Articles by Tina Bellon

Uber, Lyft, Other Gig Firms Worried About U.S. Push to Reclassify Workers as Employees

Under growing threat by a new U.S. administration insistent on reclassifying ride-hail and food delivery workers as employees with full benefits, gig economy companies including Uber, Lyft, Doordash and Instacart are pushing to keep drivers’ independent contractor status, albeit with …

Insurers Warn that Drivers May Not Understand Limits of ‘Automated’ Car Technology

LONDON โ€“ Britain’s goal to be a leader in adopting self-driving cars could backfire unless automakers and government regulators spell out the current limitations of the technology, insurance companies warn. Insurers are key players in the shift to automated driving, …

Insight: Tesla Drives on Autopilot Through Regulatory Limbo

The fatal crash of a Tesla with no one apparently behind the wheel has cast a new light on the safety of semi-autonomous vehicles and the nebulous U.S. regulatory terrain they navigate. Police in Harris County, Texas, said a Tesla …

Judge Lets Massachusetts Claims Over Uber, Lyft Driver Classification Proceed

A Massachusetts judge on Thursday denied a bid to dismiss a lawsuit by the state’s attorney general challenging Uber’s and Lyft’s classification of drivers as independent contractors instead of employees entitled to sick time and other costly benefits. Suffolk County …

Insurance Safety Institute Finds Adaptive Cruise Control Raises Fatal Crash Risk

Adaptive cruise control systems on cars, which control braking and speed, raise the risk of traffic crashes because the technology leads drivers to go faster, a U.S. study found on Thursday. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that drivers …

Uber Appealing $59M Fine in California Over Sex Assault Data Request

Uber Technologies Inc. on Wednesday appealed a $59 million fine by a California regulator in a dispute over whether the company should share detailed information on sexual assault and harassment claims reported on its ridesharing platform. The California Public Utilities …

Different Federal, State Rules Confuse Employers Seeking COVID Vaccine for Workers

U.S. companies and industry groups trying to move their workers to the front of the line for a COVID-19 vaccine remain confused about conflicting state and local guidelines on how shots will be administered and to which workers, even as …

Uber Asks States to Prioritize Delivery, Rideshare Drivers for COVID Vaccine

Uber Technologies Inc. on Thursday sent letters to the governors of all U.S. states, asking for its ride-hail and food delivery drivers to get early access to COVID-19 vaccines as essential workers. The company also said it will send a …

States Grapple With Determining Who’s Essential, Who’s Not for COVID Vaccine

Companies and industry groups lobbying to get their U.S. workers to the front of the line for COVID vaccination are running into a patchwork of state plans and confusion over who is essential, and who is not. Inoculation against the …

U.S. Employers Have Right to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine. But Will They?

Private U.S. companies have the right under the law to require employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but are unlikely to do so because of the risks of legal and cultural backlash, experts said. Companies are still in the early …