What Is Uber Sexual Assault?
From downtown and East Sac to Natomas, Arden, and Elk Grove, Sacramento passengers rely on Uber to reach work, school, and home. That sense of safety is broken when a driver touches, speaks to, or confines you in a sexual or unwanted way.
Sexual assault during Uber rides may include:
- Touching your arm, leg, or shoulder after you’ve said no,
- Making sexual remarks about your body or clothing,
- Taking detours or stopping in secluded areas without explanation,
- Refusing to let you out where you requested,
- Offering a “free ride” or better rating in exchange for sexual contact,
- Photographing or recording you without consent,
- Showing explicit images or videos during the trip.
When this happens, many survivors keep it to themselves for a time. Fear of being blamed, shame that is misplaced, dependence on rideshare transportation, negative experiences with law enforcement, or family and cultural pressure can make speaking up feel unsafe.
One survivor shared, “I spent months trying to convince myself it wasn’t serious. When I finally reached out, the attorney listened without judgment and helped me see that what happened mattered.”
You decide when and how to talk about what happened. Reporting can stay confidential, and you don’t need to contact the police before speaking with someone you trust.
A Sacramento Uber sexual assault attorney can walk you through your legal options and what those choices might mean for you.
How Uber Failed Sacramento Passengers
What happened in your ride was not an isolated event or a misunderstanding. Uber’s safety systems have failed passengers across California, including right here in Sacramento. The company’s choices in screening, supervision, and response allowed these assaults to keep happening.
These failures appear again and again in survivor accounts and official investigations:
Inadequate Driver Screening
Riders trust Uber to screen drivers before assigning trips. That trust breaks when the company overlooks criminal histories from other states, ignores false identities, or approves drivers with violent offenses.
Survivors in Sacramento have learned that the person sent to drive them should never have been behind the wheel.
Ignored Complaints and Warnings
Survivors who reached out to Uber describe automated replies, delayed investigations, and drivers who kept accepting rides despite multiple complaints. Learning that the driver remained active can make reporting feel pointless and unsafe.
Safety Features That Don’t Work
During emergencies, riders have reported that the in-app 911 button didn’t connect, GPS data was inaccurate, or help arrived too late. Survivors have described confusion and isolation in moments when support should have been immediate.
Expansion Over Safety
Internal company records show Uber created tools to detect high-risk trips but failed to use them. Sacramento riders continued to face danger while the company expanded service and increased profits.
“Uber built its business on passenger trust. When the company ignores reports or overlooks known risks, it puts riders in danger. Survivors deserve accountability and real protection, not empty promises.”
— Laurel L. Simes, Founding Attorney
California regulators and investigative journalists have documented the scale of this issue. Uber’s own safety reports revealed nearly 6,000 sexual assaults across the United States in just two years, more than 1,200 of them in California.
The California Public Utilities Commission fined the company $9 million for withholding anonymized safety data that could have helped identify problem drivers sooner. In a 2025 New York Times investigation, internal records showed hundreds of thousands of misconduct reports that were never made public.
These findings reinforce what survivors in Sacramento already know firsthand—that Uber has consistently failed to protect passengers and be transparent about the risks riders face.
What Protections Exist for Uber Assault Survivors in Sacramento?
California law gives survivors of sexual assault the right to seek justice in civil court. Survivors can file civil claims against both the driver and Uber when the company failed to screen, supervise, or respond to reports of misconduct.
Legal Protections in California
- State law permits survivors of sexual assault to bring lawsuits against the person who assaulted them and any company that allowed the abuse to occur.
- Uber may be held responsible for approving or keeping drivers with prior complaints or violent records.
- When in-app safety tools or monitoring systems fail during a ride, Uber can also face liability for putting passengers at risk.
- California’s Survivors’ Bill of Rights ensures access to trauma-informed support and safeguards survivor identity during legal proceedings.
Time Limits for Filing a Sacramento Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit
Survivors generally have ten years from the date of the assault to file a civil lawsuit in California. In some cases, additional time is allowed if trauma or delayed memory made earlier reporting hard. A Sacramento Uber sexual assault lawyer can explain how these timelines apply to your case.
Levin Simes has challenged Uber’s defense strategies in court for years and continues to represent survivors throughout California. Our firm works to hold the company accountable and pursue justice and financial recovery for those who were harmed.
You don’t have to take every step today. Many survivors start with one question: What are my rights?
Call (415) 426-3000 or contact Levin Simes online for a free, confidential consultation with a Sacramento Uber sexual assault lawyer.
Can You Sue for Sexual Assault?
For survivors in Sacramento, filing a lawsuit can be a way to be heard and to hold Uber accountable for what occurred during the ride. Civil claims aim to reveal what the company knew, how it responded to prior reports, and where it failed to protect passengers.
The process begins with a confidential consultation where a Sacramento Uber sexual assault attorney reviews what happened and gathers available records such as trip data, messages, and prior complaints.
Most survivors never have to face the driver directly. Your legal team manages communication with Uber, court filings, and settlement discussions while keeping you informed at each stage.
Evidence in these cases can include:
- Trip and GPS records from the Uber app,
- Complaint histories involving the same driver,
- Uber’s internal safety or hiring data, and
- Witness statements, medical records, or counseling documentation.
Financial recovery in a Sacramento Uber sexual assault case may cover counseling, medical expenses, missed work, and the emotional impact that followed the assault. Many survivors say pursuing a claim helped them reclaim a sense of power and pushed Uber to acknowledge its failures.
National data supports this: survivors who work with experienced attorneys are far more likely to receive compensation than those who handle claims on their own. These cases also contribute to broader efforts that call for better screening, stronger safety tools, and real accountability from rideshare companies.
Every lawsuit adds to a growing record of how Uber’s system allowed abuse to persist. The voices of survivors are pushing regulators and courts to demand safer screening, transparent reporting, and stronger protections for riders. What began as individual cases is becoming a larger movement toward real safety reform in California’s rideshare industry.
Holding Uber Accountable
Sacramento survivors are part of a nationwide effort to hold Uber accountable for its failures in passenger safety. Civil lawsuits filed in California and nationwide have exposed the company’s repeated disregard for rider safety and its pattern of overlooking warning signs.
Levin Simes serves as lead counsel in the consolidated rideshare sexual assault litigation, representing survivors whose cases reveal years of missed red flags and unsafe practices.
More than 500 survivors have reached confidential settlements through our firm, and hundreds more continue to pursue justice in court.
Our attorneys have uncovered internal company data showing widespread reporting failures and the ignoring of driver complaints. Each case intensifies pressure on Uber to improve safety screening, strengthen emergency response systems, and respond more quickly to survivor reports.
Featured by CNN, NPR, and The Guardian, Levin Simes has helped bring national attention to the scope of the rideshare assault crisis. For survivors in Sacramento, this means direct access to a legal team shaping the outcome of these cases at a national level while offering personal, trauma-informed care locally.
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