This new application, Uber is without a doubt a revolution in the world of online apps. It’s something that allows people to call a driver with his own car to come and pick them up and drive them to the necessary location. While it may sound a lot like a cab service, and that’s its main designation, the personal experience is overly beneficial and that’s the main reason for which it has become so popular. Furthermore, Uber, unlike regular cab services has quite a lot of perks like GPS tracking and many more which are going to help you out.
What is more, if you own a vehicle and you want to sign up, you can earn a few extra bucks by driving people around. Now, it’s clear that Uber poses a lot of benefits because it saves the client a significant amount of money and it delivers a few additional bonuses. However, it’s also important to note that there are plenty of aspects that need closer scrutiny that has to be taken into account when it comes to liability in case of an accident.
Now, unfortunately, in Ontario, given the fairly recent release of the feature as well as the nature of the application, the legislation is rather uncertain. The motor vehicle insurance is mandatory but the majority of the basic insurances wouldn’t go so far to cover commercial activities. And, in the case of carrying passengers who are actually paying for the trip, this is very much a textbook commercial activity. Whether insurance is going to be available to compensate the Uber driver, passenger or even a pedestrian who is actually hit by the Uber vehicle is rather unclear.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada, which is the official representative of a lot of major insurance companies in the country, has managed to issue a few warning of the potential risks which accompany using online services. They outline the nature of the risks as well as the fact that insurance is an uncertain point of inquiry and that the current legislation doesn’t guarantee a certain positive answer.
Now, the truth is that UBER is very convenient and that’s why it has managed to go viral and worldwide in a matter of months. However, when calling your regular everyday UBER car, make sure that you always have this thing in mind. You can also extend your insurance should the company offer an extension on it. Even if there aren’t currently insurance policies which could be extended to cover damages of the kind, given the rapid temp of advancement that the application boasts there are soon to be certain companies who would offer insurance to users. That’s certain.
However, you might want to consult your lawyer if you or a loved one was involved in an accident with Uber and need to be compensated for your damages.
