The young Delhi woman who was allegedly raped by an Uber cab driver last month has filed a lawsuit in a California court against the San Francisco-based online cab service company, accusing it of "negligence, fraud and other unlawful actions" that led to her being "viciously raped and sexually assaulted". The 25-year-old woman, identified simply as “Jane Doe” in order to protect her real identity, has sought a declaratory judgment that Uber's actions, conduct and practices as set out in her complaint violate California's laws and award of an unspecified amount in damages, punitive damages and costs.
In a statement issued on Friday, Uber, whose value is estimated at $40 billion, said the company's "deepest sympathies remain with the victim of this horrific crime," and they "are cooperating fully with the authorities to ensure the perpetrator is brought to justice". The suit, filed through attorneys from California-based Yuhl Carr llP and New York-based Wigdor llP, seeks to "slam the brakes on Uber's reckless worldwide expansion at the unfortunate expense of basic customer safety", besides compensation for the "horrific and brutal rape that she suffered due to Uber's inadequate and disingenuous 'commitment to safety'."
"Uber has systematically failed to implement and maintain basic safety procedures", says the suit, noting: "Opening up the Uber app and setting the pick-up location has proven to be the modern day equivalent of electronic hitchhiking. Buyer beware - we all know how those horror movies end." "We intend to hold Uber accountable for violence that could easily have been avoided had even a minimal background check been conducted," said attorney Jeanne Christensen from Wigdor llP.
Speaking about the victim, Christensen said, "Her brutal rape by an Uber driver, who was a known repeat sexual predator, was a result of a global Uber policy that has far-reaching consequences. We intend to hold Uber accountable for violence that could easily have been avoided had even a minimal background check been conducted."
"Plaintiff was viciously raped and sexually assaulted on December 5, 2014 by an Uber driven named Shiv Kumar Yadav," the suit alleges, adding: "Uber's negligence, fraud and other unlawful actions plaintiff's sexual assault, which has humiliated, degraded, violated and robbed plaintiff of her dignity." The complaint has also accused Uber going back on its word to the victim that it would do "everything" to support her in her courageous recovery. Despite knowing her identity and having the means to reach her, it alleged that Uber has shunned and avoided all contact with the victim and her family. The case involving the Delhi woman is one of several that Uber is grappling around the world, including one filed earlier this month in Chicago, in which passengers accused the Uber drivers of assault.