We have some important information you need to know.
If you know you will be hailing a ride from an Uber driver this holiday season as you plan on attending various events for Christmas, New Year’s, or both, there are a few things we want you to be aware of when relying on someone else to get you to and from where you need to go.
- Not all Uber employees can serve as reliable designated drivers.
While you are always encouraged to let a friend, family member, or even an Uber driver get you home if you have consumed alcohol, there have been times where Uber drivers themselves have been caught operating their vehicle drunk. In fact, an Uber driver in Florida was recently charged with DUI after taking his “passenger on a wild ride” and then crashing into a light pole. According to the Orlando Sentinel, 32-year-old William Nieves of Eustis picked up a man who needed a ride to work one Saturday morning and little did the man know, his driver had been intoxicated.
The passenger stated that the ride consisted of Nieves speeding and swerving and when he asked him to slow down, he “turned the music up louder.” Eventually, the driver’s erratic and reckless behavior led to him crashing into a light pole near Grove Street and Woodward Avenue which gave the passenger an opportunity to jump out of the vehicle. When police caught up with Nieves, he told them that “he did not know where he was coming from… and did not remember hitting anything during his travels.” Nieves also refused to submit to a breath test or perform sobriety exercises but later provided officers with a urine sample. He was then booked into the Lake County Jail on $6,500 bond.
Thankfully, the passenger managed to escape from a situation that could have resulted in him sustaining a serious or even fatal injury.
- Therefore, aside from being aware of the fact that not all Uber drivers are reliable drivers, we urge you to be cautious before entering someone else’s vehicle whom you suspect might have been drinking.
The reality is, “every 51 minutes, someone is killed in a drunk driving crash” and you don’t want to end up being another statistic [Source: Mothers Against Drunk Driving] If you think someone has been drinking when they arrive to pick you up or even if it is a friend who offered to take you home, kindly decline the ride and see if you can contact someone else to come and pick you up. You can even request another ride through Uber so that you can have a different driver dispatched to your location.
- If you’ve been involved in an accident with an Uber driver, here’s what you need to do.
If you have been involved in an accident while being transported in an Uber vehicle in Jackson, MS and aren’t sure who is liable for causing the accident or which party you should pursue for compensation for the injuries you sustained, don’t hesitate to contact Jackson, MS car accident attorney William E. Ballard. Our office will gladly review all of the evidence pertaining to the crash and use that to determine who was at fault, how much you are entitled to recover, and what steps you need to take to recoup this amount.
If you would like to schedule an initial consultation so that you can sit down with attorney William E. Ballard, simply call us at 769-572-5111 and we will be happy to set up a time for you to come in.
You can reach Ballard Law, PLLC. at:
108 S. President Street
Jackson, MS 39201
769-572-5111
