Uber Rape and Sexual Assault Lawsuit

More and more reports are surfacing that Uber drivers have sexually assaulted passengers. Victims can fight back with an Uber rape lawsuit claiming payments for their losses. The Willis Law Firm can provide experienced legal help for such a lawsuit. Contact us today for a free and confidential legal review of your case.

Texas Uber Drivers Accused of Rape

Recent reports of Uber drivers being accused of rape include such incidents in Texas, with several in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. On Oct. 22, 2017, an Uber driver picked up a woman at her friend’s house in order to return her to her home. Instead, he reportedly took the victim, 77, of Tarrant County, to a secluded area where he beat and raped her.

Being sought by Fort Worth Police on a charge of aggravated sexual assault is Hashem Ramezanpour, 40, a citizen of Iran. Police suspect he may have fled the United States to avoid arrest. Ramezanpour was found to have had a history of family violence. Court records show the former Uber driver was formally charged with a family assault in a Dallas County court last March. That charge was dismissed on Nov. 3 after he completed an anger management course. But in the meantime, he was allowed to keep driving for Uber -- and in that time, the alleged Oct. 22 Uber rape occurred.

With that in mind, the victim is suing San Francisco-based Uber and its Dallas-based driver for $1 million, not only for the rape itself but also for Uber’s failure to protect its passengers. The unnamed victim’s Uber lawsuit contends that the driver’s earlier family violence arrest in February should have disqualified him from being an Uber driver. The Uber rape victim’s civil lawsuit asserts negligence on the part of Uber in allowing such a man to drive for the company.

Uber contends that its drivers undergo background checks before being allowed to drive in Uber’s service. However it has been reported that Uber does not require fingerprint background checks of potential drivers, and it often accepts as drivers persons with criminal records, provided they haven’t been convicted of a sexual offense, violent crime or felony in the previous seven years. In a statement, Uber said, “"We are working with law enforcement officials to fully support their investigation. This driver's access was immediately removed from the app, and he has been permanently banned." Of course, that’s too late for the victim in this case.

It’s believed Ramezanpour also had driven for competing ride service Lyft. Another woman told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that she had contacted Lyft for a ride and the driver who arrived was Ramezanpour, who later sought her at the WalMart where she worked and tried to initiate a relationship.

Another Texas Uber rape case, also in the Dallas area, occurred in 2015 when an Uber driver reportedly raped a woman passenger after following her into her west Oak Cliff home. A criminal case against Uber driver Talal Ali Chammout is ongoing. The woman who accused Chammout of rape filed a civil lawsuit against him and Uber iself for over $1 million in damages. Court records show that this complaint eventually was dismissed at the woman's request. Such dismissals often occur when an out-of-court settlement or payoff is provided for a victim, provided that the settlement remains confidential.

Uber Rape Lawsuits Across America

Elsewhere across America, Uber rape incidents have included one last August when a Manhattan, NY woman, 31, was intoxicated and passed out in an Uber driver’s back seat, then was taken to his home in Queens where he allegedly raped her. Police are seeking the suspect.

Also in August of 2017, an ex-Uber driver in the San Diego, CA area pleaded guilty to raping one female passenger and sexually assaulting up to 14 additional victims, many of whom had been unconscious from alcohol or other drugs. John David Sanchez, 53, faced up to 96 years in prison after pleading guilty to 34 charges,  including rape and sodomy of an unconscious person. He first was arrested around one month after allegedly raping an Uber passenger on Feb. 26, 2016. Sanchez then posted bail and was fired by Uber. Investigators then found additional women and girls who’d suffered sexual assaults by Sanchez over the years -- in 2007, 2011 and 2013 -- yet had not reported the assaults.

Uber Rape Lawsuits Continue to be Filed

Other Uber rape lawsuits include one by a woman in India who said her medical records were improperly accessed by an executive of Uber after her Uber rape in India in 2014. She first sued Uber for the rape in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, CA, but later dropped that lawsuit after an out-of-court settlement was reached. However, she filed another Uber lawsuit later, contending that the company had improperly accessed her medical records pertaining to the Uber rape in 2014, apparently in an effort to discredit her claim. That lawsuit also was later dropped following a settlement by Uber.

Uber Reputation Marred in Many Ways

Uber rapes and Uber rape lawsuits aren’t the only things which have marred the company’s reputation. In recent years Uber aso has ousted its CEO for misconduct, has had a major data breach and has been accused of having a culture of rampant sexual harassment, covering up hacks by paying off hackers and spying on its users and competitors.

In the process, Uber has faced much more litigation on many fronts. That includes the upcoming Waymo v. Uber lawsuit involving a claim that the head of Uber's self-driving car project stole 14,000 files before leaving Google.

Victims Rights to File a Uber Rape Lawsuit

If someone in your family has a complaint against Lyft or Uber, especially when it involves rape or sexual assault by an Lyft or Uber driver in Texas or elsewhere, please know that justice can be gained with an Uber lawsuit.

Contact The Willis Law Firm today for knowledgeable, skilled and experienced legal help in seeking substantial payments via an Uber rape lawsuit. Such a civil lawsuit can claim payments for the medical costs, lost wages and pain and suffering of a victim, as well as seek punitive damages against Uber or Lyft for its negligence. Please call today for your free and confidential consultation.

Contact us today, and let us help you gain the payments, the justice and the peace of mind you deserve by providing you with an Uber rape lawsuit. Mr. Willis is a Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and licensed in Texas and New York with a National Presence with the Highest Available Peer Review Rating of AV. All cases are taken on handled on a Contingency Fee Contract, which means no attorneys fees or case expenses charged to you, unless recover a recovery. Call 24/7 Toll Free 1-800-883-9858