Uber, Lyft and Sidecar Accused of Misleading Riders on Safety

Ride-share companies could be facing a bumpy road ahead.

Prosecutors in Los Angeles and San Francisco have notified leading ride-share companies Uber, Lyft and Sidecar that they could be subject to legal action for failing to adhere to state regulations as well as misleading consumers about drivers’ backgrounds.

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Letters from the prosecutors inform the ride-share companies that they haven’t followed restrictions involving airport pickups and carpool pricing. Additionally, the prosecutors allege that the companies have made false claims about their drivers not having previous driving infractions or criminal charges.

“We value innovation and new modes of providing service to the public,” San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement, according to SF Gate. But he added that the “safety and well-being of consumers” also needs to be protected.

Reps for Lyft and Sidecar told SF Gate that they plan to meet with prosecutors to address their concerns.

Meanwhile, an Uber driver has been accused of injuring a passenger by hitting him on the head in a San Francisco neighborhood, SF Gate reported. Patrick Karajah allegedly got into a dispute with the victim after picking him and two friends up from a bar at 2 a.m. Tuesday. Karajah, 26, then stopped the car and forced the group to exit the vehicle, which was when he allegedly struck the victim on the side of his head and drove away.

Karajah was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and battery with serious bodily injury and entered a not-guilty plea in San Francisco Superior Court on Thursday. He is free on $125,000 bail.

It’s not the first time an Uber driver was accused of attacking a passenger: Daveea Whitmire, 28, was charged in June.

Sept. 28, 8:09 p.m. Updated with information about the San Francisco attack.

Email: Ryan.Gajewski@pgmedia.org

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