexual assault, including 235 rapes. 

While rideshare companies have noted that the vast majority of rides provided by their drivers do not involve harm to passengers, this does not excuse the fact that drivers have assaulted people while working for these companies. Uber and Lyft have come under fire due to the practices they follow when verifying drivers’ records and allowing them to provide transportation for passengers. While the companies do perform background checks, some people with criminal histories or unsafe driving records have been verified as drivers, potentially putting passengers at risk.

More than a few Americans enjoy the thrill of riding a motorcycle. According to the latest information from the Federal Highway Administration, there were more than 8.4 million motorcycles registered in the United States in 2014. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that there were nearly 5,000 motorcyclist deaths in 2018, a disproportionate number of fatalities when compared to passenger vehicles. When a motorcyclist gets into an accident with another motor vehicle, they are commonly the ones who suffer serious injuries because of the lack of protection that their vehicles offer. Road rash, broken bones, brain injuries, or nerve and spinal cord injuries are common after a motorcycle accident. If you have been in a motorcycle collision, a Connecticut personal injury attorney can help determine if you are entitled to compensation.

Who Is At Fault?

One of the first things to address following a motorcycle accident is determining who was at fault for the collision. In some cases, it can be difficult to establish fault, while in others, responsibility for an accident is clear cut. Determining fault is important, since it will allow you to seek compensation for injuries and damages that occurred due to the negligence of another driver.

When pursuing a civil lawsuit, you will have the burden of proof, meaning you must provide sufficient evidence that the other party was negligent and that this negligence was responsible for causing your damages. In Connecticut, there are a variety of ways in which a driver can be shown to be negligent, including:

In recent years, biking has become a popular form of transportation for many Americans who live in urban areas. Not only does it provide an easier and sometimes faster way to get from place to place, but it also offers great health benefits. According to Statista, there were 47.5 million cyclists in the United States in 2017. While this form of transportation has become popular, it has also proved to be dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were around 840 bicyclists who died in traffic accidents in 2016. One of the most common types of bicycle accidents that occurs in urban areas is what is called “dooring.”

What Is a Dooring Accident?

Dooring accidents occur when the occupant of a motor vehicle suddenly opens the door of the vehicle in a bicyclist’s lane of travel, causing the cyclist to collide with the door. Most of the time, dooring accidents occur purely out of the negligence of the motor vehicle driver or passenger -- he or she simply did not look around their vehicle before they opened the door. Dooring accidents are hard to predict and harder to prevent, because they rely solely on motor vehicle occupants to pay closer attention to those who may be on the streets, bike lanes, and sidewalks around them.

Possible Injuries From Dooring Accidents

In many cases, a dooring accident simply results in some scrapes, cuts, or bruises. In other situations, however, dooring can result in much more serious injuries that could have a major impact on the bicyclist’s life. Depending on the cyclist’s speed, they may be seriously harmed by a fall to the pavement. In some cases, a bicyclist can be thrown from their bike and into moving traffic, and serious or fatal injuries are likely to occur if they are struck by a vehicle.

Christmas has officially come and gone once again. While some families will still be celebrating through the coming weekend, the Connecticut State Police has released data on the types of arrests, citations, and situations requiring police assistance over the holiday. According to the data, DUI arrests went up substantially over last year, and the number of traffic accidents also increased. Total calls for police service jumped by about one-third.

A Look at the Numbers

The State Police provided the information to news outlets this week and included data on calls between 12:01 a.m. on Friday, December 21 and 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 26. During that period, state troopers arrested 55 individuals on suspicion of driving under the influence. This number is almost double the arrests that were made during last year’s holiday enforcement efforts. In 2017, State Police officers made 28 DUI arrests between December 22 and December 26.

This year’s numbers include an extra day, which could help explain the increase in traffic accidents. This year, troopers responded to 550 crashes, including 60 that involved at least one injury and three fatal accidents. Last year, 521 accidents were investigated, 58 of which involved injuries and one death. It is too soon to tell how many of the accidents this year were related to drunk driving.

When you are involved in a car accident, it is common to be left feeling confused, uncertain, and overwhelmed. If you are injured, things may seem even worse. Accident victims often rely on their insurance companies to help them with the financial aspects of recovery and getting the money they need to put their lives back together. In some cases, however, it is the insurance company that is the victim, and the ramifications can be extremely serious.

Dozens of Staged Crashes

Last month, a federal jury in New Haven handed down a conviction for two men charged with fraud and conspiracy related to a string of staged car accidents between 2011 and 2016 in and around Norwich. Four other men pleaded guilty last August. The men were part of a ring that swindled hundreds of thousands of dollars from various insurance companies by staging car crashes and then filing insurance claims for damages and bodily injuries.