Uber is being sued in the US by two women claiming sexual assault by its drivers
Lawyer says she as gathering more plaintiffs to call for stricter screening for drivers
Uber in the US is facing two separate lawsuits brought against the ride-hail company by women who claim they were sexually assaulted by their drivers.
While the circumstances and allegations in the two complaints are different and were filed in separate states, both parties are suing Uber for negligent hiring and call into question the ride-hail company’s customer support and safety practices. Specifically, both complaints accuse the company of prioritising speed and cost effectiveness rather than safety when it comes to its driver-screening process.
One, filed in California last week by well-known celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom on behalf of her client, reads:
The application process to become an Uber driver is simple, fast, and designed to allow Uber to hire as many drivers as possible while incurring minimal associated costs. Such cost saving, however, is at the expense of riders, especially female riders.
The other, filed in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday similarly reads:
Despite consistently marketing its driver background check process as “industry leading” and “more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver” – in reality Uber’s application process is designed for speed, not safety.