Rideshare apps like Uber often advertise themselves as a safer option to driving, but passenger safety is sometimes threatened by drivers themselves. In those cases, it’s important that riders are able to report an Uber driver for dangerous behavior.

Uber has several options that allow riders to anonymously report an Uber driver for any poor behavior, from harsh braking to assault.

If the company fails to handle the issue properly, there may be grounds for an Uber or Lyft sexual assault lawsuit.

How can you report an Uber driver?

There are a few options for reporting Uber drivers depending on the severity of the situation.

First, in case of emergency, Uber recommends calling 911. You can actually make an emergency call of this kind from the app itself. In the Safety Toolkit, accessible through the shield icon in the Uber app, you will find an option to call 911. Using the in-app dialer will allow you to view your real-time location while speaking to emergency authorities.

For non-emergencies, you can report an Uber driver either after a ride or using “On-Trip Reporting,” a recent addition to Uber’s safety resources. This reporting tool allows riders to report drivers discreetly while the ride is still in progress.

Tracy Breeden, Uber’s global head of women’s safety and gender-based violence, told USA Today that this option is intended to give riders “opportunity to report information while it’s right there on their mind, while they’re thinking about it in the moment,” thus making it more likely that riders will report bad behavior.

What are the rideshare sexual assault laws in the US?

Sexual assault laws vary from state to state; however, generally speaking, the law defines sexual assault as unwanted or offensive sexual touching. Assault can range from sexual groping to attempted rape.

While these acts are illegal in every state, the exact language defining these acts varies. For example, in Florida, ‘sexual battery’ includes rape and indecent assault, while in Georgia aggravated sexual battery is when a person “intentionally penetrates with a foreign object the sexual organ or anus of another person without their consent.”

In general, any sexual act perpetrated against you without your consent constitutes assault. If an Uber driver sexually assaults you, you may be able to press criminal charges.

What happens when you report an Uber driver?

If your driver behaves improperly in any way during your ride, you can report them to Uber. After doing so, an Uber safety team member will follow up with both you and the driver. A driver who has been reported will receive educational materials about how to properly conduct themselves and interact with riders. If a pattern of reports is submitted against a driver, Uber will take additional action, including removing the driver from the app.

“What we want the public to hear is that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, yes we want you to report it,” Breeden told USA Today.

While a report for poor behavior may not be sufficient to have a driver removed, a pattern of reports might. Uber also screens its drivers for any criminal history, meaning a driver who is convicted of assault will likely lose their job.

However, some riders say that Uber may not take reports about their drivers seriously until there is attention drawn to the issue on social media, as in the case of the TikToker who reported her Uber driver broke into her apartment the night after her ride, per Buzzfeed.

If you were assaulted by an Uber driver, you may wish to file a class action lawsuit against the ridesharing company. USA Today reports that hundreds of drivers and riders have come forward with assault allegations and several lawsuits have been filed. To learn whether or not you have a case, you may wish to contact a sexual assault attorney.

Can you report an Uber driver anonymously?

Most of Uber’s reporting options allow riders to report an Uber driver anonymously. If your driver makes rude remarks, doesn’t have a phone mount, or generally commits a non-emergency offense, you can report them anonymously using On-Trip Reporting. Of course this method should be taken seriously. Reporting drivers for insignificant slights could lead to safe drivers being terminated. An oversaturation of these types of reports could also make it more difficult for Uber to respond to serious offenses.

In case of a serious offense, it’s especially important that you report your driver to Uber. Doing so allows Uber to protect future riders from similar experiences by identifying and terminating dangerous drivers. Reports also allow the company to adjust its services in order to prevent such acts from happening in the first place.

“By eliminating barriers to reporting safety issues, our goal is to encourage more reporting which will ultimately help make the app safer for everyone,” Uber told The Verge.

Filing an Uber lawsuit

On top of reporting Uber drivers to the company and to the police, a further step to hold the company accountable is to file a lawsuit. A growing number of people are resorting to litigation against Uber and other major rideshare companies, alleging that they failed to prevent sexual assault for customers on their platform. Some plaintiffs have also claimed that the company failed to adequately respond after receiving a report about an Uber driver sexual assault.

A woman who filed a 2019 Uber lawsuit alleged that while the rideshare company advertises itself as a safe method of transport for women who have been drinking, this actually puts women in serious danger of assault and abuse.

Uber is not the only rideshare company to be hit with allegations of sexual assault. Lyft has been the subject of a growing number of sexual assault claims as well in recent years.

If you have been the victim of a sexual assault by a rideshare driver, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by assault, but it can at least help to offer some kind of financial compensation, as well as hold the perpetrator — and the company behind them — accountable for the actions and inactions that allowed or ignored the abuse.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.