Uber Sexual Assault Cases

Ride sharing with Uber can be a convenient way to get around, but it can also place passengers in precarious positions. Each year, thousands of sexual assaults are perpetrated by Uber drivers on unsuspecting passengers. In the event that you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted, groped or otherwise harmed during an Uber ride, contact an experienced personal injury attorney from Altman & Altman LLP right away to discuss possible legal actions available to you.

Unprecedented Safety Report Shows Unfortunate Truth

While the vast majority of rides taken in ride-sharing services – like Uber and Lyft – result simply in the passenger reaching their destination as intended, the number of rides taken in Uber and Lyft vehicles each year guarantees that some will not be so fortunate.

Uber recently released an unprecedented safety report, which encompassed 2018 and 2017 riding data and included, notably, the number of sexual assaults committed by its drivers. There were 3,045 sexual assaults in 2018 and 2,936 in 2017 – along with 5,500 other incidents of groping or “unwanted sexual touching” in the same span. There were also 19 murders and 107 traffic fatalities in the two years. For context, there were 1.3 billion rides just in 2018.

While the majority of rides don’t result in a sexual assault or other tragedy, that provides little comfort for the victims and their loved ones who have suffered as a result of these crimes. The fact that there were more than eight sexual assaults by Uber drivers each day in 2018 reveals there is some sort of fundamental issue that should be further addressed by Uber to better protect riders and keep drivers accountable.

You Have Legal Recourse

Recently there have been high profile lawsuits against Uber and Lyft filed by attorneys representing victims of sexual assault and other sexual misconduct at the hands of drivers. There may very well be more of these cases coming in future months and years, as Uber’s safety report clearly indicates that the problem is not as insignificant as the company may have hoped.

Those who rely on ride sharing services are often people who plan on spending an evening drinking with friends, so they responsibly choose to leave their own vehicle at home. Ride sharing users may also be people with no other options for transportation – perhaps their vehicle is in the shop or they don’t own one. Either way, ride sharing users quite literally depend on Uber drivers to get them safely to and from destinations. They should never have to worry about their own safety in utilizing this service.

While those victimized by sexual assault may already be unwilling to come forward following the crime due to the sensitive nature of the crime and the concern of facing possible social stigma, it may be even more intimidating to come forward against a large company like Uber. This is why we think it’s so important to put the needs of our clients first, and always listen to what they hope to achieve.

The experienced attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP have over 50 years in the field advocating for clients who have been victimized in many different ways. We aren’t scared to go up against even the largest companies when we know that our clients have been wronged, and we will pursue every legal avenue possible to ensure that we can secure justice for those who have been wronged.

After a sexual assault occurs, time is truly of the essence. You should record all information possible about the driver, when the incident happened, and log any correspondence that you received from the driver. Our team will go to work right away to find out what we can do to help, and we will work with you every step of the way through the process.

Contact us online or call for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617-492-3000 or toll-free at 800-481-6199. We are available 24/7.