Lyft Taking Human Judgment Out of Safety Decision
Lyft and other rideshare services have faced scrutiny over the policies they have in place to protect riders. A recent change to Lyft’s policy for evaluating alleged safety violations is putting the decision-making into the hands of an automated system rather than a human’s — an act that some say will not be able to catch all risky drivers.
If you’ve been in an accident involving a Lyft driver, the Chattanooga car accident attorneys at Davis Firm, LLC can help. Call or contact us today for a free consultation.
Lyft’s New Safety Standards
Before Lyft’s new policy was enacted, complaints against drivers were reviewed by team members any time a rider reported that they felt in danger. The types of hazards could range from a threat or act of sexual violence to dangerous driving behaviors. The employees that reviewed potentially dangerous drivers, then had the discretion to determine if a driver should be removed from the team. Now, the ability to make those decisions has been considerably restricted.
Today, specialists that make up the Safety Policy and Community Compliance team still make the decision on whether to remove a driver, but they have no individual discretion when doing so. Instead, they must follow a rigid set of standardized criteria that determines whether a driver poses a hazard or not. In addition, drivers that have been previously banned from driving for Lyft can now ask to have their case reviewed and could potentially resume driving for the rideshare company once again.
How This Could Affect Riders
The new changes are an effort to by Lyft to shield them from liability, as they can now state that an unbiased and scientific approach is taken when determining when to ban a driver. However, this method poses serious safety hazards for riders.
Although artificial intelligence may be the wave of the future, an automated “decision matrix” cannot yet pick up on the subtle signs of a dangerous encounter. A computer program may not realize that certain actions, such as asking a rider if they are single or if they live at the destination, are inappropriate. That could potentially leave the driver on the roads until the worst happens, exposing more riders to danger.
How Can Davis Firm Help Me?
If you have been injured in a Lyft accident, you may be entitled to compensation through a personal injury claim. It is important that you speak with an experienced Chattanooga Lyft lawyer as soon as possible. At The Davis Law Firm, LLC, we will conduct an investigation to determine liability, communicate with the relevant insurance company(s) on your behalf, and hold them accountable for paying the fair settlement you deserve.
It costs nothing to learn your legal rights. Contact us online to schedule a free, confidential consultation.