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Uber lost an early bid to dismiss a series of lawsuits claiming that the company’s culture led to the sexual assault of women by male drivers.
The ride-hailing company faces multiple lawsuits from women who claim they were sexually assaulted by Uber drivers. San Francisco Superior Court Judge Richard B. Ulmer refused to strike allegations by one plaintiff, Jane Doe, who claims that the company’s “toxic-male culture” resulted in a sexual assault by a former Uber driver in September.
Ridesharing services—sometimes called “ride-hailing”—match people with drivers in private vehicles to transport them short distances, like a taxi service. Two of the most well-known rideshare apps are Uber and Lyft.
Doe alleged that, as she attempted to get to work using Uber in the early morning hours, now-former driver Jason Humberto Rodas sexually assaulted her. Doe says in her lawsuit that she was able to fight off her attacker and get to safety where she reported the assault to police who later arrested Rodas.
The lawsuit claims that the driver had a documented history of domestic abuse and sexual assault, but Uber failed to check public records when Rodas signed on with the company. Rodas has pled “not guilty” in a criminal case accusing him of kidnapping and attempted rape, reports Law360.
Uber filed a series of court documents attempting to dodge Doe’s and other plaintiffs’ civil lawsuits accusing it of failing to protect women riders from sexual assault. Stating that Uber’s attempts to quickly end the legal actions were premature, Judge Ulmer denied most of the company’s motions.
The judge reportedly noted in a virtual hearing that he was handling multiple other Uber sexual assault lawsuits and had declined to dismiss those claims early in the proceedings. Judge Ulmer concluded that Uber had tried to escape this lawsuit prematurely as well.
“I’m just not comfortable ruling on this at the pleading stage,” he stated, tossing most of Uber’s request. The lawsuit was trimmed of misrepresentation claims, but the plaintiff will be permitted to amend her complaint.
Have you been sexually assaulted while taking an Uber or other rideshare? Legal help is available to individuals affected by sexual misconduct by rideshare drivers.
Plaintiff Jane Doe is represented by Borna Bandari of Razavi Law Group.
The Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit is Jane Doe v. Uber Technologies Inc. et al., Case No. CGC-20587440, in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Francisco.
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