A US court has ordered Uber to pay $ 1.1 million (£ 795,000) in compensation to a blind woman after the company’s drivers refused to take her.
The Guardian newspaper quoted the woman, Lisa Irving, that the company’s drivers refused to deliver her on 14 occasions, and on some occasions the drivers verbally abused her and harassed her about taking her guide dog with her in the car.
The court ruled that Uber drivers unlawfully discriminated against her because of her health condition, after the court rejected Uber’s claim that the company itself is not responsible, because its drivers have the status of contractors and not employees.
Irving, from San Francisco, said she was concerned for her safety after being stranded several times late at night due to drivers ’refusal to deliver her. She also claimed that the canceled flights also led to her being late for work, which contributed to her dismissal from her job. The drivers’ behavior continued despite their complaints to Uber.
For his part, a spokesperson for “Uber” said that the company is proud of the assistance it provides to blind riders, noting that Uber drivers are supposed to provide services to passengers with service animals.
The spokesperson indicated that the company provides drivers with regular education on this responsibility, adding: “Our dedicated team looks into every complaint and takes appropriate action.”
It is noteworthy that this is not the first time that Uber has faced legal problems from the blind. In 2014, the National Union of the Blind in the United States filed a lawsuit against the application of “Uber” because of the guide dogs regulations.