Women passengers are alleged to have been “kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually battered, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers”
Wednesday, the case was filed with the San Francisco County Superior Court
“Sexual assault is a heinous crime, and we take each and every report seriously,” an Uber representative told the BBC.
“Nothing is more important than safety, which is why Uber has developed new safety features, implemented survivor-centric policies, and increased its transparency regarding serious incidents. While we cannot comment on pending litigation, we will continue to prioritize safety in our operations “They added to it.
The sexual assaults, according to the complaint filed by attorneys from Slater Slater Schulman, allegedly occurred in “multiple states.”
It also stated that at least 150 additional potential cases are “actively being investigated.”
The lawsuit alleges that Uber knew its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers as early as 2014. However, according to the filing, the company prioritized “growth over customer safety.”
Adam Slater, the founding partner of Slater Slater Schulman, said, “Uber’s entire 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.”
In its second US Safety Report, released last month, Uber reported 998 sexual assault incidents and 141 rape reports in 2020.
Between 2019 and 2020, the company received 3,824 reports of the five most severe types of sexual assault, according to the report.
In the company’s first safety report, which details incidents from 2017 to 2018, 5,981 sexual assaults were reported.
Uber’s most severe sexual assault categories include “non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part,” “non-consensual sexual penetration,” and rape.
These allegations are extremely serious in nature. It is astounding that 550 women have come forward.
The lawsuit is even more damaging to Uber because it could be interpreted as additional evidence of a toxic corporate culture.
On Monday, a former Uber executive leveled multiple allegations of misconduct.
Among the evidence he leaked was the fact that Uber had a ‘kill switch that could be activated if law enforcement arrived, preventing them from accessing information.
Mark McGann stated that the leaked documents revealed a common theme – that Uber prioritized growth above all else.
Similarly, this lawsuit asserts that the company concealed the fact that Uber drivers had sexually assaulted women.
In other words, Uber publicly asserted that its rides were secure, despite being aware of a problem.
In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the company failed to conduct adequate background checks on its drivers.
Uber asserts that it has changed in recent years and regrets its previous actions.
But with so much negative publicity, investors are concerned that customers will begin to look elsewhere for their next ride.
source: BBC
