Uber Sexual Assault

The popular ride-hailing service Uber requires you to enter a stranger’s car, exposing you to a potential sexual assault by the driver or another passenger. If you have been sexually assaulted in an Uber, call the police and seek medical care immediately. Then report the assault to Uber and contact a personal injury lawyer to file a sexual assault lawsuit against Uber.

According to the 2019-2020 Uber US Safety Report, 2019 and 2020 saw the following:

514 reports involving non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part
1,546 reports involving non-consensual touching of a sexual body part
338 reports involving non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part
202 reports involving attempted non-consensual sexual penetration
247 reports involving non-consensual sexual penetration

These statistics demonstrate why it’s important to take proper precautions before and while using Uber services.

Any form of sexual assault perpetrated against Uber passengers is a crime. This includes:

Rape or attempted rape
Unwanted sexual contact or touching
Other non-consensual sexual acts

Why Are Uber Riders Vulnerable to Sexual Assault?

Sexual assault happens during Uber rides due to inadequate driver vetting.

Although Uber conducts yearly criminal background checks and automatically disqualifies applicants convicted of sexual assault, murder, and sexual offenses, it’s not enough. A 2016 lawsuit indicated that Uber used low-cost background check services that failed to access databases with complete criminal histories. As a result, Uber hired multiple drivers with prior arrest records.

Additionally, a person’s criminal activity only shows up for the last seven years. And drivers who have never been caught or have never before committed a crime can still commit sexual assault.

To better protect riders from sexual assault, Uber should perform social media background checks to see whether drivers have problematic behaviors. They should also require drivers to provide annual character references.

Uber's Community Guidelines

Uber has developed community guidelines to help ensure the safety of its passengers. Everyone who uses Uber’s platform — drivers, riders, Uber Eats users, delivery people, businesses, or merchants — must follow these guidelines. Note, however, that Uber does not enforce these guidelines.

Here’s a brief rundown of Uber’s community guidelines:

Treat everyone with respect: Uber has created policies and standards on sexual misconduct and assault. To comply with these standards, drivers and passengers should avoid the following:

Commenting on someone’s appearance
Asking whether someone is single
Engaging in sexual misconduct and assault without the explicit consent of the other person
Making explicit gestures or comments
Saying lewd things
Making explicit gestures

Follow the law: Uber drivers and users must not use the Uber platform to commit crimes, including sexual assault and harassment.

Help protect each other: Uber puts some of the onus on users to keep each other safe, which is why Uber prohibits account sharing. To use Uber apps, users must create and maintain their own accounts. If a user is a delivery person, they must complete all parts of the delivery themselves. Additionally, adults can’t request a delivery or ride for someone under the age of 18 who is not accompanied by the account holder or another adult.

Staying Safe in an Uber

Uber’s community guidelines have helped to curb instances of sexual assault. The 2019-2020 Uber US Safety Report revealed the rate of sexual assault reported on the Uber app decreased by 28 percent between Uber’s first report in 2017-2018 and their second report in 2019-2020. The total number of sexual assault reports also decreased from 5,981 to 3,824.

However, Uber’s guidelines can only do so much. Due to human error and Uber’s lax vetting guidelines, there will always be a chance of sexual assault.

Here are some tips for staying safe in an Uber:

Check the driver's rating on your Uber app. What is your driver's rating? If it's below three, they probably aren't a good driver. They may also have problematic behaviors.
Confirm the driver's identity. Before getting into the car, confirm the driver's identity and the car's make and model. And ask the driver who they're picking up.
Trust your gut instincts. Don't get in the car if something doesn't feel right about the driver or their car. Cancel the trip and book another one, or better yet, find a trusted friend or family member to drive you.
Use your mobile app to share trip and driver data with your friends and family. Before you get into the car, share your trip and driver data with your friends and family. If something happens, your loved ones can track you down and escalate the issue to the police, Uber, and other relevant authorities.
Travel in groups. If possible, use Uber in groups. Riders and drivers are less likely to sexually assault and harass passengers traveling in groups.
Respond if you feel uncomfortable. If the driver is making you uncomfortable, tell them to stop. If they threaten you or force you to engage in a non-consensual sexual act, immediately report the incident to Uber, law enforcement, and your loved ones.

How to Report Sexual Assault by an Uber Driver?

You can report a driver or other passenger for a sexual assault during and after a trip by going to Uber’s mobile app and tapping “Help.”

Tap “Help with a trip,” pick the trip during which you were assaulted, and tap “Report safety issue” on the “Trip details” page.

Then, tap “Report a safety incident involving a driver” and write your complaint. You can also tap “call support” at the bottom of the “Help” page to call Uber.

What Can You Do If You Have Been a Victim of Sexual Assault in an Uber?

If you have been a victim of Uber or ride-share sexual assault, there are things that you should do. First, immediately report the perpetrator to Uber and the police. Once you’ve reported the incident, seek medical help, even if you are not injured. Hospitals, clinics, and other medical providers can obtain forensic medical evidence that will strengthen your case if and when you choose to sue the perpetrator.

Next, hire a counselor or therapist to help you manage stress, deal with negative emotions, and learn healthy coping mechanisms. If unsure where to go, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.656.HOPE (4673) to talk confidentially with a trained professional. They can connect you with local support groups and resources that can help you in your healing journey.

If and when you’re ready to file a claim against Uber for sexual assault, consider hiring a personal injury lawyer. The right personal injury lawyer can ensure you get the compensation you deserve by filing paperwork promptly, communicating with insurance companies and the opposing side, and advancing your claim in court.

Depending on the facts of your case, your lawyer can help you maximize compensation for the following:

Emotional pain and suffering, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Medical bills
Difficulty sustaining employment
Problems with personal relationships

Seeking justice for sexual assault and harassment can be challenging because it requires you to think about the traumatic incident regularly. And you may eventually have to appear in court to face the perpetrator.

However, seeking justice for sexual assault and harassment may be the right course of action for you because it can help you:

Make Uber safer for future riders. Your lawsuit can set a precedent by making Uber safer for future riders. This is especially true if you join a class action suit.
Get the compensation you deserve. Recovering from sexual assault and harassment can be expensive. Depending on your case, you may require physical therapy, counseling, or even surgery. Fortunately, you can recover these costs from the perpetrator by suing them.
Hold the perpetrator accountable. Finally, sexual assault is never your fault. Seeking justice helps hold the perpetrator accountable.