Attorney Suing Uber for Sexual Assault
New cases are starting now. You can have a lawyer that can sue Uber for sexual assault representing you today. Learn more about how lawyer Bret Stanley is working to hold Uber accountable and how you may move forward with your case. Contact us for a discussion about your situation and how our legal representation can help.
Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits
Uber sexual assaults are a widespread problem. Uber should be held accountable.
Uber self-disclosed nearly 10,000 victim reports of the five most severe categories of sexual assault and misconduct from 2017-20, according to their 2017-18 and 2019-20 reports. There may be more victims in the United States. Uber isn’t doing enough to protect its riders.
Bret Stanley expects to file more lawsuits soon, with plaintiffs numbering in the hundreds and even thousands.
Multi-District Litigation Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Uber
The courts have made it easier for victims to build their cases and seek justice. Because there are so many victims bringing cases, the courts have consolidated the cases for preliminary matters. That means plaintiffs can work together on common issues.
Consolidation preserves resources, minimizes legal fees and prevents inconsistent pretrial rulings. Victims can pool their resources to learn about Uber’s practices and how they addressed sexual assault. Each case will be decided individually, based on the facts of the case.
Cases have been transferred for multidistrict litigation consolidation under In Re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, MDL No. 3084. Uber assault lawyer Bret Stanley represents several plaintiffs and continues to take new cases. If you have been a victim, please get in touch with us to see how you can join this groundbreaking litigation.
Uber sexual assault lawsuits and arbitration
Uber is no longer forcing arbitration proceedings for riders who are victimized by sexual assault. Arbitration requirements, which forced victims into an alternative forum that benefited the rideshare company, were eliminated in 2018. You may now pursue your case in court with representation from a lawyer.
Uber’s Recommended Taxonomy for Claims of Sexual Assault
In 2018, Uber conducted a study with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center to develop a taxonomy for sexual misconduct and violence. It was created for the rideshare company’s agents to categorize sexual assault reports they receive. However, it also recorded reports where the victim was not touched. The taxonomy used two wider categories: sexual misconduct, and sexual assault.
According to the taxonomy, Uber’s agents are supposed to classify sexual misconduct as:
- Displaying indecent material
- Indecent exposure or masturbation
- Indecent photography without consent
- Sexual comments such as asking personal questions, remarks about appearances, flirting, and explicit language.
- Sexually explicit gestures
- Soliciting sexual contact
- Staring or leering
- Verbal threats of sexual assault
Sexual assault under this classification system includes:
- Attempted touching or kissing of a non-sexual body part
- Attempted touching or kissing of a sexual body part
- Attempted non-consensual sexual penetration
- Non-consensual touching or kissing of a non-sexual body part
- Non-consensual touching or kissing of a sexual body part
- Non-consensual sexual penetration
See Examining Uber’s Use of the Sexual Misconduct and Violence Taxonomy and the Development of Uber’s United States Safety Report, Appendix A.
The important distinction is that Uber logs both attempted and committed acts, yet self-reports data only on the committed acts. Both kinds warrant action to be taken against the perpetrator. The use of this taxonomy shows that Uber’s been aware of the problem since 2018, but has not done enough to fix it.
The public also deserves to know the full picture behind the numbers that Uber includes in its reports. Uber should also answer if there have been individuals who were allowed to keep using the platform despite these reports coming in.
Representatives from Uber tout that reported sexual assaults are down since its last safety report. They say that there were 5,981 reports of sexual assault made in 2017-18, and the number declined to 3,824 in 2019-20. However, they admit that ridership declined drastically because of the pandemic.
In addition, Uber controls its classifications and disclosures. For inclusion, Uber requires that the assault occur during an active Uber-facilitated drip or between parties within 48 hours of a trip. This limited reporting likely decreases the total number of incidents reported.
Uber shifts the blame to “deeply ingrained societal issues.” They say even one sexual assault is too many, but they don’t do everything possible to prevent assaults from occurring.
Free Consultation – Taking New Cases
You can have representation from an experienced Uber sexual assault lawyer. See how you can join the Uber assault lawsuits currently ongoing. Discuss your case with lawyer Bret Stanley and begin seeking compensation today. Call 855-544-1025 or send us a message to begin.
