Uber Accidents and Transportation Network Company (TNC) Laws in Cranford

In February of 2024, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law a significant expansion of the requirements imposed on transportation network companies operating in the state of New Jersey. These changes affect what types of people are allowed to drive for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, how these services must conduct themselves as businesses, and what auto insurance coverage their drivers need.

The first step to enforcing your rights in the aftermath of a wreck is knowing what those rights are, as well as what obligations the law places on the other people involved. Our seasoned car accident attorneys can help you with that. Here is a brief overview of how these new Transportation Network Company (TNC) laws may affect civil claims based on Uber accidents in Cranford and elsewhere in the Garden State.

General Operations

Under the current “Transportation Network Company Safety and Regulatory Act,” all rideshare companies that intend to operate in Cranford or elsewhere in New Jersey must be granted a permit from the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). The process entails providing proof of insurance, proof of license to conduct business in New Jersey, and a $25,000 annual permit fee. TNCs must also provide customers with fare estimates prior to getting into a rideshare driver’s vehicle, and they must be transparent about the method(s) they use to calculate fares.

Records and Complaints

All TNCs must allow the MVC and/or the Division of Consumer Affairs to collect data from, and inspect records kept by, the TNC in order to investigate any complaint filed against the TNC. Furthermore, TNCs must maintain consistent records of all rides given to paying passengers for a minimum of six years for each ride, and they must maintain individual records of their drivers for a minimum of five years after they stop driving for that TNC.

Drivers and Vehicles

In New Jersey, no one under 21 years old can legally drive for a rideshare service or any other type of TNC, and they must pass both driving and criminal record checks prior to operating as a rideshare driver. Drivers who are employed by rideshare apps can only provide rides that are prearranged through that app, and they can only use vehicles that have passed New Jersey state inspection and are visibly marked as vehicles operating under that particular service.

Insurance Coverage

In addition to meeting the standard auto insurance requirements imposed on all New Jersey drivers, current TNC laws also require drivers for Uber and other rideshare apps in Cranford to purchase additional insurance coverage that will kick in while they are providing rideshare services. This policy must provide $1,500,000 of liability insurance coverage to people injured in wrecks involving the policyholder.

Learn More from a Cranford Attorney About How TNC Laws Affect Uber Accident Cases

Major companies like Uber generally stay within the boundaries set for them by the laws of states in which they operate. However, individual drivers for rideshare services may not be so diligent, which means that the relationship between Uber accidents and Transportation Network Company laws in Cranford can sometimes be significant.

Our committed personal injury lawyers are available to enforce your right to financial recovery in the wake of a wreck caused by a negligent Uber driver. Call today to learn more in a free consultation.