Insurance

What About Insurance?

Long before AI, when I was first starting this project as "Rural Rideshare", I worked with (and paid) both insurance and legal professionals, to closely analyze the question of Carpools, and Driver's Insurance. The analysis would determine a great deal about what was possible with the project.

They all recognized that Uber, Lyft, and other "rideshare" systems are businesses like taxis: they take the payments, they pay the driver, and they pay for their driver's insurance. There is clear legislation in many jurisdictions. My lawyers and insurance agents all agree (often with pertinent case law) that because Carpool Drivers do not profit from the trip -- the travel costs are split by Driver and Passengers -- Carpooling is the same as driving a friend or neighbor somewhere, or using a church carpool bulletin board to share a trip to a retreat. That is, Carpooling means every legal driver's existing auto insurance coverage is all that is needed. Nothing special is required for any Carpooled trip. Carpoolable simply enables local travelers to self-organize and share costs. We're the church ride board, made easier and bigger.

With all that said, modern society and online culture requires, as a condition for Membership for Carpoolable, that you agree to the Terms & Conditions/Hold Harmless Agreement below:

Terms & Conditions/Hold Harmless Agreement, between you, the Member User (hereafter, "the User") and mwmwm, inc., mwmwm, llc., and any Carpoolable-connected website (hereafter, "Carpoolable")

By becoming a member User of Carpoolable, the User agrees to hold harmless and indemnify Carpoolable, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, losses, or expenses arising from or related to the use of Carpoolable.

The User acknowledges that transportation comes with inherent risks, including but not limited to accidents, property damage, personal injury, and delays, and unexpected travel expenses. The User expressly assumes all such risks and agrees that Carpoolable shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from the use of Carpoolable, as a Driver or a Passenger.

The User agrees to release, discharge, and waive any and all claims, actions, or causes of action against Carpoolable arising from or related to any Trip organized upon Carpoolable's information infrastructure, including but not limited to claims for negligence, breach of contract, or any other theory of liability.

The User agrees to indemnify and hold Carpoolable harmless against any claims or demands made by any third party, including but not limited to passengers, insurers, or other individuals, arising out of or in connection with the use of Carpoolable.

This Hold Harmless Agreement shall survive the termination or expiration of the agreement and shall be binding upon the User and their heirs, successors, representatives, and assigns.

If the User acts as a Driver, the User confirms that s/he is legally licensed and legally insured with sufficient coverage for casual passengers, as required by law. The User alone is responsible for choosing Trips to create or to join. The User alone is responsible for any financial exchanges agreed to implicitly or explicitly within the context of Carpoolable, and agrees they pay nothing to Carpoolable for any specific Trip. The User alone is responsible for his or her tax liabilities, if any, for any cost-sharing transactions made between Travelers on any Trip they arranged upon the Carpoolable platform.

By becoming a Member of Carpoolable, the user acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to this Hold Harmless Agreement. The frequent reiteration of this Hold Harmless Agreement in Carpoolable site pages demonstrates that the User is aware of, and continues to agree to, the Hold Harmless Agreement.