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By Personal Injury Attorney Bennett Schiller of Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm

In April 2017, Bonni Genzer was driving for a popular ride-sharing company, Uber.

She picked up an Uber passenger and drove them to their destination over 130 miles away. Ms. Genzer delivered the Uber passenger safely to their destination and then began the long journey home solo. During this drive home, a metal object crashed through her windshield after being ejected from a semitrailer truck, and she sustained injuries when the object hit her in the face.

In the case Bonni J. Genzer v. James River Insurance Co. the court stated in its decision that Uber’s insurance does not cover Uber drivers when they are returning from delivering an Uber passenger to the passenger’s destination. This means that if the injury has occurred en route to the passenger’s destination, that Uber’s insurance likely would have covered the driver’s injuries, however, because it was on the return trip after the passenger arrived at their destination, the Uber driver was no longer covered by their policy.

The court ruled that Uber’s insurance only covers accidents that occur while the Uber driver is transporting an Uber passenger, before the passenger has been dropped off at their destination. However, just because an injured driver or passenger is denied coverage by one insurance policy, that does not mean they are stuck holding the bill. They may be able to sue the at-fault driver to recover damages.

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By Criminal Defense Attorney Floyd Oliver of Price Benowitz, LLP

In December of 2018, President Donald Trump signed the First Step Act into law.

This law was one of a few that have received bipartisan support under the Trump administration. The law gives thousands of people serving time in jail reduced sentences, allowing them to leave jail early and get on with their lives. The law was passed with the hope that it would reduce recidivism and give those serving time a second chance. Now though, prosecutors across the country are attempting to reverse the law in the most unfair way.

The law applies to inmates that were sentenced to jail for selling crack cocaine and gives them a chance to reduce their prison sentences. Now, however, prosecutors are unfairly targeting individuals that took a plea deal. During these deals, those accused often agree to plead guilty in exchange for the prosecution, stating that they were in possession of much smaller amounts of drugs than they actually were. As a result, federal prosecutors are going back on their word and trying to get people thrown back into jail.

This is completely unfair to individuals that have been freed and was not the way the law was intended to work and should not be allowed. Inmates that believed they were free once again now have to deal with prosecutors trying to get them thrown back in jail for an indefinite amount of time.

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