What happened: Uber has launched a seven-figure national ad campaign to push for reforms in insurance policies that are being exploited by personal injury trial lawyers and driving up users’ ride costs. 

Tell me more: Specifically, the San Francisco-based rideshare company is seeking legislative changes that would lower state-mandated insurance limits – and ultimately help “deter personal injury lawyers from taking advantage of lucrative policies and seeking high payouts.”

• The advertising campaign includes sponsored placements in national and local political outlets, including Politico’s New York Playbook newsletter. Uber is also running ads on social media networks, YouTube and TV streaming platforms, urging consumers to take action to keep their rides “affordable.”
• An advocacy website set up by Uber includes state-by-state data on how insurance costs factor into rideshare prices to raise awareness for its cause. For example, costs associated with Uber’s US rides insurance have increased by roughly 50% per trip in the last 3 years, even as Uber saw a decrease in the rate of overall crashes reported on the platform from 2017 to 2022.

In his own words: “… [The] legal system remains broken, allowing personal injury lawyers and a shady network of pain management doctors, chiropractors and third-party lenders to exploit rideshare insurance mandates for financial gain.” — Adam Blinick, Uber Public Policy and Communications

TLR Thoughts: Uber is not alone. TLR is working right now with a coalition of nearly 1,000 businesses, associations and individuals to address the “shady network of pain management doctors, chiropractors and third-party lenders” who are exploiting Texas’s courts and costing every Texas consumer money. The Lone Star Economic Alliance (LSEA) is working to put an end to the unfair litigation practices raising the price of the goods you purchase every day. Sign up here to join the fight.

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