The Reminger Report: Emerging Technologies

The rise of the gig economy (bolstered by the COVID-19 pandemic) has led many to consider expanding America's current employee / independent contractor employment classification system. This "third way"  — neither classifying workers as employees nor independent workers — would allow gig workers to receive some benefits, but not become full employees. In part 3 of our gig economy se...

The use of gig economy platforms (such as Uber, Doordash, and Fiverr) has grown at an explosive rate. Torts and employment disputes arising during gig economy transactions are becoming a regular occurrence. In part 2 of our gig economy series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele will discuss the following questions: What is the gig economy and what types of tort claims arise from gig economy transacti...

Non-traditional and freelance work is rising exponentially. Between 25-35% of American workers participate in the gig economy. What factors are leading to this free-market system's explosive growth? In part 1 of our gig economy series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele will define the gig economy and analyze its rapid growth.  Visit our website for information about our legal services related t...

Apps, artificial intelligence,  and smart devices have transformed the insurance industry. These technologies have accelerated the application, underwriting, and claims processes while providing insurers with more consumer data than ever before. Today, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele  will analyze how insurers are utilizing technology in the application, underwriting, and claims processes. Visit o...

Today, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele continue our series on technology's impact on the insurance industry with an analysis from three perspectives: carriers, agents, and consumers. Technological advances have streamlined the underwriting and claims processes, making the experience smoother for clients. However, the use of apps and social media have also evoked potential security risks.  Vis...

Zachary is joined by John Kinkopf , President at Haudenschild Agency , a combination financial and insurance advisory company based in Northeast Ohio. Zachary and John examine how the insurance industry is evolving to meet the demands of emerging technologies such as ridesharing, Airbnb/Vrbo, and cybercrime. Part 2 highlights include: Types of Airbnb coverage and potential risks to hosts and guest...

Zachary is joined by John Kinkopf , President at Haudenschild Agency , a combination financial and insurance advisory company based in Northeast Ohio. Zachary and John examine how the insurance industry is evolving to meet the demands of emerging technologies such as ridesharing, Airbnb/Vrbo, and cybercrime. Part 1 highlights include: John's role as president evolving with changes in technolo...

Zachary is once again joined by Melanie Irvin , Counsel at Branch Insurance , a new and quickly-growing insurance company based in Columbus, Ohio.  In part two of their conversation, Melanie and Zachary discuss how Branch stands out among the wave of insurtech companies. Aside from providing a frictionless and efficient buying process, Branch is also public benefit corporation in process of becomi...

Zachary is joined by Melanie Irvin , Counsel at Branch Insurance , a new and quickly-growing insurance company based in Columbus, Ohio.  In part one of their discussion, Melanie shares the career path that led her to heading up the legal department at Branch. She highlights how Branch is improving the insurance industry, making it accessible to more people, including more efficient underwriting an...

Kenton Steele is joined by Sara M. Peters , an attorney at the forefront of ridesharing disputes. Sara litigates complex ridesharing cases, including vehicular accidents and sexual/physical assaults involving companies like Uber and Lyft.  Kenton and Sara discuss the question "How does the law accommodate new transportation technology?" With various conflicts between the law and regulati...

Zachary is once again joined by Kelly Kay , EVP, CFO, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) . Kelly is an experienced leader in both large and small companies with deep knowledge of scaling and operating businesses in highly technical fields like automated driving, robotics, machine learning, and financial services. In part two of their discussion, Kelly...

Zachary is joined by Kelly Kay , EVP, CFO, and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) . Kelly is an experienced leader in both large and small companies with deep knowledge of scaling and operating businesses in highly technical fields like automated driving, robotics, machine learning, and financial services. In part one of their discussion, Kelly shares how...

Today,  Zachary is once again joined by Stuart Sherry , an electrical engineer and senior staff consultant with Engineering Systems, Inc. Zach and Stuart discuss crash investigations on autonomous vehicles as well as the growing need for regulations and recommendations regarding autonomous vehicle data. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

Today,  Zachary is joined by Stuart Sherry , an electrical engineer and senior staff consultant with Engineering Systems, Inc. Zach and Stuart discuss the various types of technologies utilized in autonomous vehicles, including: radar, lidar, and ultrasound. Stuart reviews "sensor fusion", the ability to bring together inputs from multiple technologies to form a single model or image of...

Today, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele continue our series on autonomous vehicles. They review the levels of AV technology available now and in the future. Then, they provide an overview of the potential liability issues with driverless cars. Who is responsible for an accident in an autonomous vehicle? Find out some potential scenarios in this episode. Visit our website for information about our l...

Today, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele kick off our series on autonomous vehicles. Setting the stage for our upcoming discussions, they give a brief history of autonomous technology and the potential societal benefits and risks to fully adopting driverless cars. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

In part two of our Mobility-as-a-Service series, Zachary is joined once again by Ryan McManus , founder and CEO of SHARE Mobility. Based in Columbus, Ohio, SHARE Mobility is an all-in-one mobility solution that offers all of the tools that organizations need to manage multimodal transportation programs.  Zach and Ryan discuss the future of the mobility industry. Topics include near-term changes (e...

In part one of our Mobility-as-a-Service series, Zachary is joined by Ryan McManus , founder and CEO of SHARE Mobility. Based in Columbus, Ohio, SHARE Mobility is an all-in-one mobility solution that offers all of the tools that organizations need to manage multimodal transportation programs.  Zach and Ryan discuss the mission, creation, and development of SHARE Mobility as well as general trends...

In the conclusion of our Ridesharing Regulation series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele review developing requirements to ensure rideshare passenger safety including enhanced driver background checks and appropriate vehicle signage. They wrap up the series with a discussion on potential problems arising from competing regulations between states and cities. Visit our website for information about o...

In part three of our Ridesharing Regulations series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele discuss the regulatory issues most frequently faced by ridesharing companies and TNCs, including insurance and user data privacy standards. They also cover record keeping requirements which can vary state by state. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

In part two of our Ridesharing Regulation series, Kenton Steele continues his conversation with Karen Moury of Eckert Seamans law firm. Kenton and Karen discuss how ridesharing TNCs (Transportation Network Companies) disrupted the industry and broke the traditional mold of transportation regulations.  Visit  our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

In part one of our Ridesharing Regulation series, Kenton Steele is joined by Karen Moury of Eckert Seamans law firm. Karen discusses her firsthand experience representing Uber and working with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to create the state's first set of ridesharing regulations in 2014. Visit  our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologie...

In the final part of our Intro to Ridesharing series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele review the potential legal claims that face the ridesharing industry, arising from driver classification issues, regulatory compliance, and more. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

In part three of our Intro to Ridesharing  series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele identify emerging trends for the future of ridesharing including: COVID-19, the gig economy, and autonomous vehicles. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.

In part two of our Intro to Ridesharing series, Zachary Pyers and Kenton Steele discuss the historical events and regulatory factors that have fueled the incredible rise in popularity of ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft. Visit our website for information about our legal services related to emerging technologies.