Uber has been struck with a new lawsuit alleging the ride-hailing company knowingly neglects the safety of its female customers.
The suit, filed Thursday in US District Court in San Francisco, claims Uber aims its marketing at young women who have been drinking but doesn't conduct adequate background checks on its drivers. That lapse has led to a number of s3xual assaults, according to the 52-page complaint filed on behalf of two "Jane Does" who allege their Uber drivers s3xually assaulted them.
"What Uber has not shared with riders is that making the choice to hail a ride after drinking also puts those same riders in peril from the Uber drivers themselves," the complaint reads. "By marketing heavily toward young women who have been drinking, while claiming that rider safety is its #1 priority, Uber is instead putting these women at risk."
The lawsuit alleges that Uber's "negligence," "fraud" and "misleading statements" led to the s3xual assaults of the two women listed in the complaint.
In addition to seeking unspecified damages, the suit is requesting a jury trial and a permanent injunction against Uber to overhaul its safety measures.
:kermitcmonson:
If successful, this case could have sweeping repercussions for the company because Uber would be forced to exert more control over its drivers, who are classified as independent contractors rather than employees. Uber is the most valuable venture-backed company in the world, worth more than $50 billion.
The plaintiffs are asking the court to order Uber to boost its safety standards by adding several new measures. These include creating 24-hour customer support hotlines in all cities in which it operates; requiring all drivers to install GPS tracking systems on their cars that would set off an alarm if deactivated; disabling child-lock features on passenger doors; and conducting fingerprint-based background checks and in-person interviews with drivers.
***** You can read the whole thing ↪
here, but I'm not posting the rest of this corporate sabotage bullsh*t. ***
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http://www.cnet.com/news/ .. xual-assaults/