Rideshare Background Checks and Hiring Process
The convenience of hailing a driver from a rideshare company like Uber or Lyft is an unprecedented modern convenience. Millions of people step into an Uber or a Lyft every single day and entrust their lives and safety to a complete stranger assigned by a company headquartered far away in California.
Customers should expect that the rideshare companies are looking out for their safety by hiring fully vetted and experienced drivers. Sadly however, the hiring standards for rideshare drivers falls below that of traditional taxi drivers. This is unacceptable.
Lawyers for Rideshare Accidents in Miami-Dade, FL
Common sense dictates that if Uber or Lyft hires someone that they should not have and that person causes injury to an innocent person, the rideshare company should be held responsible for their failings and negligence. Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to hold a company accountable for the actions without a trial lawyer that you trust by your side. It is important to hire the right person to handle a complex lawsuit who will work with a team of investigators to investigate the driver that caused your accident. No stone will be left unturned.
The attorneys at Abrams Justice Trial Attorneys are litigation experts and former Miami-Dade state prosecutors that know how to run complex investigations. We proudly serve clients in the greater Miami-Dade area including Miami, Homestead, Hialeah, Pinecrest, Miami Gardens, Miami Beach, North Miami, Doral, Coral Gables and Cutler Bay. If you have been injured by an Uber or Lyft driver you need to get the best representation possible, as soon as possible. Time is of the essence. Call (305) 709-0880 to make an appointment to speak with one of our knowledgeable legal experts.
Florida Rideshare Background Checks and Hiring Process Information Center
Overview of Rideshare Background Checks and Hiring Process
- Florida Law On Ridesharing Hiring
- Rideshare Background Checks
- Rideshare Background Checks and Hiring Resources
Florida Law on Rideshare Hiring
In 2017, Florida enacted sweeping laws to regulate the rideshare industry in the state. The law refers to rideshare companies as Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) and outlines standards such as fare transparency, driver identification, and minimum insurance coverage for drivers.
The statute also delineates driver requirements, a sample of some of those requirements are presented below:
- Potential drivers must submit their address, age, driver license, and motor vehicle registration to the TNC
- The TNC needs to run a background check on drivers that includes:
- Multi-state search of criminal records
- A search of the National Sex Offender Public Website
- Review of the applicants driving history
- A TNC cannot hire a driver who has had three moving violations in the last three years
- A TNC cannot hire a driver who in the past 5 years has been convicted of:
- A felony
- A misdemeanor for driving under the influence, reckless driving, hit and run, or fleeing law enforcement
- A misdemeanor for violent offense or sexual battery
- A TNC cannot hire a driver who has been convicted of driving with a suspended or revoked license within the last 3 years
Florida Rideshare Background Checks
Running thorough background checks is crucial when it comes to hiring drivers. While Florida law requires that rideshare companies perform background checks, they leave those checks up to the discretion of the company or a third party that the company hires. This is less stringent than what is required of taxi companies which are required to run FBI/fingerprint background checks. Why shouldn’t multi-bilion dollar companies ride-sharing companies run fingerprint background checks? What’s the harm – profits?
It turns out Lyft and Uber both often use the same company, Checkr, a startup company, to perform their background checks. While both companies would argue that their background checks performed by a third party are adequate, there is evidence that such practices allows people that should not be driving to slip through the cracks. In such a situation, the customers suffer.
Massachusetts passed a law that requires rideshare drivers to submit to state background checks. After the law was implemented, 8,000 drivers that had passed Uber and Lyft’s background checks were denied licenses by the state of Massachusetts after the state background checks found convictions ranging from suspended licenses to violent and sexual crimes that were missed by Uber and Lyft. Let that resonate for a minute. If Massachusetts has a problem, Florida surely has a problem too.
Rideshare Background Checks and Hiring Resources
Florida Rideshare Statute – Section 627.748 is Florida’s relevant statute on rideshare companies. The discussion above does highlight some major points in the law but this link will access the entirety of the law.
Rideshare Incidents – The Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association (TLPA) collects news articles related to rideshare incidences. While the TLPA may be intentionally biased against rideshare companies, the links they provide are all to legitimate news sources. The database is not completely comprehensive but does have articles from all over the country.
Rideshare Accident Attorney in Miami-Dade, FL
Bringing a claim for negligent hiring practices after being hurt in a rideshare accident is not as easy as winning a suit for a regular personal injury case. You need a team of investigators and expert trial lawyers to face off against massive companies like Uber and Lyft.
The attorneys at Abrams Justice Trial Attorneys are proven winners in the court room. They fight tirelessly for their clients and they are not afraid to battle it out to get victims what they deserve. Abrams Justice Trial Attorneys serves injured people in communities throughout the Miami area including North Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Doral, Homestead, Cutler Bay, Hialeah, Coral Gables and Pinecrest and are ready to take your call at (305) 709-0880. Call in and make an appointment so we can start discussing your next steps right away.