MAYORAL CANDIDATE CALLS OUT DOORDASH FOR PUTTING EMPLOYEES AT RISK- MDASR LLP- NYC
OCTOBER 2025
Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has largely spoken about creating safer streets when it comes to transit and urban planning. The Queens-based politician has generally emphasized the importance of protecting the working classes of New York.
At a recent town hall on September 19th, 2025, coordinated by the Downtown Democratic Coalition, Presumptive Mayor Zohran Mamdani addressed the coalition and their concerns about enforcing the recent bike & e-vehicle laws that seem to be a pressing issue in NY, specifically boroughs in the metropolitan areas.
Mamdani’s response reflected on the delivery worker & service aspect of the recent issues. He attributed it to the 95-billion-dollar meal delivery industry. “Much of this conversation around e-bikes and e-vehicles focuses on individual actions and infractions” Mamdani said in his response to the Downtown Democratic Coalition. “And one of the things that I will do is focus on the systemic drivers of this chaotic streetscape, one of them being the App Companies”.
New York is known for being fast paced & rigid. This general attitude is the reason there are nearly 65,000 app-based delivery workers actively working throughout the boroughs. The size of the delivery industry and NYC’s hectic infrastructure is the reason 80% of app-based delivery workers choose to use bikes & other e-vehicles to maneuver the NYC streets and their deliveries. Apps like DoorDash, UberEATS and Grubhub all incentivize fast deliveries and penalize drivers who do not make a certain number of deliveries in a timed window. Those incentives push delivery workers to push boundaries, ignore street regulations, and put not only put their health and lives at risk, but the health and lives of innocent pedestrians as well.
Mamdani’s general campaign ideologies of being a voice for the working class of New York and to hold work industries more accountable align with current City Councils trying to regulate certain aspects of delivery apps, such as preventing lock outs for not meeting quotas and to provide safety equipment and training for delivery riders. It is important to note the danger delivery workers face in an industry that’s new and has yet to fully outline regulations and legislations to protect its employees. When companies such as DoorDash or UberEATS fail to address specific issues regarding their employee’s health and safety or actively donate to political affiliations in order to protect their own interest—Workers should know there are systems and protections in place to protect them across all industries in the State of New York.
In 2023, statistics show an increase of 21.5% in e-bike collisions in NYC, of which 30 cases ended in death. In 2024, of the 275 NYC traffic deaths reported, 53% were moped/motorbike related deaths. On March 31, 2025, a 49-year-old Brooklyn resident was crossing Franklin Street after getting out of his vehicle when he was fatally struck by a 26-year-old Food Delivery Worker traveling southbound on their e-bike. The delivery worker remained on the scene and explained he was working for an app and delivering goods when he sped through a stop sign. No arrest or charges have been made. A few years before that, Babacar Dia, age 44 was struck & killed while fulfilling DoorDash deliveries in NYC. A dark sedan slammed into the Delivery Worker before fleeing the scene. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries a few hours later at Brookdale University Hospital. This death adds to the 49% of food delivery accidents reported in NYC. At least 10 food delivery couriers died in NYC that same year in 2021.
In the case of Jose Valentin Diaz, 47-year-old DoorDash delivery worker was performing his regular work duties and riding down 31 street’s bike lane in Midtown, when a car crashed into him, sending him off his bike and headfirst into the road. Diaz lost consciousness before paramedics rushed him to Elmhurst Hospital. The pressure and punitive actions from delivery apps is so great that when Diaz regained consciousness his first question to the paramedic was “How’s the food? I have to get back on my bike. I can’t miss this delivery”. After getting medical treatment in Queens, NY, Diaz called a representative at DoorDash to explain what happened after getting hit by a car while on a delivery. No one from the company followed up to see if he was okay or even notified him that he was able to file a workers’ compensation claim to cover medical costs & lost time through DoorDash’s Occupational Accident Policy, even after being notified he was going to need surgery. After learning about this policy Diaz was able to get the insurance carrier to compensate him for his medical bills, have them cover his surgery & acquired some lost wages.
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Incidents such as these truly vouch for Mamdani’s narrative about recent e-bike controversies and how the demand for food deliveries plus punitive actions taken against delivery workers for not meeting quotas is the main culprit behind making this industry a dangerous profession and NYC streets unsafe. “They want to influence our labor and street safety regulations because their algorithm for all delivery workers is one that pushes workers to make as many deliveries as possible in a finite period of time” said Mamdani when criticizing DoorDash, a major player in the food delivery industry. DoorDash just so happened to donate 1 million dollars to a super PAC (Political Action Committee) affiliated with Andrew Cuomo during the Democratic Primaries earlier this year. “It is an algorithm that rewards the breaking of street safety regulations…we have to ensure that there is regulation of these algorithms such that what is incentivized is following the law.” -Mamdani.
At McIntyre, Donohue, Accardi, Salmonson & Riordan LLP we handle work-injury cases across all work industries throughout the entire state of New York. We have over 70 years experience in handling Workers Compensation Claims, protecting workers’ rights, and securing their futures. As described in Jose Valentines Diaz case, an employee has the right to be compensated after suffering a work-related injury. All employers are required to have Workers’ Compensation Insurance in the State of New York. This protects workers in the event they have an accident at work and require medical treatment or weekly benefits if unable to return. MDASR LLP currently has over 150 cases dealing with Delivery/Ride Share companies, protecting workers’ rights at DoorDash, UberEATS, & Lyft. We strive to achieve the best outcome for our clients, the pride we take in being able to help clients get the medical attention and benefits they’ve earned is evident in the thousands of cases we’ve retained and won. If you or a loved one suffered a work-related call our toll-free line for a free consultation 866-557-7500.
Author/Media Rep
Brian Molina
Marketing Coordinator & Paralegal
bmolina@licomplaw.com
Sources (MLA)
Colon, Dave. “Zohran Mamdani on E-Bike Safety: Regulate App Algorithms, Not Workers.” Streetsblog New York City, 22 Sept. 2025, nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/09/22/zohran-mamdani-on-e-bike-safety-regulate-app-algorithms-not-workers.
“Online Food Delivery Services in the U.S.: Topic Overview.” Statista, www.statista.com/topics/3294/online-food-delivery-services-in-the-us/#topicOverview. Accessed 23 Sept. 2025.
Greenpointers. “E-Bike Delivery Worker Hit and Killed Pedestrian on Greenpoint’s Franklin Street.” Greenpointers, 24 Mar. 2025, greenpointers.com/2025/03/24/e-bike-delivery-worker-hit-and-killed-pedestrian-on-greenpoints-franklin-street/.
If you or a loved one has been impacted by an injury on the job, know that you’re not alone. The experienced attorneys at McIntyre, Donohue, Accardi, Salmonson, & Riordan, LLP are here to advocate for your rights and ensure you receive the protection and compensation you deserve.
Call us today for a free consultation: 866.557.7500 or email inquire@licomplaw.com
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Sources:
Workers’ Compensation Law, Section 10: Liability for Compensation.” New York Public Law, New York Public Law, www.newyork.public.law/laws/n.y._workers’_compensation_law_section_10.
New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. “Mental Injury Legislation.” GovDelivery, 7 Mar. 2025
Author: Brian Molina (Marketing Coordinator & Paralegal)
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