Woman sues Uber after she ‘was sexually attacked by driver’ in landmark lawsuit
A WOMAN has launched a landmark lawsuit against Uber after she was allegedly sexually attacked by one of its drivers.
The passenger, 33, is suing the ride-hailing giant for up to £50,000 in the first case of its kind in the UK courts.
She booked a cab after a night out in Leeds city centre in December 2015 and was picked up by an Uber driver.
But as her journey began, she alleges the male driver groped her breasts on two occasions.
Lawyers claim the incident left the woman fearful, humiliated and suffering psychiatric problems.
She has since been left with a “specific phobia” and has been treated for depression.
In papers filed at London’s High Court, her lawyers say they want damages of between £30,000 and £50,000 for personal injuries and losses.
They say US giant Uber — recently valued at £63.1billion — is liable for its driver’s actions.
The woman’s case is believed to be the first to emerge in the UK.
It is dwarfed by another alleged victim in the US, who is demanding up to £7.6million from Uber after claiming that she was repeatedly sexually assaulted on a journey home in Washington.
FIRST CASE OF ITS KIND IN THE UK
Last month Uber launched its “Safety Never Stops” ad in the UK — claiming it puts “safety at the heart of everything we do”.
The firm, which handles 14million trips a day and has 91million users globally, had its London licence axed after five years in 2017.
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Transport for London ruled it was not “fit and proper” to operate over issues including safety.
Uber won an appeal and got a temporary licence extension.
It has until September to convince TfL it has changed its ways.
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