Justice Rolls On: Feds Sue Uber Over Alleged Disability Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice has taken a firm stance against rideshare giant Uber, filing a federal lawsuit alleging the company systematically discriminates against passengers with disabilities. At the heart of the complaint are Uber's 'wait time fees,' which the government argues unfairly penalize and exclude individuals who require additional time to safely board a vehicle due to a disability.

Filed in a federal court in California, the lawsuit asserts that Uber's policy directly violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability.

For years, Uber has charged passengers a fee if they take more than a few minutes to get into a car after it arrives. While seemingly a minor charge for many, for individuals with mobility challenges, visual impairments, or other conditions, these extra moments are not a luxury but a necessity for safe transit.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division emphasized the critical nature of this action.

She stated that Uber's practices harm passengers with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs or walkers and need additional time to fold and store their devices, or individuals with visual impairments who require more time to navigate and settle into a vehicle. The lawsuit highlights how these fees create an unwelcome barrier, making rideshare services less accessible and, in some cases, prohibitively expensive for a vulnerable population.

The Justice Department's complaint outlines how passengers with disabilities, including older individuals, frequently need more than the allotted two or three minutes to board an Uber vehicle.

This could involve securing a service animal, transferring from a mobility device to the car's seat, or simply moving more slowly due to physical limitations. When these necessary extra seconds or minutes result in additional charges, it constitutes a discriminatory practice, according to the government.

The lawsuit seeks comprehensive relief from the court.

The Department of Justice is not only asking for a declaration that Uber's policies violate the ADA but also an order to compel Uber to modify its wait time fee practices. Furthermore, the government aims to secure monetary damages for the countless individuals with disabilities who have been subjected to these unfair charges, alongside civil penalties to deter future discriminatory actions.

In response to the allegations, Uber had previously indicated that it had been in active discussions with the DOJ and had already made changes to its wait time fee policy before the lawsuit was formally filed.

However, the Department of Justice's decision to proceed with legal action underscores the gravity of the issue and their commitment to ensuring full accessibility and equal treatment for all citizens under the ADA.