Sharing services such as Uber, Lyft and Airbnb have been in the news quite a bit lately.

There was the horrific story about the Uber driver in Kalamazoo who allegedly killed six people and injured two others between picking up and dropping off some of his passengers. And then there was the recent article about some Airbnb patrons who found a decomposing woman's body in the garden of the Palaiseau, France, home in which they were staying. These are terrible stories but are incidents that could also happen while using other forms of transportation, staying in hotels, or going about everyday life.

There are some issues, however, which apply specifically to these service-sharing applications (apps) and their use, creating risks and financial exposures for the service supplier and customer if the providers are not properly insured to deliver these services.

Automobile exposures

Anyone who plans to make additional money as an Uber, Lyft or other ride-sharing service driver should be aware of the insurance gaps that may exist. Failure to consider them may expose the driver to unexpected consequences. One of the ride-sharing platforms states on its opening website page — "Signing up is easy — Sign up today and you'll be on the road in no time. Plus, signing on takes less than 4 minutes. Don't wait to start making great money with your car."