Driver sues Uber after passenger shot him

CHICAGO (CBS) — A Chicago Uber operator says helium felt an excruciating symptom arsenic helium was driving – lone to observe he’d been changeable successful the backmost by 1 of his ain passengers.

As CBS 2 Investigator Megan Hickey reported Tuesday, the Uber driver, Adebayo Adeyemo – Bayo for abbreviated – drove himself to the exigency country astatine Stroger Hospital of Cook County. He is inactive recovering there, and helium is besides calling connected Uber to marque changes.

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Adeyemo said helium had a atrocious feeling astir his rider based connected their speech starring up to the shooting — but felt pressured to proceed the thrust due to the fact that drivers are encouraged to support their cancellation rates low.

“I person been frightened to beryllium successful public,” helium said. “I person been frightened to spell backmost to work.”

Adeyemo said that per Uber’s policy, helium lone had a archetypal sanction for the rider — “Luis” — erstwhile helium picked him up connected Oct. 20. The antheral was acting strangely — and made a remark astir Adeyemo’s race, “explaining however Mexicans did not similar Blacks,” according to the study made by Illinois State Police.

Expressway cameras connected the Dan Ryan captured Adeyemo’s achromatic Volvo connected the road.

Soon after, Adeyemo said: “I heard a large bang and I felt a crisp symptom successful my back. The rider past told maine that I had been shot.”

Terrified, Adeyemo drove himself to Stroger Hospital, and “Luis” jumped retired and ran.

Adeyemo had been changeable successful back. He had a ruptured spleen and fractured ribs.

The adjacent day, investigators were capable to get much accusation from Uber — and the rider was taken into custody 2 days aft the shooting.

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“Now, bash we cognize that this was racially motivated? No, we don’t,” said Adeyemo’s lawyer Bryant Greening with Legal Rideshare LLC. “But that remark made Bayo consciousness uncomfortable, and Bayo should person had the enactment to cancel the thrust astatine that point.”

Greening precocious filed a suit against Uber — arguing the company could and should bash much to keep drivers safe — adjacent successful the mediate of the ride.

“Uber’s drivers are expected to support their cancellation rates low, and if they cancel excessively galore rides, they are you cognize they tin suffer entree to the platform,” Greening said. “They request to person much discretion implicit the times that they cannot judge a thrust – oregon cancel a thrust – during a ride. If they consciousness uncomfortable, they should beryllium capable to permission the situation.”

We wanted to cognize — however often bash drivers get assaulted similar this? Uber released a information study successful 2019 detailing deaths and intersexual assaults.

But the institution does not see info connected cases similar Adeyemo’s, wherever the operator is assaulted but not killed.

Ultimately, the rider successful this lawsuit was charged successful the shooting. But Adeyemo hopes his acquisition leads to change.

“I americium frightened for myself, and each my chap drivers,” helium said. “We truly request movers assistance to marque this a harmless acquisition for everyone.”

The suit asks for $50,000 to assistance wage Adeyemo’s aesculapian expenses. Uber declined to remark connected this communicative citing pending litigation.

The institution has said that the immense bulk of trips connected the Uber level effect successful nary issues.

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We besides asked Uber precocious Tuesday connected whether they connection immoderate benignant of assistance to drivers earnestly injured connected the job. Uber responded with this statement:

“Optional Injury Protection security is designed to assistance supply radical driving oregon delivering with Uber with bid of caput successful lawsuit the unexpected happens. We judge that drivers merit the accidental to beryllium protected if they’re successful an mishap and are incapable to thrust oregon deliver—and are truthful incapable to marque money—or person to wage for aesculapian expenses.”