LegalRideshare LLC Establishes Rideshare Driver Safety Fund, Allocates $25,000 to Catch Carjackers and Install Dash Cameras in Rideshare Cars
COLUMBUS — The law firm LegalRideshare LLC is establishing the Driver Safety Fund, in an effort to protect Ohio-based rideshare drivers from an increasingly dangerous environment. The mission of the Driver Safety Fund is to provide gig workers with the tools they need to stay safe, and also to bring alleged perpetrators of violence to justice.
The Columbus Dispatch reported, on September 28, 2021, that the Columbus Police Department has seen yet another spike in carjacking offenses. Gig workers are easy targets for these criminals, as rideshare and delivery work requires regular stops and, often, unlocked doors.
Given the startling trend, LegalRideshare LLC co-founder and attorney Bryant Greening said his firm will donate $5,000 to purchase dash cameras for Ohio-based gig workers. The firm will allocate an additional $20,000 as rewards for the convictions of persons who assault or carjack gig workers.
“We refuse to sit by as the rideshare companies fail to protect their workers,” Greening said. “If the billion dollar corporations won’t step up, we gladly will.”
Dash cameras are known to protect gig workers in multiple ways. First, they serve as a deterrent to potential bad actors. Second, they provide essential evidence to law enforcement investigating alleged crimes.
“Dash cameras are the single most important safety tool rideshare drivers can install in their vehicles,” Greening said. “Their mere presence makes criminals think twice.”
To request a dash camera, Ohio-based drivers must send an email to help@LegalRideshare.com with their full name, current residence address, and a screenshot of their app-based driver profile (from Uber, Lyft, Postmates, etc.).
With regard to the rewards, the accident/injury law firm is offering $1,000 (up to $20,000 total) to any person who provides information leading directly to the arrest and conviction of an individual who assaults or carjacks an Ohio-based gig worker. To be eligible for the reward, the information must be provided to LegalRideshare LLC and the local police department within a week of the crime, and must result in a successful conviction.
Greening said his firm hopes to regularly replenish the Driver Safety Fund. “We want this program to be a success. We need this program to be a success,” Greening said. “We’ll keep funding the Driver Safety Fund for as long as it’s keeping drivers safe and removing criminals from our streets.”
Greening, a native of Columbus, Ohio and an Ohio University alumnus, founded LegalRideshare LLC, in 2015, in Chicago, Illinois. The firm has recently expanded to Ohio, partnering with the Columbus-based law firm Barkan Meizlish DeRose, LLP.
“When we started LegalRideshare, we strived to make the gig economy safer for workers everywhere,” Greening said. “The time is now to fight for Ohio drivers.”
LegalRideshare LLC regularly uses its resources to protect rideshare and gig workers. Last year, the firm offered a “sick-day” program for drivers who lost wages due to COVID-19. In 2018, the firm secured drivers’ right to advertise in their cars, providing a source of income for workers who often struggle to earn more than minimum wage. The firm has initiated a similar Driver Safety Fund and dash camera give-away in Chicago.
About LegalRideshare LLC
LegalRideshare LLC (LegalRideshare.com) is the first law firm in the United States to focus exclusively on Uber, Lyft and app-based accident and injury claims. Its legal team is dedicated to protecting injured drivers, passengers, and victims. The law firm recently expanded to Ohio, partnering with the Columbus-based law firm, Barkan Meizlish DeRose, LLP. Greening originally hails from Columbus, Ohio, is a graduate of Ohio University, and is a former editor at The Athens News, in Athens, Ohio.
Contact: Bryant@LegalRideshare.com
