For the second time in less than three weeks, two drivers of an Uber ride sharing service have been charged separately with assaulting passengers in the Chicago area. The relatively new taxi service, which has become popular in many large cities through downloading an app on one’s mobile device, has been criticized by many, including senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, Robert Clifford, for its lack of safety precautions, background checks and insurance coverage. The latest incident involved a 46-year-old Villa Park man, who was charged with criminal sexual assault, unlawful restraint and kidnapping, according to the Chicago Tribune. He was held in lieu of $150,000 bond. Reportedly, the incident occurred some six months ago when the driver picked up a 21-year-old male in the 700 block of West Cornelia in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood. The passenger was told to sit in the front seat because the back seat was broken, according to media reports. The driver allegedly refused to take the passenger home and allegedly committed the assault at that time in his car. Right before the New Year, another Uber driver was charged with raping an inebriated female UberX customer in the driver’s Albany Park apartment. Clifford testified before an Illinois legislative committee as well as a committee of the Chicago City Council on this important topic that requires further scrutiny. To read about what Mr. Clifford warned earlier about the need for tougher restrictions, please go to the following links: https://www.cliffordlaw.com/bob-clifford-testifies-city-council-licensing-committee-uberx-ride-sharing-vehicles/ https://www.cliffordlaw.com/bob-clifford-testifies-illinois-senate-transportation-committee-hearing-uberx-insurance-issues/
Bob Clifford has been very vocal on this subject. He also spoke on the issue to consumers on the firm’s blog: https://www.cliffordlaw.com/robert-clifford-weighs-uberx-car-services/ And he wrote a column on ride sharing for the Chicago Lawyer publication that appeared in the May, 2014 issue: https://www.cliffordlaw.com/bob-clifford-writes-article-ridesharing-services/
Uber’s legal problems don’t end there. A class action lawsuit has been filed in Los Angeles Superior Court that alleges that the ride sharing company has “charged tens of thousands of customers fictitious LAX airport fees, though its drivers don’t pay anything to the airport.” The suit was filed on Jan. 6 “alleging breach of contract, fraudulent concealment, conversion, unjust enrichment and other counts.” The attorney who filed the 16-page complaint there alleged that “licensed taxis pay Los Angeles International Airport more than $3 million in fees, and that Uber is not authorized to operate at the airport but nonetheless charges passengers a $4 fee.”