Latest Sharing Economy Headlines

All the headlines from our Sharing Economy Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Video Shows Lyft Driver Dragging Woman from Car in California

Nov 22 2019 // Los Angeles police say they’ve cited a Lyft driver for misdemeanor battery after video showed him dragging a passenger out of a car. Alessandra Ward says she suffered a black eye, bruises and a possible concussion...

Uber in London Awaits Decision on License Renewal in Its Important European Market

Nov 22 2019 // London’s transit authority is set to announce as soon as Monday whether it will grant Uber Technologies Inc. a new license to operate. If Transport for London decides against the company, Uber could face expulsion...

Uber Audio, Video Recording of Trips for Safety Raises Privacy Worries

Nov 22 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. is adding video and audio recording for more trips — a move designed to make the service safer and help settle disputes, but which has triggered privacy concerns about the personal information...

Munich Re’s Libman Joins Liberty Mutual’s Shared Economy/New Mobility Team

Nov 21 2019 // Liberty Mutual Insurance has appointed Max Libman as lead underwriting consultant for its national Sharing Economy & New Mobility unit. The dedicated Sharing Economy & New Mobility practice was launched earlier...

Lawsuit Alleges Uber ‘Cheats’ Public by Avoiding Worker Insurance Payments, Taxes

Nov 21 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. faces a new legal attack on its refusal to treat drivers as employees that depicts the company as mistreating not just them but the public at large. A lawyer who’s been fighting the...

U.S. Safety Agency Faults Uber, Driver in Probe of 2018 Autonomous Car Crash Death

Nov 20 2019 // A U.S. safety agency on Tuesday faulted Uber for inadequate attention to safety and decisions in the company’s autonomous vehicle development in an investigation into the first-ever death involving a self-driving...

Connecticut Woman Sues Uber After Driver’s Sexual Assault

Nov 19 2019 // A Connecticut woman who says she was sexually assaulted by her Uber driver last year has filed a lawsuit against the ride-sharing app. The Middletown Press reports the lawsuit filed by the 22-year-old woman in Milford...

Uber Fights Decision by Los Angeles to Suspend Scooter, Bike Rental Permit

Nov 13 2019 // The Uber subsidiary Jump is fighting the suspension of its permit to rent electric scooters and bikes in Los Angeles. The city suspended Jump’s operating permit in October for not complying with a rule requiring such...

Fixing Ride-Hailing Will Take Fewer But Better Drivers, More Money: Viewpoint

Nov 13 2019 // Your mother probably told you never to get in a car with a stranger. The multibillion-dollar global ride-hailing industry depends on your ignoring her. If they want to earn that trust, though, companies need to rethink the...

How Brokers Influence Specialty Insurance Product Innovation

Nov 13 2019 // In an era of insurance transformation, where process simplification and flawless customer service are expected, innovation in policy and product is a must—especially when it comes to the non-traditional coverage aspects...

Why James River Insurance Dumped Uber Account

Nov 8 2019 // A Bermuda-based insurer that recently severed ties with an Uber Technologies Inc. affiliate said on Thursday the risk of providing driver ride-hailing coverage had become too great and that it had mispriced policies during...

Uber’s Self-Driving Car That Killed Pedestrian Lacked Tech to Detect Jaywalkers

Nov 7 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc.’s self-driving test car that struck and killed a pedestrian last year wasn’t programmed to recognize and react to jaywalkers, according to documents released by U.S. safety...

‘Party Houses’ Banned by Airbnb After California Shooting Kills 5

Nov 4 2019 // Airbnb’s CEO said the company was taking actions against unauthorized parties in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Halloween party held at an Airbnb rental home in California. In a series of tweets, Brian Chesky...

Uber And Lyft Will Ask California Voters to Block Employee Law

Oct 31 2019 // Some of the country’s largest ridesharing companies proposed a California law on Tuesday that would let them continue to treat drivers as independent contractors while also guaranteeing them a minimum wage and money...

Insurance Cost Strategy Key to Lyft’s Path to Profitability

Oct 31 2019 // Ride-hailing company Lyft Inc. on Wednesday said higher-than-expected third-quarter revenues and an improved outlook showed it was well on its way to profitability by the end of 2021. As pressure to become profitable...

Newfront Taps Brown from Uber as Chief Operating Officer

Oct 24 2019 // Newfront Insurance has named Michael Brown chief operating officer. Brown joins Newfront from Uber, where he was responsible for Uber’s business across Southeast Asia and Australia. Prior to Uber Brown, was at...

James River Insurance Retains Rating After Dropping Its Biggest Customer, Uber

Oct 18 2019 // Ratings agency A.M. Best said its ratings of James River Insurance remain unchanged after the insurer said it would be cancelling its business with ride-hailing giant Uber affiliate, Rasier, its largest client. A.M Best...

U.S. Safety Board Wants to Learn Cause of Fatal Uber Autonomous Car Crash

Oct 18 2019 // The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will hold a Nov. 19 hearing to determine the probable cause of a March 2018 Uber Technologies Inc. self-driving vehicle crash that killed a pedestrian in Arizona. The...

Lyft, Uber Bypass House Panel Hearing on Transportation Safety and Labor Conditions

Oct 17 2019 // Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft Inc. skipped a U.S. House of Representatives hearing the ride-hailing industry, angering lawmakers who threatened tighter regulation for the fast-growing market. The two ride-hailing...

Willis Towers Watson Adds Lyft’s Hurley in California

Oct 16 2019 // Willis Towers Watson has named Joseph Hurley director or corporate risk and broking. He will work out of Willis Towers Watson’s Silicon Valley tech center in California, where he will lead the firm’s platform...