CEUber is sued by more than 500 women who say they were sexually harassed or attacked by drivers, class action suit claims company prioritized growth over passenger safety

• Uber is being sued by more than 500 women alleging they were sexually assaulted by drivers 
• ‘Women passengers in multiple states were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers,’ according to the legal team behind the lawsuit 
• Uber reported 3,821 reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault between 2019 and 2020
• Nearly 6,000 reports were filed between 2017 and 2018  

More than 500 women filed a joint lawsuit on July 13 against Uber alleging they were sexually assaulted, kidnapped, or otherwise attacked by drivers.

‘Women passengers in multiple states were kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers with whom they had been paired,’ according to a press release by the legal team, Slater Slater Shulman LLP.

The law firm claims reports of assault date back to 2014 and alleges ‘Uber became aware that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers; nevertheless in eight years since, sexual predators driving for Uber have continued to attack passengers.’

Last month, Uber released its second U.S. Safety Report, claiming the company received 3,824 reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault between 2019 and 2020 — a 38 percent drop from the initial report from 2017 to 2018 when 5,981 cases were reported.

‘Uber’s whole business model is predicated on giving people a safe ride home, but rider safety was never their concern – growth was, at the expense of their passengers’ safety,’ attorney Adam Slater, who is representing the women, said.

 ‘While the company has acknowledged this crisis of sexual assault in recent years, its actual response has been slow and inadequate, with horrific consequences.’ 

More than 500 women are suing Uber claiming they were sexually assaulted by drivers. The earliest report of assault was in 2014

Adam Slater, a partner at Slater Slater Schulman LLP, claims Uber has ignored claims the company prioritizes growth rather than rider safety

The law firm further claims the ride share company held ‘prioritization of growth over customer safety.’ 

‘Uber was fixated on getting new drivers onboarded as quickly as possible to fuel growth, so it eschewed traditional background check standards,’ according to the complaint. 

Former CEO Travis Kalanick was accused of dismissing safety after he ‘intentionally opted’ out of performing thorough background and fingerprinting checks before onboarding new hires. 

That policy has been maintained by Uber’s current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who took over the company in 2017.

Despite widespread media attention regarding sexual assault by drivers in 2018, Uber refused to install video cameras in cars, and has maintained a ‘three strikes’ policy’ for its drivers that kept predators at the wheel even after serious passenger complaints.

Uber said it couldn’t comment on the pending litigation, but said the company has recently updated its safety features.

‘Sexual assault is a horrific crime and we take every single report seriously. There is nothing more important than safety, which is why Uber has built new safety features, established survivor-centric policies, and been more transparent about serious incidents,’ an Uber spokesperson said. 

A few safety features the ride share company has implemented include the emergency button. Riders can now call or text 911 through the app and authorities will receive the coordinates to the exact location.

A ride check feature is also available and allows the company to use sensors and GPS data to detect if a driver is going off-course from the final destination. In this instance, riders and drivers will receive a check-in notification. 

The company further says that all drivers are subject to background checks that flag criminal offenses. Each drivers are re-screened annually.  

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took over the ride share company in 2017 from Travis Kalanick. The lawsuit alleges the company has continued to lack thorough background checks

 In the press release, the law office referenced five stories from some of their clients. The victims ranged in locations from California to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.

In an undisclosed location, a driver forcefully kissed and assaulted a woman sitting in the front seat in August 2021.

In Boston, MA, a driver attempted to rape a woman in October 2021. In the same month outside of Pittsburgh, PA, another driver attempted to rape another victim.

In the rural area of Perris, CA, a passenger was raped by a driver in November 2021. Closeby in Chino Hills, CA, a driver sexually assaulted and attempted to rape a passenger in February 2022.

The Chino Hill passenger, claimed the driver ‘groped her under her skirt’ as she rode in the front seat. The driver then pulled over and forced her into the back seat.

Liz, a pseudonym, was able to fight off the driver and run back to her hotel nearby.

Documents viewed by the New York Post say the driver was going in circles before pulling off to the side.

What was supposed to be a five-minute ride instantly turned into a ’23-minute nightmare.’

The 37-year-old said, ‘I had had a couple of drinks and wanted to go across the street to the gas station and my friend had suggested getting an Uber. So I thought I’d try it, and it turned into a nightmare.

‘I was kind of reluctant to get in the front seat but again this like was maybe my second or third time taking an Uber in my life, so I was like, okay, this is normal.

‘He had tried to start reaching up my skirt … I kept pushing him away and he was getting more forceful, so I tried to open the door and he locked the door and I tried to open it.’

Liz was forced into the back seat after 20 minutes and was able to forcefully kick the door open and flee to the hotel.

She attempted to call the police from the front desk because she left her phone in the car, but her alleged attacker showed up at her location to return the device.

Liz attempted to file a complaint through Uber but was blocked without a refund for her $7 ride.

She waited to immediately take action due to her experience of being raped in her 20s and the police investigation going nowhere. 

She decided to take legal action after her friends and therapist pushed her to because of the ‘hundreds of other women’ that this happened to.

‘They said “there’s not just you but hundreds of other women this is happening to, and how many times are you going to let this just get shoved into the dark? It needs to be brought out into the light.”’

Last year, Uber almost faced a $59 million fine for failing to report sexual assault data with California regulators. The company came to an agreement with the California Public Utilities Commission and paid $9 million to support safety initiatives. Another $150,000 fine was delegated to the states General Fund.  

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