Uber & Their Legal Troubles

Ride-sharing has truly become its own new industry and has really disrupted the short-distance transportation world since 2009 when San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. made their debut. Since then, Lyft and Via joined the competition in 2012, with Juno joining just last year in 2016 to change the way people travel. The innovation, creativity, and technology behind these tech companies are now dominating an industry which used to be made up of just taxi cabs and private car services.

What should you do if you are injured while in an Uber, Lyft, Via, or Juno vehicle? Are you able to sue the company directly? Or is it the individual driver who is at fault, as they are the driver and the owner or leaseholder of the actual vehicle? What if you’re the driver? Ride-sharing motor vehicle accidents can be frustrating and complicated, and you will certainly want a qualified and experienced Uber accident attorney to assist you throughout the process.

Uber specifically is no stranger to lawsuits. By the third quarter of 2016, there were over 70 pending federal lawsuits in the U.S. against Uber and quite a few more at the state court level. This does not account for any international lawsuits or cases involving them.

Here are a couple of lawsuits in the United States over the last few that are indicative of some of the cases that are plaguing the company.

Accident Lawsuit

Ang Liang Liu et al. v. Uber Technologies et al.

In the Summer of 2015, Uber reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 6-year-old girl who died in a car accident in San Francisco. The young girl, Sofia Liu, her younger brother, and her mother were pedestrians in a crosswalk when they were hit by a car on December 31st, 2013.

The driver of the vehicle was an UberX driver between fares but currently logged into the app when he struck the Liu family.

The Liu family asked for the settlement terms to be confidential, but hoped that their suit would help resolve legal issues raised by their daughter’s premature death.

The case is in San Francisco Superior Court; Ang Liang Liu et al. vs. Uber Technologies et al., 14-536979.

Rape and Negligence Lawsuit

In March of 2016, prosecutors were looking for more possible victims of an Uber driver who was charged with raping a passenger after picking her up from a bar in Fullerton, California. Omar Mahmoud Mousa, 52, of Anaheim, California, was arrested on March 7th at the LA International Airport after returning from another country. He was charged with one felony count of forcible rape and two additional felony sex-related offenses. He faced up to 24 years in prison.

In October 2015, Mousa picked up his 21-year-old victim and a friend at a motel, and used his Uber vehicle to take them to a bar. Mousa gave them his personal information to call him when they were ready to leave, which they did several hours later, to go back to their hotel.

According to the victim, Mousa walked them to their room and assaulted her while her friend was passed out next to her. The victim is suing Uber for negligent hiring and call their safety practices into question, as their application process prioritizes speed over safety and does not have any fingerprinting or in-person interviews required.

If You Are Involved in Any Incident Involving an Uber

Whether you are a ride-sharing passenger, a driver, in another vehicle, pedestrian, motorcyclist, or biker, you may be able to get compensation for your medical expenses, treatment, lost wages, and any pain and suffering the accident has caused, and if your vehicle was involved, vehicle repair costs.

What should you do if you have been involved in an accident?

• Call the police and wait for them to arrive at the scene of the accident
• Make a police report
• Seek immediate medical attention if necessary
• If you are the driver: Exchange information with the other driver, such as name, address, telephone number, driver’s license number, name of insurance company, and policy number. Take pictures of yours and the other driver’s license and insurance card.
• Get the names of any passengers involved
• Take down the names of any witnesses, even if the police also speak with them.
• Contact an attorney as soon as possible!

Contact us today at the Law Offices of Nicholas Tzaneteas to speak to a top personal injury and Uber accident attorney. We work for you and will handle your case effectively and with compassion.