(KERO) — Rideshare platform Uber is facing more lawsuits over the company's alleged inaction in the wake of sexual assault allegations. Now, another five passengers have sued uber over assaults they say were perpetrated by rideshare drivers.
It's a reminder of the safety issues ride-hailing platforms are struggling with especially for riders who are women. The alleged incidents in this latest suit happened between August 2021 and February 2022 in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Illinois and California.
Uber and its competitor Lyft have faced a flood of lawsuits recently, particularly in California. This year a San Diego law firm is litigating 300 cases against Uber and Lyft in what lawyers say is a first-of-its-kind trial.
Trial attorney Steve Estey claims that the companies have created a platform for sexual predators.
"The background check is very minimal and it's not fingerprint-based. And the lack of supervision, there are no cameras. They won't do that because they know what it will show."
The latest safety report released by Uber showed more than 3,800 reports of sexual assault Which is a decrease from previous years.
In California, the Public Utilities Commission regulates ride-hailing companies. It fined Uber for $59 million in late 2020 and Uber settled to pay $9 million in fines.
When pressed about the ongoing lawsuits Uber said in a statement it does not comment on pending litigation but takes "every single report seriously" and has built new safety features.
