Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits
Women across the country are filing lawsuits against notable rideshare company Uber. Allegedly, the company failed to protect these women from sexual assault or properly vet their hired drivers. As a public company, Uber has a duty to its riders to provide safe transportation, and no one should have to experience the physical or psychological horrors of sexual assault. If you’ve suffered sexual assault due to the heinous actions of an Uber driver, contact the lawyers at Cutter Law to learn how you can pursue legal action.
Current Landscape of Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits
There are two coordinated proceedings against Uber, one in California State Court and one in Federal Court, that are both venued in San Francisco. We’re with Judge Ethan Schulman in the State Court coordinated proceeding in San Francisco Superior. Then we have Judge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California, also in San Francisco.
Recent Sexual Assault Case Filed
Jane Roe CL 16 v. Uber Technologies Inc., et al.
On August 7, 2024, Cutter Law P.C. filed a complaint for the plaintiff identified as Jane Roe CL 16. The plaintiff was sexually assaulted, harassed, battered, or otherwise attacked by an Uber driver in connection with a ride facilitated on the Uber platform in Ada County, Idaho on August 6, 2022. The plaintiff is seeking economic, non-economic, and punitive damages against Uber Technologies, Inc., and other related entities.
How Many Uber Lawsuits Have Been Filed Today?
In our California State Court proceeding against Uber, there are about 1,600 filed cases. The number in the national MDL is closely approaching that.
It is hard to say how many cases there are because it’s very difficult for victims to come forward, so we really don’t know what the true number of cases would be.
How Is Uber Responding to the Allegations?
Uber is not in a place where they’re taking responsibility. As a result, Uber has taken a pretty aggressive litigation posture with fighting a lawsuit in the California State Court and Federal Court.
There are a number of victims that have not been compensated.
Insight From Celine Cutter
“Uber has not taken what I would consider to be adequate steps to both look back and compensate the victims we know are there, and to prevent these types of incidents from happening in the future.”
How to Prove Sexual Assault by an Uber Driver
You need to try to establish up front that the sexual assault as a result of using the Uber app to call the ride.
To establish liability to see if you have a potential case against Uber, you need to have some kind of proof of the ride taking place. If you ordered the ride yourself, you’ll have a receipt on your phone or get an email receipt in the app. If a friend ordered the ride for you, then you can reach out to them and try to get the information that way.
In situations where you’ve been out drinking and maybe a stranger at the bar ordered a ride for you, it can be a little more challenging to try to get that ride receipt. If you have a high level of confidence that a ride took place and was ordered through the Uber app, you can get into litigation and then get the receipt.
In some instances, you may have used the Uber driver before, and he gave you his personal number so that you could call him for a ride another time. If that’s a situation where you called him on a subsequent time and it wasn’t a ride arranged in the Uber app, that is probably going to be a deal breaker in terms of your ability to get Uber to be liable.
Factors to Prove Liability
With any sexual assault, there is usually a “he said, she said” situation so the other challenge is of course to come up with some kind of contemporaneous evidence that this happened. Factors that we look to determine whether we’ll be able to carry our burden and proof in the case, include:
- Did you tell anybody what happened?
- Did you report it to Uber?
- Did you report it to the police?
Has There Been Any Uber Cases Tried or Settled Yet?
There have been no trials yet for Uber cases. Prior to the coordinated proceedings getting started, there were a few cases settled with Uber. However, as the volume increased, Uber’s stance on settling cases has changed.
Insight From Celine Cutter
“We have Bellwether Trials set in our Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings (JCCP) for Uber in one year.”
How Much Compensation Can I Receive if an Uber Driver Sexually Assaulted Me?
Financial compensation for rideshare sexual assault varies. Every case is different, so compensation depends on various factors. These include whether the assault caused long-term physical harm, the severity of harassment or assault, and proof of negligence on the part of Uber.
What Should I Do if an Uber Driver Sexually Assaulted Me?
If you are sexually assaulted by an Uber driver, get to a safe place. If injured, seek medical attention immediately. Medical reports can be a crucial part of supporting your claim of assault. File a police report as soon as possible and report the incident to Uber. Copy and take thorough notes on any documents obtained during these processes—these too will be essential to support your claim. Finally, consult with a lawyer to ensure you’re aware of your rights in this unfortunate situation.
Who Is Liable for Uber Driver Sexual Assault?
Uber can be held responsible for sexual assault committed by their drivers under negligence laws. These laws hold companies accountable by allowing victims to show the company’s negligent hiring and monitoring practices of employees and other negligent actions.
Although rideshare companies like Uber have defended themselves by claiming they cannot be responsible for the actions of independent contractors, federal courts have ruled in favor of the victims. These cases highlight passengers’ reasonable belief that a driver worked for the company.
How to File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Uber?
If an Uber driver has sexually assaulted you, file a lawsuit as soon as possible. You deserve justice. Cutter Law can provide sexual assault lawyers with years of experience to help you through this challenging process. Contact Cutter Law today for a free case review.
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