Nexar partners with the Black Car Fund to protect New York rideshare drivers with thousands of cameras in cars
Nexar, a leading AI computer vision company, announced a partnership with the Black Car Fund (BCF), New York State’s workers’ compensation provider for independent contractor black car operators, including rideshare drivers. The partnership will place cameras in thousands of cars to protect their members in the case of an accident or assault. Nexar’s AI-powered dual-camera dash cams detect collisions, immediately notify BCF, and then send a detailed reenactment of the crash within minutes, allowing BCF to begin processing their workers’ comp claim.
“The Black Car Fund was formed by a New York State statute over 20 years ago to provide workers’ comp for independent drivers who otherwise wouldn’t be insured for on-the-job injuries,” said Ira Goldstein, Executive Director of BCF. “Drivers are often unaware of their rights and the benefits available to them and may not know where to turn to if they are injured. Nexar’s technology allows us to proactively reach out and support them when our help is most needed.”
Recent high-profile assaults on drivers and the debate surrounding their employment status have underscored the challenges faced by Uber and Lyft drivers. When there is an event with competing claims, a video recording of the incident can make all the difference.
Azam Hoosain is a Nexar camera user who was driving passengers for Uber when he was struck from behind. This caused his vehicle to flip over and seriously injure him. Nexar contacted Hoosaim, made him aware of the protections provided by BCF and assisted him with his claim, which, as a result of workers’ comp, covered all medical expenses and saved him from a lawsuit.
Ashish Sapkota was driving for Lyft when a passenger violently assaulted him. The incident was captured by Nexar, and BCF was able to help the traumatized driver file a claim after the incident left him too scared to work.
“The Black Car Fund provides workers compensation along with free benefits such as basic dental and vision coverage along with other health-related benefits to approximately 100,000 drivers in New York, and we are so proud to work with them,” said Eran Shir, the co-founder & CEO at Nexar. “Our first report of loss and unique scene reconstruction will be a gamechanger for so many drivers who provide a tremendous service to millions of New Yorkers. The ability of Nexar’s AI algorithms to ‘understand’ and report an incident in real-time allows us to make a difference in yet another sector,” added Shir.
