I never posted this on Facebook as I don’t usually “vent” on social media but as the situation continues to drag on, I’ve become increasingly frustrated and worn down. Bear with me, I know this will be long.
I bought a brand new car in July this year. Absolutely loved it. Leather seats, satellite radio, great gas mileage, great color, etc etc. Since I had such an awesome looking car, I figured why not make a little more money each week driving for Uber. I had heard so many good things about driving for the company like, “you are your own boss” and “you’ll earn $4000 a month guaranteed”. Plus I thought since I’m a bartender and my sleep schedule is so backwards I might as well be out making money instead of sitting around at home until I fall asleep at 3 AM.
So I joined up with Uber, it was a 2 week online process of sending in proof of registration, insurance, and a quick background check. After everything was approved I was sent a fancy expensive package by Uber containing the Uber iPhone. I began driving immediately. Had great experiences, met some fun people, and made a little extra money. Was even thinking about taking an entire week off from my bartending job to see how much money I could make in a week driving full time for Uber. That was until I had just picked up a rider in Dallas on Saturday, October 25th at 2:30 AM.
As I was driving with the rider in the front passenger seat, I was preparing to cross the intersection of Lemmon and Turtle Creek. As I enter the intersection I notice head lights to my left approaching. I stomp on the breaks hoping the car could swerve around mine but this was not possible. I was t-boned by someone who had just ran a red light. My side airbags deployed and my car went into crash mode. As I try to figure out if my passenger is ok, I hear a car rush past mine. I look back through my rear window and see someone speeding away. I exit my car immediately after to see that the person who had just wrecked my brand new car had decided to flee the scene. Probably drunk or just didn’t have any insurance.
A month and a half down the road and I’m still without a solution. Where I went wrong? I was honest. I informed my insurance company that I was driving with Uber, didn’t take them long to reject my claim. So my only route was to take Uber’s insurance, or the little they offer. In the state of Texas, businesses are not required to pick up uninsured motorist coverage. This protects drivers that are not at fault for wrecks involving either an uninsured motorist or a hit and run.
A little tid bit of information here, Uber is worth an unbelievable $40 billion…..forty….billion…..dollars….more than American Airlines. Yet they can’t take a financial hit by picking up a little extra on their insurance policy to protect their employees 100%.
I am currently working with Uber’s insurance company that is based out of Virginia who has contracted an independent adjuster based out of Louisiana of whom has little insurance experience. The only local experience I’ve had is with the appraisal company and no one is even sure if they actually came out to look at my car’s damage.
Uber will not offer to pay off the entire note for the car, instead leaving me $6-7,000 in the red for a car I’ve owned for 5 months. I’ve already been responsible for paying for the rental car bill that is continuing to stack high. The only hope I have left is for Ford Motor Credit to make a deal with Uber to have the car paid for in full and even then I will still have paid too much out of pocket for an accident I had no fault in. Someone ran a red light and I somehow became the bad guy.
The reason I’m writing this Facebook novel is to inform people of the dangers of driving for Uber. This is a company that is profiting at a high level and leaving all the risk with their employees. There are also dangers of riding in an Uber car. If you are involved in a wreck and are injured, Uber does not pay for it. You have to basically sue the driver to have your medical expenses paid for. How does any of this make sense? I’m still trying to process it. So next time you consider driving for Uber, just don’t. Next time you get a ride from an Uber driver, consider the risk. If you decide to take the ride, tip on top of the fare and thank your driver for being so brave.