A lawsuit has been filed against Uber by the 25-year-old Indian woman who was raped by one of its drivers in New Delhi last month.
The case filed by the victim argued that the taxi service does not screen its drivers and its 'negligence and fraud' led to her being sexually assaulted and humiliated.
The 36-page lawsuit filed in the California federal court against the San Francisco-based firm has identified the woman only as 'Jane Doe'. She however has not been named.
Citing "physical and monetary" harm and for the negative implications to her "professional and personal reputations" because of the assault, the victim has gone on to seek an unspecified amount in damages, reports India Today.
She is also seeking a permanent mandate directing that Uber take all concurring steps necessary to rectify the effects of the wrongful conduct alleged in the lawsuit and to "prevent repeated occurrences in the future."
Noted New York Attorney Douglas Wigdor, the victim's lawyer, said Uber's objective on its "bottom line over the safety of its passengers has resulted in what can only be described as modern day electronic hitchhiking."
"... We intend to hold Uber responsible for the significant physical and emotional harm it has caused to our client, while simultaneously seeking a court order mandating that Uber initiate certain safety precautions that they appear unwilling to do voluntarily," Wigdor said.
He hoped that the lawsuit would have a global impact and protect those who were unaware of the "serious risks of entering into an Uber car."
Jeanne Christensen, a partner at the Wigdor law firm, said that the young woman had to "pay the ultimate cost" because of the Uber executives' decision to cut costs at the expense of customer safety.
"Her brutal rape by an Uber driver who was a known repeat sexual predator was a result of a global Uber policy that has far-reaching consequences. We intend to hold Uber accountable for violence that could easily have been avoided had even a minimal background check been conducted," he said.
