Uber Assaults in Washington D.C. and Nationwide
While Uber has released three U.S. safety reports to date, the most recent published in 2024, recent investigations show the problem is far more severe than what’s been publicly acknowledged.
According to congressional reporting shared with the U.S. House Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, from 2017 to 2022, Uber received reports of sexual assault or misconduct on more than 400,000 trips in the United States. That equates to roughly one report every eight minutes — a number vastly higher than the 12,552 incidents Uber disclosed in its earlier safety reports.
This wide gap between Uber’s disclosures and actual reporting has drawn serious concern from federal lawmakers, who worry that underreporting and lack of transparency are preventing policymakers, law enforcement, and the public from understanding the true scale of the problem.
In response, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a formal safety audit under Sami’s Law, legislation passed in 2023 to evaluate rider protections across the rideshare industry. The GAO’s 2024 report concluded that the current safety data "cannot fully describe the extent of assaults" happening in rideshare vehicles.
Does Uber Vet Its Drivers?
At Levin Simes, we believe passenger safety should never be optional. Yet Uber’s background check system, especially here in Washington, D.C., continues to fall far below the standards used by other transportation providers, like licensed taxi services.
Uber has long claimed to conduct background checks, but a closer look reveals serious flaws that allow dangerous individuals to slip through the cracks:
- No Fingerprinting: Uber still does not require fingerprint-based checks.
- Limited Lookback Periods: Uber’s background checks typically cover only the last seven years of an applicant’s record.
- No In-Person Interviews: Uber allows drivers to begin working without ever speaking to a real human, with no live interviews.
- Rechecks Aren’t Enough: While Uber claims to rerun background checks annually, survivors continue to come forward with stories of being assaulted by drivers who had previous complaints or troubling histories that were never addressed.
How a Washington D.C. Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer Can Help You
Filing a lawsuit against a powerful company like Uber can feel intimidating, especially while trying to process something so personal and traumatic. At Levin Simes, our role is to take that legal weight off your shoulders, so you can focus on your own healing while we focus on holding Uber accountable.
Here’s how a Washington D.C. Uber sexual assault attorney supports you at every step:
Connecting Your Case to the National Fight for Justice
Levin Simes is one of the leading law firms in the national Uber sexual assault litigation, known as the Multi-District Litigation (MDL). This means we are already working closely with hundreds of other survivors and have direct access to evidence, expert witnesses, and internal company documents that are not available to the public. It helps show that your experience was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of failures on Uber’s part.
Gathering the Evidence That Supports Your Story
Our team handles every aspect of collecting the evidence needed to support your claim, always with your privacy and comfort in mind. This includes:
- Uber trip records
- GPS data and route information
- Messages between you and the driver
- Police reports from the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
- Medical and therapy records
- Any formal complaints you may have submitted to Uber
You will never be asked to relive your trauma unnecessarily. We manage the investigation in a way that keeps you informed, but never overwhelmed.
Showing How Uber Failed to Protect You
While the criminal justice system focuses on punishing the attacker, a civil lawsuit allows us to go a step further. We work to prove that Uber’s own actions, or inaction, played a role in what happened.
This could involve showing that the company failed to properly screen the driver, ignored previous complaints, or didn’t have effective safety features in place.
Protecting Your Privacy Throughout the Process
We know that one of the biggest concerns survivors have when coming forward is privacy. From the moment you contact us, we take every step to keep your information safe and confidential.
Our legal team will handle all communication with Uber’s legal team, the courts, and anyone else involved in the case. If you prefer not to speak publicly or attend hearings, we will always advocate for options that respect your boundaries.
Your comfort is a top priority and this process is on your terms.
Uber is a multi-billion-dollar corporation with the resources to implement rigorous driver screening, real-time monitoring, and meaningful safety protections. Instead, lawsuits allege Uber has consistently fallen short in implementing the kind of robust safety protocols that could have prevented these assaults.
We don't shy away from difficult cases. We pursue justice with the full force of our trial experience and the compassion that survivors deserve. Reach out to Levin Simes today online or by calling (415) 426-3000.
Types of Compensation a Washington D.C. Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer Can Help You Recover
The purpose of a successful civil case is to provide compensation that covers the full range of harm you have endured, allowing you to afford the care and stability you need for recovery.
Compensation in a Washington, D.C. Uber sexual assault lawsuit may include:
- Medical Expenses: Past and future costs for emergency care or any physical injuries.
- Mental Health and Therapy Costs: Covering crucial and often long-term expenses for psychological counseling, psychiatric care, and trauma-specific therapy.
- Lost Wages and Earning Capacity: Compensation for time missed from work due to trauma, as well as any long-term impact on your ability to work or advance in your career.
- Pain and Suffering: This is compensation for the non-economic but devastating impacts of the assault, including intense emotional distress, fear, anxiety, depression, PTSD, loss of enjoyment of life, and physical pain.
- Punitive Damages: In certain cases where a company's conduct is found to be particularly reckless or malicious, the court may award punitive damages to punish Uber and deter similar future behavior.
Our firm's track record, which includes obtaining over $3 billion for injury victims, shows our ability to effectively fight for the maximum compensation our clients deserve.
According to a nationwide study by Martindale-Nolo, people who hired a lawyer in personal injury cases received, on average, over four times more in compensation than those who went it alone. The study found that individuals with legal representation recovered $77,600 on average, compared to just $17,600 for those without a lawyer.
When you're up against a multibillion-dollar company like Uber, having a lawyer by your side can make a life-changing difference in the outcome of your case and in your ability to heal and move forward with the resources you deserve.
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