In US, Uber gets sued by over 500 women over sexual assault allegations

More than 500 women are suing Uber on the grounds that drivers using the ride-hailing service abused them. On July 13, the case was filed in US' San Francisco County Superior Court. A complaint was made against Uber, alleging that its drivers had "kidnapped, sexually assaulted, sexually beat, raped, falsely imprisoned, stalked, harassed, or otherwise attacked" female passengers in several states.

Attorneys from the Slater Slater Schulman company filed the suit in San Francisco County Superior Court. About 550 of its clients, according to the law firm, have filed lawsuits against the business, and at least 150 more are now being looked at. It is worth mentioning here that the complaint comes roughly two weeks after Uber released its second safety report.

"As early as 2014, Uber became aware that its drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers; nevertheless, in the eight years since, sexual predators driving for Uber have continued to attack passengers, including the plaintiffs whose claims were alleged in today’s action," the law firm stated in a press release.

Uber said sexual assaults reduced by 38% during 2017 and 2018

The business claimed that between 2019 and 2020, it received 3,824 claims of the five most serious types of sexual assault, which ranged from "non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part" to "non-consensual sexual penetration," or rape. From its initial report, which covered 2017 and 2018, Uber said that recorded sexual assaults had reduced by 38%. The COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly decreased the number of riders in 2020 and 2021, may have had some influence, although it is unknown.

"While the company has acknowledged this crisis of sexual assault in recent years, its actual response has been slow and inadequate, with horrific consequences," a founding partner of Slater Slater Schulman, Adam Slater, remarked in a statement.

In recent years, Uber has added a variety of safety features, such as checking drivers both when they first sign up and then once a year after that. Nevertheless, the business has argued in court that it cannot be held liable for its drivers, whom it views as independent contractors rather than employees, according to Bloomberg Law.

(Image: AP)