NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Legal action has been taken against a popular rideshare app after a ride from Millersville to Hendersonville ended with one driver claiming that she was "attacked" by a rider.

According to court documents obtained by News 2, a female Uber driver from Nashville picked up an intoxicated man for a ride request from Millersville to Hendersonville just before 4 a.m. on Sept. 8, 2024. The documents add that the rider allegedly sexually assaulted the driver and left behind DNA evidence as well as $40 in the cup holder of the car.

The lawsuit claims that Uber was negligent in preventing sexual assault and misconduct, arguing that Uber has a duty to address and prevent harm. The suit also claims fraud and misrepresentation, since the company advertises safe rides.

"Today is actually the one-year anniversary of the assault," the attorney for the driver, Bret Stanley, told News 2 Monday. "We don't know who the rider was, or who he is, because that information is kept from the drivers. They don't know who they're being paired with."

Stanley — who serves as Senior Council at Johnson Law Group in Houston, Texas — said Uber should have warned the driver the request was a "high-risk pairing.”

"Uber has a vast amount of information on the users of their platform — both riders and drivers — and informing riders, informing drivers, informing all the users of the risk is one thing that they should do more of, I believe, so that people can protect themselves in different situations,” Stanley added.

Stanley, who has litigated cases against Uber for years, said this case is an example of a larger safety problem with Uber. He referenced an article from the New York Times that reported Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the U.S. almost every eight minutes on average between 2017 and 2022.

“We all know that rideshare is part of society now," Stanley told News 2. "It's something that we all rely on, and we believe it's safe and when we don't have enough information about the safety of these trips, then we can't protect ourselves."

An Uber spokesperson responded to the lawsuit, telling News 2:

“While we can’t comment on pending litigation, Uber is committed to building a platform where women feel comfortable, safe, and in control. We’ve developed industry-leading safety tools, launched awareness campaigns, and continue to partner with women’s safety and sexual assault prevention experts to help prevent harm before it happens.”

Uber also provided WKRN with a list of safety resources available to users, including Rider Verification, GPS tracking and “Record My Ride," which is a feature that enables drivers to record audio and video, among other in-app safety tools.

However, Stanley argued that Uber could take safety precautions a step further by requiring cameras in every vehicle, using partitions like taxis, and fully implementing one of Uber's pilot programs, where female users can request female drivers.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/uber-lawsuit-claims-sexual-assault/