Who is responsible when a gig worker, such as an Uber driver, is killed on the job?

Who is responsible when a gig worker, such as an Uber driver, is killed on the job?

Transcript¹

A new report says more than 50 gig workers were killed by passengers while working for platforms like Uber and DoorDash. Advocates say more needs to be done to protect drivers and their families.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Hundreds of thousands of people make money by working for platforms like Lyft or Uber, but driving strangers, it can be dangerous. NPR's Bobby Allyn looks into who should be responsible when drivers are killed on the job.

BOBBY ALLYN, BYLINE²: Allyssa Lewis of Dallas, Texas, was catching³ up with her older sister, Bella. It was the summer, back in August, and they were talking about meeting up.

ALLYSSA LEWIS: I was like, hey, it's the weekend. Can you do my hair? She was like, well, I'm going to do Lyft today. Depending on how I feel after that, then I'll let you know.

ALLYN: But soon after, she got a call from a friend saying something bad had happened.

LEWIS: He's like, hey, I need you to get here - over here on his address or whatever. You need to come right now. And I'm like, OK, what's going on? He was like, don't worry about it. Just get here. I need you to get here.

ALLYN: When she arrived, she saw police vehicles had surrounded her sister's body. A random⁴ passenger had shot and killed Bella. She was 26.

LEWIS: She was just a loving, kind soul, kind of lighting⁵ up the room with a smile - you know, that type of person. Didn't realize how much she kind of, like, held our family together until losing her.

ALLYN: Bella Lewis was one of more than 50 gig workers killed on the job since 2017, according to a new report from the advocacy group Gig Workers Rising. And while it's hard to say what companies like Lyft, Uber and DoorDash could have done to prevent the deaths, the worker advocates say there was a lack of support in the aftermath of the killings⁶. Unlike regular employees, gig workers don't receive survivor⁷ benefits. Catherine Fisk, who teaches labor⁸ law at Berkeley, says here's something else that makes gig workers different.

CATHERINE FISK: All independent contractors⁹ are in a vulnerable¹⁰ spot when they get hurt, but many of them would have a civil claim that they could assert¹¹ in court.

ALLYN: In plain English, companies like Lyft make drivers sign what's known as forced arbitration¹² agreements, meaning they aren't allowed to sue¹³. For the Lewis family, that meant they were on the hook¹⁴ for expensive funeral and burial bills.

LEWIS: They weren't going to pay for anything. The driver's window somehow was shot out. They weren't repairing that.

ALLYN: In a statement, Lyft says it tries to make sure all of its drivers are safe at all times, and they have access to an in-app tool that they can use if they feel at risk. Lyft did not respond to questions about why it did not help the Lewis family cover their funeral expenses. Instead, a Lyft spokesperson says the company tried to contact the Lewis family after the death but was not able to. Allyssa Lewis says she never heard from them.

LEWIS: I think, like, the least they could have did was came out of pocket for funeral expenses, kind of keep that burden off of the family because my family isn't necessary a family that comes from money. My sister out here, you know, doing Lyft to get that extra money.

ALLYN: It's hard to know exactly how dangerous being a gig worker is compared to other industries. For instance, federal statistics¹⁵ show that there were about 20 taxi driver deaths in 2020, but that number includes traffic accidents. The gig worker report only focuses on drivers killed by passengers. In addition to more help, the report asks gig-worker companies to publicly disclose¹⁶ how many drivers are getting killed every year. Berkeley law professor Fisk agrees.

FISK: Information is good because it enables everybody to operate more safely.

ALLYN: Meanwhile in Texas, Allyssa Lewis says she's in between jobs and considering doing gig work. But then her mom intervened¹⁷ and said, no way.

LEWIS: Yeah, I'm thinking about going to do DoorDash today, this and that. She's like, no, I don't really feel comfortable with you doing that. I don't want you doing that. I'd rather give you money out of my pocket before you do that.

ALLYN: Lewis says she's promised her mom she wouldn't do it.

Bobby Allyn, NPR News, San Francisco.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

4 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

5 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

8 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

9 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vulnerable   

adj.易受伤的，脆弱的，易受攻击的

参考例句：

• He volunteered to protect her as she looked so vulnerable.她看上去很脆弱，他就主动去保护她。
• The company is in an economically vulnerable position.该公司目前经济状况不稳定。

11 assert   

vt.断言，声称，维护，坚持

参考例句：

• I choose rather to hesitate my opinion than to assert it roundly.我宁可犹疑地表示我的意见而不愿直率地断言这件事。
• You must assert yourself or they will continue to bully you.你必须维护自己的权利，否则他们还会欺负你。

12 arbitration   

n.调停，仲裁

参考例句：

• The wage disagreement is under arbitration.工资纠纷正在仲裁中。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding.双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

13 sue   

vt.控告，起诉；vi.请求，追求，起诉

参考例句：

• If you don't pay me the money,I'll sue you.如果你不付给我钱，我就告你。
• The war criminals sue for peace.战犯求和。

14 hook   

vt.钩住；n.钩子，钩状物

参考例句：

• The blacksmith forged a bar of iron into a hook.铁匠把一根铁条锻造成一个钩子。
• He hangs up his scarf on the hook behind the door.他把围巾挂在门后的衣钩上。

15 statistics   

n.统计，统计数字，统计学

参考例句：

• We have statistics for the last year.我们有去年的统计资料。
• Statistics is taught in many colleges.许多大学都教授统计学。

16 disclose   

vt.揭露，泄露，透露

参考例句：

• Science can disclose the mysteries of nature.科学能解开自然界的奥秘。
• Neither side would disclose details of the transaction.双方均不肯披露交易细节。

17 intervened   

阻碍( intervene的过去式和过去分词 )； 出面； 插嘴； 介于…之间

参考例句：

• The President intervened personally in the crisis. 总统亲自出面处理这场危机。
• We enjoyed the picnic until a thunderstorm intervened. 那次野餐我们玩得很痛快，后来一场暴风雨使它中断了。