Uber announced recently that it is going to allow its customers to seek justice against the company’s drivers for issues of harassment and sexual assault by filing lawsuits. However, Uber also noted that it would not allow victims to ban together and file class action lawsuits for these issues.
Despite Uber making this announcement, a lawyer who represents a group of nine women who entered a class action lawsuit said that a court will have to make a decision regarding this issue.
The previous requirement from Uber was that riders had to resolve issues with drivers using arbitration. This requirement was part of the company’s Terms of Service. The change made by Uber will also cover its employees and the drivers who are not viewed as employees but rather contractors, much like freelancers.
As part of the announcement Uber also said it would change its policy on confidentiality clauses. The company said it will not require victims to sign these clauses when it comes to settling cases involving sexual assault and harassment. The company also said it will commit itself to releasing data to the public about assaults and other incidents involving drivers.
The announcement made by Uber came one day before the company was required to answer the class action lawsuit request in court. Uber had attempted to force the class action lawsuit into arbitration. Uber eventually responded to the lawsuit and it trying to move two of the claims against it to arbitration. Those two claims are consumer legal remedies and unfair business practices. Uber then said that the claims of sexual assault need to be handled on an individual basis.
“Assault is a serious crime that can affect the rest of your life in the state of Maryland,” Kush Arora, Maryland criminal lawyer, said. “Any criminal charge can lead to lengthy time in jail.”
In a conversation with CNN, the chief legal officer for Uber said that the victims of assault and other crimes committed by Uber drivers need to be able to tell their individual stories.
The lawyer representing the women in the class action lawsuit said that Uber is moving in the right direction with the changes to its policies but there will still be an effort to acquire class action certification.
