Legal Trend: Class Certification for Ride Share Drivers

The hot legal question for ride share drivers is– Are they employees or independent contractors? A regulatory authority in California has rule don individual cases saying drivers are employees, but court consensus is coming.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit will hear an appeal from Uber against certifying a class action lawsuit by drivers. The issue before the appellate court is supported by the argument that whether drivers are employees or independent contractors is :

• a case raises “urgent [legal] questions” 
• the ride share business is a “burgeoning on-demand economy”
• because of this it is too important to leave to a single jury

The Recorder