Slater and Gordon investigates Uber over alleged passenger assaults

Slater and Gordon Launches Uber Class Action Investigation Over Passenger Safety

Uber controls about 80 per cent of the ride share market in Australia and is used by nearly a third of the population, yet the platform faces intense scrutiny as Australian legal heavyweight Slater and Gordon investigates potential class action proceedings over sexual assaults, harassment, and misconduct by drivers. The potential lawsuit examines whether the company’s internal complaint systems, safety training, and screening protocols failed to protect women adequately.

The Australian investigation parallels a growing international backlash against the rideshare giant. Recently, a viral TikTok video posted by an American passenger captured a chilling late-night standoff in the United States. The female rider filmed a confrontation with her male driver after he repeatedly insisted on pulling into an empty parking lot at 3:00am so he could charge his electric vehicle for “only 15–20 minutes”, stating in the footage, Yeah, I don’t want to get into a random parking lot with you. After noting that the vehicle was on 43 per cent and was only 25 minutes from her house, the passenger called the police, who met her at a random gas station while the driver never appeared at the charging stations he had named, news.com.au reported.

Lawyer Questions Platform Liability over Safety Risks

Slater and Gordon Practice Group Leader Cindy Bors pointed out that the platform retains visibility over safety risks. When a platform connects users with service providers and has visibility of safety risks, what responsibility should it bear for identifying and reducing those risks? Bors said. Bors further emphasized the core objective of the firm’s outreach: Some people may have felt that their experience was not serious enough to report, or that reporting would not make a difference. We want to hear from women about what happened, and how Uber responded, Ms Bors said.

According to reporting by The New York Times, Uber publicly disclosed only 12,522 allegations of sexual assault and misconduct over five years when court documents later revealed a total of 400,181 reports between 2017 and 2022. While the company developed an algorithmic tool to evaluate the risk of pairing specific drivers and passengers, it conceded that it continued to pair high-risk matches in specific scenarios—such as late-night pickups outside bars—to avoid leaving riders stranded.

Passenger Urges Company to Change After Assault Verdict

Earlier this year in the United States, an Arizona jury ordered Uber to pay $US8.5 million (around $12.1 million AUD) in damages to a passenger following a driver’s sexual assault, though the company flagged plans to appeal. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 cases have been grouped together in US federal court. A woman coming forward under the pseudonym Aisha explained her motivation to news.com.au: It’s important for me to share my experience so that Uber acts and makes changes so that no one has to go through what I did when I took a rideshare trip.

Responding to the mounting pressure, an Uber spokesperson maintained that safety is a “core value” of the company, noting that the corporation has invested billions of dollars and countless hours into user protection. An Uber spokeswoman said that despite reforms from the Albanese government in June designed to lessen obstacles, unfair-deactivation laws continue to make it hard to respond swiftly to allegations and kick drivers off the platform. The spokesperson added that while Uber has not been served with any court proceedings, the platform remains committed to continuous safety innovation.