North Carolina Lyft driver Osahon Aburime was injured in a crash while traveling to pick up a passenger on Mother's Day last year. Sixteen months later, he said he walks with a cane and has been unable to return to driving, losing income and his minivan after falling behind on payments. Mobilitas, which provides ride-hailing insurance to Lyft, denied his claim the day after the accident and has continued to do so despite correcting some inaccurate details in its initial denial. Aburime said he sought help from the North Carolina Department of Insurance but was told to find a lawyer he cannot afford. His case highlights the weaker protections that independent contractors on gig-work platforms can face compared with traditional employees, even when companies provide insurance coverage. Other Uber and Instacart workers have also reported account deactivations and lost income, including one Instacart worker who received $28,000 in back pay after arbitration.