Better safe than sorry, as we say here at GroupOne Background Screening. Earlier this month it was announced a major rideshare company is facing a class action lawsuit due to hundreds of allegations of sexual assault occurring during rides. In fact, the company has received thousands of similar complaints from riders claiming harassment.
It appears the Northern District of California has consolidated the many lawsuits into a major class action lawsuit. Legal representatives claim the rideshare company was not suitably vetting drivers, and it did not perform the necessary steps to keep the app safe for users, such as banning drivers with a history of offenses.
The complaints about sexual assault and harassment took place over a three-year period between 2017-2020. The many suits from that time frame demand the courts hold the company liable for negligence from its failure to comprehensively screen drivers. These cases claim that appropriate background screens could have prevented the incidents.
The lawsuit claims the rideshare company neglected to take appropriate measures to protect passengers from sexual assault and harassment. They maintain the company’s platform did not set up proper safety procedures, failed to sufficiently screen drivers, did not collect drivers’ fingerprints, and allowed people with a public record of abuse to continue working on the platform.
The plaintiffs’ representatives demanded the company immediately repair these issues and begin vetting drivers with comprehensive background checks.
According to the lawsuit, passengers reported physical injuries and unwanted sexual contact by drivers taking place during or after the ride. The reports included indecent exposure, kidnapping, physical assault, rape and attempted rape.
This burgeoning case demonstrates the importance of reliable background screening for any company. Especially those dealing so extensively with the general public 24 hours a day. Allegations of failure to screen employees or contractors represent the potential for severe litigation, not to mention the associated costs. Rigorous background checks offer an opportunity to prevent future legal action. And as we said above, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.