Man killed in Uber crash coming home from Halloween Party

A young man is dead, and three others are hurt after an accident along I-80 in Roseville (Calif.) early Saturday morning. 24-year-old Shane Holland died. His father, Steve Holland said it happened while his son and boyfriend, Brady Lawrence, were riding home from a Halloween party in an Uber taxi. CHP said it happened around 1:30 a.m. Saturday on westbound I-80, just west of Riverside Avenue. Officers said Holland died when the Toyota Camry he was in slammed into two trees after losing control while trying to avoid a car stuck in the middle of a freeway.

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Uber charges Denver man $539 for 18-mile Halloween ride

Many Halloween partiers last night opted to pay a driver instead of risking the cost of a DUI, but a Denver man who used Uber - the popular car service - paid a much, much higher price than he ever thought possible. "Me and my bank account got taken for a ride last night," said Elliott Asbury of Denver.

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How Uber's shady firing policy could backfire on the company

Uber fires its drivers at will, with no clear policy and sometimes with no warning - a move that could seriously undercut its claim that its drivers are independent contractors and not employees, lawyers say. Sudden firings - or in industry-speak, "deactivations" - can leave drivers stranded without a source of income and no legal recourse to fight the termination. Uber doesn't tell drivers upfront what will get them canned, just sends them warnings once they're already in hot water.

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Hagens Berman revs up Lyft rider class action

With state and city regulators already nipping at Lyft's heels, the Bay Area ride-sharing company may soon face a threat from another corner. In anticipation of a class action filing, Seattle-based plaintiffs firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro has announced it is investigating claims that Lyft Inc. failed to obtain the permits, licenses and insurance necessary to operate in more than a dozen states. It's easy pickings, according to partner Robert Carey, as regulators including the California Public Utilities Commission and San Francisco's district attorney have accused Lyft of breaking the law.

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Burlington: Uber drivers are breaking the law

Burlington's attorney says drivers for Uber, the ridesharing service that recently launched in Burlington, are breaking city law. Uber describes itself as a technology company, not a transportation company; customers use its phone app to find and pay for rides in personal vehicles. Uber launched its uberX service in Burlington on Oct. 9.

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Lyft director of product leaves amid spate of departures

Ryan Fujiu, director of product at Lyft, recently left the San Francisco-based ride-sharing company, the startup confirmed. He had joined Lyft in January from self-marketing startup about.me, where he was head of growth, according to his LinkedIn profile. Erin Simpson, a Lyft spokeswoman, declined to comment on the reasons for the departure. The exit follows that of Chief Operating Officer Travis VanderZanden, who left Lyft in August.

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The Teamsters of the 21st Century: How Uber, Lyft and Facebook drivers are organizing

When you think of the Teamsters, you might still think Jimmy Hoffa. But you should also now think Uber, Lyft, and even Facebook. That's because the Teamsters are taking a bold step into the new sharing economy by organizing Uber and Lyft drivers in Los Angeles and San Diego and attempting to represent drivers for Facebook and Cisco employee shuttles.

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Safety worries make Uber, Lyft fair game for taxi watchdogs

Uber and Lyft are being accused of not only undermining the "sharing economy" with their vehicle insurance policies and driver background checks, but of shifting liability to drivers and riders while keeping the savings to themselves. In September, the insurance division of Oregon's Department of Consumer affairs and business services joined state and district consumer oversight groups in 20 other states and Washington, D.C., in warning consumers about the potential dangers of driving or riding with services including Uber and Lyft.

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After our Uber exposé, their PR team tried to dupe us

Barely 24 hours after we published a first-person essay critical of Uber, L.A. Weekly's editorial assistant was contacted by a stranger offering a first-person essay about how great Uber is. It was kind of strange. It was purportedly written by a former taxi driver named Cabdi Xuseen ("Confessions of a Former L.A. Taxi Driver," the title read), but it came from the email of a different person, someone with the improbable name of Tawny Valentine.

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Eugene tells Uber to cease operations

The community debate over Uber is accelerating. Fed up with the ride-sharing company's inaction in securing a city license, Eugene officials have ordered Uber to cease operations in the area or be fined. Meanwhile, local taxi companies raised their profile Wednesday by announcing the formation of the Eugene Safe Taxi Coalition . The coalition, which represents 13 of the 15 taxi companies licensed to operate in the Eugene-Springfield area, said it's committed to preserving the integrity and public safety of the local taxi industry.