Uber’s Growing Sexual Assault Problem Comes to Light

Uber/Lyft passengers who are sexually harassed or assaulted by a driver may be entitled to significant financial compensation. A Riverside personal injury attorney at Heiting & Irwin can fight to help you get the money you deserve.

Even though the Uber driver is an independent contractor, the company can be held liable for the actions of its drivers when they have failed to conduct a proper background check or terminate a driver known to be dangerous. They can be held responsible for negligent or faulty driving practices and for causing accidents; and you can also hold them legally accountable for their failure to follow their own safety procedures.

Speak to a personal injury lawyer in California at Heiting & Irwin to learn whether you can sue Uber for sexual assault in your case. We can help you file a civil lawsuit to seek justice and compensation.

What if Lyft or Uber Do Not Do What Keeps You Safe

Over and over again, Uber hails its own efforts to keep passengers safe. Uber is well aware of the perceptions of safety and fears that customers face when they enter a rideshare vehicle. The company claims to have stepped up its background checks in an effort to prevent physical and sexual attacks on passengers. However, a recent report questions Uber’s own efforts and the numbers that they are reporting.

Even though Uber claims that it has taken enhanced measures to protect your safety, recent reports claim otherwise. An expose in the New York Times directly contradicts many claims that Uber makes to tout its own safety efforts. Even though the company tested and discussed multiple measures to enhance safety,what did they do to make drivers adopt them?

From 2017 to 2022, court filings show 400,181 Uber trips resulted in reports of sexual assault and sexual misconduct in the United States. This figure works out to one incident every eight minutes. This number is many multiples of what Uber itself has reported in its own statistics. Internal documents may show a level of lack of regard for customers and its prioritizing its own self-protection. One internal report stated “ Our purpose/goal is not to be the police…Our bar is much lower and our goal is to protect the company and set the tolerable risk level for our operations.”

In its own defense, Uber attempts to explain that a majority of these reports are “less serious” in nature. Uber divides incidents into “critical sexual assaults” and less critical events. Even Uber’s own employees quietly acknowledge that the problem is far more serious, since many sexual assaults may not be reported out of fear. However, the glimpse provided into Uber’s safety culture reveals a company that is focused on boosting its own profits and fighting to preserve its own model, where the company benefits if its drivers are classified as independent contractors.

You Can Sue Uber When You Have Been Sexually Assaulted

Ordinarily, you would not be able to file a lawsuit against Uber when you have been injured in one of their vehicles. The driver is classified as an independent contractor, and you do not ordinarily have a direct legal relationship with Uber that allows you to hold them liable. This all changes when you have been the victim of a crime or accident that resulted in part from the company’s negligence and/or failure to perform background checks on the drivers they hire. Then, Uber can be sued in part because of their negligent hiring and retention of the driver. The company owes you the duty to properly investigate the people whom they put in a position to come directly into contact with you through their platform.

To win a negligent hiring and retention lawsuit, you would need to prove the following elements:

• The subject company had a legal duty to exercise reasonable care in hiring, supervising, and retaining employees

The subject company breached the duty of care by acting unreasonably under the circumstances

• The harm caused by the employee was reasonably foreseeable based on what the employer knew or should have known
• Your injury was caused by Uber’s breach of duty to you.

There are currently over 2,500 lawsuits against Uber pending as part of multidistrict litigation against the company. The initial bellwether trials will occur later in 2025. There is also a consolidated legal action pending in California state court. You must file your claim against Uber before the statute of limitations in your case expires.

Contact a Riverside Personal Injury Law Firm Today

If you have been sexually assaulted or harassed, or hurt in some other way, by an Uber driver, you can fight back against the company by reaching out to a Riverside personal injury attorney at Heiting & Irwin. The most effective step that you can take is to schedule a free initial consultation by sending us a message online or by calling us today at (951) 682-6400.