California’s revolutionary paid ride-sharing Uber is facing one of its first serious legal problems after the death of a 6-year-old girl. Relatives of that victim – who died when she was struck by an Uber driver – are seeking financial compensation for wrongful death. Those relatives argue that the driver was an active Uber employee at the time of the San Francisco car crash, as he was waiting to receive a ride request.

Uber is a paid ride-sharing system that connects private drivers with those who need rides. The company takes a percentage of each ride paid through the computer system. Uber argues that the driver was not actively working at the time of the car collision, as he was not carrying a passenger.

The accident occurred at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Day, when the driver failed to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk. The decedent was walking with her mother and brother. He is facing criminal charges of failure to yield to pedestrians, along with vehicular manslaughter, though those charges have not yet been levied. The girl’s brother and mother also suffered serious injury in the car collision.

A variety of factors will play into this wrongful death case, as Uber is accused of violating regulations throughout the state. The app requires drivers to use touch-dependent options on their smartphones to accept rides. That required illegal use of cell phones behind the wheel may prove problematic when Uber attempts to defend its case in court.

No matter the reason for the crash, the child in this case did not deserve to die at he hands of a distracted driver or negligent driver. Victims of such vehicle accidents may benefit from consulting a qualified personal injury attorney in California, who can help them learn more about their legal rights and responsibilities.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, “Uber sued over girl’s death in S.F.” Kale Williams and Kurtis Alexander, Jan. 28, 2014