The Black Car Fund (BCF), New York State's workers' compensation provider for independent contractor black car operators, has partnered with Nexar, a leading AI computer vision company, to 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.
BCF Executive Director Ira Goldstein
"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 BCF Executive Director Ira Goldstein. "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."
The Black Car Fund is funded entirely by passengers in the form of a small surcharge that is assessed on every ride dispatched by a member base. As per state law, The BCF uses a fraction of that surcharge to provide additional health-related benefits to its covered drivers (about 100,000 drivers).
Nexar was an obvious choice for the partnership as Nexar-powered dash cams enable new vision-based applications for better driving. When drivers pair these dash cams with the Nexar app, they join a network that powers new applications for driving and seeing the world. Using anonymous, aggregated data captured from this network, Nexar has developed a portfolio of vision-based data services for public and private sector partners to make roadways safer and more efficient.
Azam Hoosain is a Nexar camera user who was driving passengers 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.
Another driver, Ashish Sapkota, suffered injuries 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 Nexar Co-founder & CEO Eran Shir. "Our first report of loss and unique scene reconstruction will be a game-changer 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.”
Visit nybcf.org for more information about the Black Car Fund or data.getnexar.com for more information about Nexar and its products.
[08.16.21]