Uber Shooting Lawsuits

Uber Shooting Lawsuits

Shootings linked to Uber rides have been covered extensively in the news. The same is true of Lyft-related shootings. They are a potentially deadly type of physical assault. Uber-related sexual assaults, rape, kidnappings and carjackings have also occurred.

While Uber has taken steps to improve the safety of their rideshare programs, many users have continued to call out Uber for negligence. Victims can include drivers, passengers and by-standers. In some cases, Uber is liable for negligence. Below are two examples of Uber shootings.

Uber Shooting in Michigan

An Uber driver was the sole assailant in a mass shooting that occurred in Kalamazoo, Michigan in February 2016. On that day, the driver killed 6 individuals and wounded 2 others. This individual had been driving for Uber that day and may have even conducted rides for Uber in between killings.

The driver’s attacks began in the afternoon and went well into the night, at several locations. When he was finally apprehended, the driver was cooperative with police and would go on to say that he had become possessed by the Uber app, which would allegedly turn red and display an image of a devil with a cow’s head. He was eventually convicted and sentenced to 6 life sentences without the possibility of parole. Uber was presented with a lawsuit for this incident.

On the day of the shooting, after being subjected to the driver’s dangerous driving, the passenger left his ride early and called 911. He told the dispatcher, “No one needs to be riding with this crazy man and he doesn’t need to be on the road. He’s going to kill someone.” He also asked the dispatcher to contact Uber. The dispatcher advised the passenger that he needed to contact Uber himself.

The victim attempted to contact Uber for over an hour but was unable to reach anyone. He stated that the service was advertised as 24/7 assistance, and that Uber had falsely advertised by not following through on this promise. So he filed a lawsuit in 2021 stating that Uber’s emergency response team did not answer his calls after an hour of attempts to reach out to them to have the driver’s account shut down.

The passenger also cited survivor’s guilt and PTSD as outcomes in his life due to Uber’s mishandling of the situation. Uber had at one time been known to utilize Philippines-based call centers, which would potentially be a barrier to proper service. Uber continues to refute their responsibility and chose to focus on expired statutes of limitations in their statement regarding the lawsuit.

Uber Eats Shooting in Atlanta

An Uber Eats driver was sentenced to life in prison plus five years after killing an Uber Eats customer. In February 2018, the two had a dispute when the customer walked to the driver’s vehicle and was upset that the driver would not bring the food to the door. The confrontation eventually escalated with the driver discharging four shots on the customer, two when the customer was on the ground.

The customer’s family subsequently filed a lawsuit claiming that Uber does not conduct proper background checks on drivers. Uber’s background checks only go back seven years. The driver in this case had a battery charge from seven years and seven months prior to the incident, so it was not picked up in the background check for Uber. With more extensive background checks, such as FBI fingerprint checks that are used by taxi companies, this driver may have been barred from using Uber to collect fares for driving. While Uber has improved its background check system in recent years, deficiencies like this allow potentially dangerous individuals to become drivers, increasing risk for passengers.

Filing an Uber Shooting Lawsuit

In filing a lawsuit for an Uber shooting, you can help keep Uber accountable and potentially influence company policy to keep other Uber users safer in the future. You can also recover damages for expenses related to healthcare bills, psychotherapy, or loss of income due to injury. Hiring a rideshare lawyer can help you secure this compensation. An Uber lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf and walk you through the legal process.

If you or a loved one was the victim of an Uber shooting, you will likely have medical documentation of the incident. This can be very helpful for filing your lawsuit. Victims and witnesses are encouraged to write down or record their experiences as soon as they are able in an effort to capture as many details as possible. Important things to write down include:

• The time and place of the incident
• Who was involved
• A description of the attacker
• Anything that sticks out to you of particular interest including small details that would help identify specific individuals or places

Why Hire The Meneo Law Group?

At the Meneo Law Group, we have over 25 years of experience helping personal injury victims. Our professional team of attorneys and legal staff will listen with great care and compassion to every detail of your account and provide a personalized approach to handling your case. If you are the victim of a shooting or other assault involving Uber services, request a free, confidential case evaluation today.