Uber—DOJ sued Uber for $125M for systemic discrimination against passengers with disabilities
Department of Justice filed lawsuit against Uber seeking $125 million for systemic discrimination against passengers with disabilities, including those who use service animals and mobility devices. DOJ alleges Uber and drivers routinely refuse service to individuals with disabilities, impose improper surcharges (cleaning fees for service animal shedding), charge cancellation fees to denied riders, and refuse reasonable modifications like allowing mobility-disabled riders to sit in front seat. Uber received over 21,000 service animal discrimination complaints between 2017-2019 with 'no material decrease' despite 2016 class action settlement. Named plaintiff Ryan Honick documented a decade of complaints since 2014. Hundreds protested at Uber's San Francisco headquarters on October 15, 2024 over ride denials.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | secondary | -0.50 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.993 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.66)
Evidence (2 signals)
Canine Companions highlighted decade of complaints in DOJ lawsuit
Canine Companions organization noted DOJ cited decade of complaints by client Ryan Honick in $125 million lawsuit. Honick stated 'Since I was first partnered with a service dog in 2014, rideshare denial has been part of my daily life.'
Department of Justice filed $125M discrimination lawsuit against Uber
Department of Justice filed lawsuit in U.S. District Court for Northern District of California seeking $125 million for individuals subject to discrimination. DOJ alleges Uber and drivers routinely refuse service to individuals with disabilities, impose impermissible surcharges for service animals, charge cancellation fees to denied riders. Uber received over 21,000 service animal discrimination complaints between 2017-2019 with no material decrease despite 2016 settlement.