A Philadelphia woman is speaking out after an alleged assault that occurred in 2016 by an Uber driver. The woman says she called an Uber car and was asked by the driver to “uncross her legs”. She refused, and the driver allegedly pulled his car over, pulled her sweatshirt over her head, and pulled the woman out of the car.
The woman says that bystanders got involved, pushing the man off her, and he fled the scene. The passenger says she suffered knee injuries in the assault, and since then she has been struggling with emotional issues and nightmares.
The driver who allegedly assaulted the passenger had prior arrests for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct but was still hired as a driver by Uber. The woman recently filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming that she the assault that she experienced was caused by Uber’s very lax driver-screening process.
The victim claims that more rigorous background checks which included fingerprints could have prevented attacks like the one that allegedly occurred. She also says that Uber’s business model allows potentially violent drivers to be alone with customers. Uber does not run driver fingerprints against a national criminal database, and sources its background checks out to third parties. Arrests that do not result in convictions will not disqualify a driver, but drivers who have major driving violations or who have been convicted of violent or sexual offenses will be banned from driving, according to the company.
Uber claims that complaints about assaults from drivers are extremely rare, but many experts dispute that claim. Many say that Uber and other ridesharing companies should do more to protect their passengers from potential harm. If you have been harmed by a driver for a ridesharing company, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles rideshare negligence attorney at 310-385-0567. I am currently involved in a lawsuit against Lyft and will be happy to consult with you about your case. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.