Bobby Garland
2017-04-08 01:32:03 UTC
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YOBNMTN-
1CE/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAJM/HvLEtBOfJcs/photo.jpg
A Chicago woman is suing Uber and another passenger after she
allegedly was stabbed in the face in an UberPool vehicle,
highlighting the ongoing safety debate surrounding the ride-
sharing platform.
Jennifer Camacho, 25, was out with friends one night in January
and called an UberPool for a ride home. UberPool allows multiple
passengers who don't know each other to share rides if they're
heading in the same direction, resulting in lower fares.
But as soon as Camacho got in the vehicle, the passenger in the
front seat allegedly turned around and began slashing Camacho
with a 3-inch blade, according to the complaint, filed Tuesday
in Cook County Circuit Court. Though Camacho was able to fend
off the alleged attacker, she suffered wounds to her face that
doctors say will likely leave permanent scarring, according to
her lawsuit.
Camacho's lawsuit argues Uber should have known that passengers
could become violent with one another and states that riders,
since they are strangers, have no means of checking each other's
backgrounds.
"Uber is promoting a safe ride-share experience and is in the
best position to make sure that its drivers and passengers are
safe people," said Bryant Greening, the attorney representing
Camacho. "They should be providing training for drivers on how
to deal with these types of situations and mitigate violence if
it does occur."
The suit alleges negligence by Uber and asks for a judgment of
more than $50,000 to cover the cost of medical bills, lost
wages, and pain and suffering, Greening said.
He said he was notified last month that Uber's insurance carrier
denied coverage for Camacho because the incident was not an
accident.
Uber spokeswoman Kayla Whaling declined to comment on the
pending suit but wrote in an email that the company does not
"condone this type of behavior on our app."
The incident occurred in the early hours of Jan. 30, just after
the Uber picked up Camacho in the 3300 block of North Halsted
Street in the Lakeview neighborhood.
Police responded and arrested the alleged attacker, 34-year-old
Julie Ramer, according to Chicago Police Department records. The
Logan Square neighborhood resident was charged with battery.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday also alleges one count each of battery
and assault against Ramer and asks for a judgment of more than
$100,000.
Ramer could not be reached for comment. Camacho declined to
comment through her lawyer.
Incidents involving the safety of Uber drivers and passengers
have captured headlines repeatedly, in Chicago and nationally.
For example, in Chicago last summer, an Uber driver faced
allegations of sexually assaulting an intoxicated female
passenger. In 2015, a California driver's dashboard camera
captured video of his rider getting violent, which soon went
viral.
Uber touts its safety for passengers and drivers on its
website. Last year, however, Uber agreed to pay at least $10
million to settle allegations that it misled customers about its
driver background checks.
There's a double standard for drivers and passengers when it
comes to joining the platform, said Harry Campbell, a Los
Angeles-based Uber driver who runs a blog called The Rideshare
Guy.
Drivers undergo background checks and other measures, but
passengers just need a credit card number and a few other pieces
of information to sign up, Campbell said.
"A lot of the stories revolve around passengers feeling unsafe
about their drivers, but as a driver, the busiest times to drive
for Uber or Lyft are Friday or Saturday night, when everyone's
drinking and intoxicated," he said.
That can spell trouble for drivers and passengers alike,
Campbell said. Uber needs to work harder on educating drivers
and passengers and to add other safety measures, such as a way
to get live help if a violent situation does occur.
Uber has a duty to protect its customers, said Greening, the
attorney representing Camacho.
"Ride-sharing is part of our lives, and it's an exciting part of
our lives, but people need to understand that there are risks
associated with it," he said. "(Customers) need to have the
protection they deserve."
***@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-uber-pool-attack-
lawsuit-0406-biz-20170405-story.html
1CE/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAAAJM/HvLEtBOfJcs/photo.jpg
A Chicago woman is suing Uber and another passenger after she
allegedly was stabbed in the face in an UberPool vehicle,
highlighting the ongoing safety debate surrounding the ride-
sharing platform.
Jennifer Camacho, 25, was out with friends one night in January
and called an UberPool for a ride home. UberPool allows multiple
passengers who don't know each other to share rides if they're
heading in the same direction, resulting in lower fares.
But as soon as Camacho got in the vehicle, the passenger in the
front seat allegedly turned around and began slashing Camacho
with a 3-inch blade, according to the complaint, filed Tuesday
in Cook County Circuit Court. Though Camacho was able to fend
off the alleged attacker, she suffered wounds to her face that
doctors say will likely leave permanent scarring, according to
her lawsuit.
Camacho's lawsuit argues Uber should have known that passengers
could become violent with one another and states that riders,
since they are strangers, have no means of checking each other's
backgrounds.
"Uber is promoting a safe ride-share experience and is in the
best position to make sure that its drivers and passengers are
safe people," said Bryant Greening, the attorney representing
Camacho. "They should be providing training for drivers on how
to deal with these types of situations and mitigate violence if
it does occur."
The suit alleges negligence by Uber and asks for a judgment of
more than $50,000 to cover the cost of medical bills, lost
wages, and pain and suffering, Greening said.
He said he was notified last month that Uber's insurance carrier
denied coverage for Camacho because the incident was not an
accident.
Uber spokeswoman Kayla Whaling declined to comment on the
pending suit but wrote in an email that the company does not
"condone this type of behavior on our app."
The incident occurred in the early hours of Jan. 30, just after
the Uber picked up Camacho in the 3300 block of North Halsted
Street in the Lakeview neighborhood.
Police responded and arrested the alleged attacker, 34-year-old
Julie Ramer, according to Chicago Police Department records. The
Logan Square neighborhood resident was charged with battery.
The lawsuit filed Tuesday also alleges one count each of battery
and assault against Ramer and asks for a judgment of more than
$100,000.
Ramer could not be reached for comment. Camacho declined to
comment through her lawyer.
Incidents involving the safety of Uber drivers and passengers
have captured headlines repeatedly, in Chicago and nationally.
For example, in Chicago last summer, an Uber driver faced
allegations of sexually assaulting an intoxicated female
passenger. In 2015, a California driver's dashboard camera
captured video of his rider getting violent, which soon went
viral.
Uber touts its safety for passengers and drivers on its
website. Last year, however, Uber agreed to pay at least $10
million to settle allegations that it misled customers about its
driver background checks.
There's a double standard for drivers and passengers when it
comes to joining the platform, said Harry Campbell, a Los
Angeles-based Uber driver who runs a blog called The Rideshare
Guy.
Drivers undergo background checks and other measures, but
passengers just need a credit card number and a few other pieces
of information to sign up, Campbell said.
"A lot of the stories revolve around passengers feeling unsafe
about their drivers, but as a driver, the busiest times to drive
for Uber or Lyft are Friday or Saturday night, when everyone's
drinking and intoxicated," he said.
That can spell trouble for drivers and passengers alike,
Campbell said. Uber needs to work harder on educating drivers
and passengers and to add other safety measures, such as a way
to get live help if a violent situation does occur.
Uber has a duty to protect its customers, said Greening, the
attorney representing Camacho.
"Ride-sharing is part of our lives, and it's an exciting part of
our lives, but people need to understand that there are risks
associated with it," he said. "(Customers) need to have the
protection they deserve."
***@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AllyMarotti
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-uber-pool-attack-
lawsuit-0406-biz-20170405-story.html