CHICAGO (March 1, 2020) –A 28-year-old woman was sexually assaulted by an Uber rideshare driver in the Lakeview neighborhood Sunday night, Chicago police said.
Police said the victim, a 28-year-old woman, was picked up by the ride-hailing service at around 7:40 p.m. in the 3300-block of North Sheffield Avenue.
The woman was then sexually assaulted inside the vehicle by the Uber driver before being driven about four miles west to the 3300-block of North Karlov Avenue in Kilbourn Park to be dropped off, police said.
The woman was transported to Community First Hospital and law enforcement said she is in good condition.
The crime is under investigation and no one is in custody.
Uber Sexual Assault History
Uber received almost 6,000 reports of serious sexual assault in 2017 and 2018 combined, according to a safety report the rideshare company released in December of last year. That number includes both riders and drivers who reported assault.
The sexual assault allegations that were reported fall under one of the following five categories:
- Sexual assaults are among the most under-reported crimes in the United States.Non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part
- Attempted non-consensual sexual penetration
- Non-consensual touching of a sexual body part
- Non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part
- Non-consensual sexual penetration
It’s important to note that reports of sexual assault are among the most under-reported crimes in the United States. According to a report by the Justice Department, three out of four sexual assault incidents are not reported to the police. That means that it is likely that there are more Uber sexual assault crimes that were not reported.
Lyft has also faced allegations of sexual assault perpetrated by its drivers.
Uber: 19 deaths caused by physical assaults The Uber Safety Report revealed that there were 5,981 sexual assault allegations in 2017 and 2018. There were also 19 deaths caused by physical assaults over the two years.Both riders and drivers were victims of sexual violence, which raises workplace safety concerns for Uber drivers, since about 19 percent of Uber drivers are women.
Is Uber Safe? Uber Driver Background Checks
What is Uber doing to ensure uber safety and prevent passengers from sexual misconduct by their Uber drivers? Despite the amount of lawsuits that Uber is constantly dealing with, there actually is a screening process in place to try and weed out any potentially violent candidates.
Uber saftey can never be completely guaranteed.Uber uses an external background checking company from San Francisco called Checkr to run these checks, which focuses on violent crimes, sex crimes and unsafe/bad driving records from the last seven years.As thorough as these checks are, they are not able to inform Uber if the potential driver has committed a crime that they were never convicted of. Hidden red flags might include domestic violence, for example. Just because the person has not been caught does not mean that they are innocent. As a result, Uber saftey can never be completely guaranteed.
Victim Financial Compensation
If you have been the victim of Uber sexual assault – you are entitled to financial compensation.The existing background checks in place are not enough to guarantee your safety using ride-hailing companies. Uber is responsible for providing more safety measures to protect both their passengers and drivers, such as in-depth safety training, emergency buttons or in-car safety features for drivers and much more.As a result, if you have been the victim of Lyft or Uber sexual assault as a passenger or driver, then you are entitled to financial compensation.
The financial compensation that you are entitled to receive for your encounter of Lyft or Uber sexual assault varies on a case-by-case basis, however damages generally involve three components:
- Economic damages: Covers costs related to property damages, medical treatment, therapy, reduced income resulting from the traumatic event, any potential future costs for ongoing recovery.
- Non-economic damages: Costs related to the physical and mental impacts that the trauma may have caused. Potential punitive damages to hold Uber or Lyft responsible for failing to provide ride-sharing safety, and protect their passengers and drivers.
- Loss of consortium: Damages paid to the family of the victim to cover the emotional impact that may have been caused by the victim’s inability to have a normal, functional relationship as a direct result of the trauma.
Should I file a Lyft or Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit?
If you or a loved one was the victim of Lyft or Uber sexual assault while using a rideshare service within the last two years, you do not have to take on the company alone. Give us a call at (630)684-2332 to discuss your case, and a a free consultation.