U.S. Capital

National Settlement With Uber Nets Nevada Over 1 Million Dollars

Apr 13, 2020

Las Vegas, NV (Law Firm Newswire) April 13, 2020 – Uber has settled a national case that will provide the state of Nevada with over $1 million in settlement funds, announced the Nevada District Attorney.

The ride-share giant was accused of allowing hackers to access the confidential driver’s license information of over half a million drivers around the country, and this settlement should go a ways towards restoring privacy for many states, including Nevada. In total, Uber paid $148 million in settlement money for this privacy breach to states across the US.

Uber apparently knew about the hack, which occurred in 2016, and pursued those responsible to ensure that the information was not distributed. They were told the information was deleted and left it at that.

It is required by law, however, that companies report data breaches like this immediately, and Uber did not report this incident until the next year. Because of this, much of the information was likely distributed by the hackers at the fault of the ride-share company.

What will the state of Nevada be receiving as part of this huge settlement? A cool $1,135,514.

Nevada District Attorney Adam Lexalt proposed that the funds be put towards a noble use, like improving Nevada’s background check system to keep guns out of the hands of those who might misuse them. Although this breach has set the DA’s office back a bit in terms of ensuring privacy to Nevada’s citizens, Lexalt is hopeful that these improvements will make a huge difference in the number of low-level crimes committed in the Las Vegas area in the future.

Las Vegas personal injury attorney Adam Williams: “This is just one of many ongoing cases involving Uber that have popped up within the last few years. Because of Uber’s gig-work business model, it is difficult to ensure that their customers will be in the hands of a competent, safe, and sober driver. Many Uber drivers are also looking to be reclassified in an effort to make this type of work more socially and fiscally acceptable as it becomes more and more popular.”

Another type of lawsuit that has sadly seen an increase in recent years is the number of personal injury lawsuits related to Uber-involved car accidents. More than a few people in recent years have been killed by irresponsible and negligent drivers, including several children, and the ride-share company seems to take little responsibility for accidents such as these.

While Uber may not be the most responsible company on the planet, it is also up to individuals to ensure their own safety and security while using the app. Been involved in an accident due to a negligent Uber driver? Contact a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.