Avoid Uber-Liability By Restricting Ridesharing Services On Campus

It's 4:30 p.m., school soccer practice has just ended, and 11-year old Cynthia calls her mom to pick her up at school. Her mom tells Cynthia that she is busy at work but has requested an Uber to pick her up. Just as she gets off the phone, a car with an Uber sticker on the window pulls up to your school's pick-up area, and Cynthia enters the stranger's car to be taken home. While the story may end with Cynthia arriving home safely, what if it does not? What responsibility, if any, might your school bear?

An increasing number of students and parents are abandoning yellow school buses and parent carpools for ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft. While these methods of transportation may be a welcome alternative for parents, you should be aware of the potential liability associated with permitting your students to leave campus using such a service.