A recent article in USA Today reveals that Uber employs a third-party claims company to investigate and settle cases of sexual assault by its drivers. According to the article, Uber has passed on riders’ personal information without seeking permission, or even informing the riders.
According to Uber, the goal of utilizing these third party investigators is to “facilitate support for victims.” But according to the USA TODAY articles, the riders were caught off guard to hear from a claims adjuster. The women and say the repeated calls and vague messages were both confusing and unsettling.
In one case, a woman received a call from Crawford Global Technical Services just three days after she reported being raped by an Uber driver in August. The woman ignored the calls, but the man was persistent. Over nine days, he called or emailed her five times.
The woman says she believes Crawford contacted her so quickly because they were looking to secure a settlement before she had a chance to obtain a lawyer. In doing so, they were hoping to keep what had happened to her from going public.
Attorney Mike Bomberger represents the women who spoke with USA TODAY about Crawford, along with many other women who report being sexually assaulted by ride-hailing drivers. Mike called the language in the emails “a complete misrepresentation” meant to mislead women who would be leery of communicating with Uber.
The article goes into detail about how Uber and Crawford Global Technical Services ties to keep women from seeking legal representation in the interests of keeping stories from the public eye. You can read the rest of the article here.
If you believe that you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual assault by an Uber or Lyft driver, please contact the compassionate legal team at Estey & Bomberger for a free, 100% confidential consultation.