A woman is suing the ride share company Uber after her uninsured driver was in a car accident that left her paralyzed.
Plaintiff Sarah M. alleges in her lawsuit that her Uber driver was uninsured and had a criminal record that should have prevented him from participating in the ride share service. Sarah, paralyzed after the accident, is suing the Uber driver, Honda and the owner of the uninsured van that her driver was using.
According to Dallas News, Sarah was a student at Oklahoma State University, and her friends were out celebrating a birthday in November of 2015. The group decided to use Uber at 1 a.m. after drinking at several bars. Sarah says she’s against drinking and driving and the group of college-aged women did not feel safe walking in the early morning hours.
The lawsuit alleges that the Uber driver ran a red light and was hit by a truck and rolled over.. Sarah had put her seatbelt on and was left hanging upside down in the flipped Uber car. She suffered several spinal fractures. Sarah was left paralyzed after the accident and now relies on her parents for care.
The lawsuit alleges that the Uber driver, 39-year-old Arian Y., was driving his friend’s uninsured Honda Odyssey. According to Dailymail.com, Arian and his friend had been arrested in the past. Additionally, says the lawsuit, Arian had a criminal record involving gambling and drug possession charges. Arian’s criminal record should have prevented him from becoming an Uber driver, the lawsuit claims.
“Millions of people trust Uber with their lives every day, and they have no idea who they are getting in the car with,” Sarah told Fox4. “I’m never going to have a normal life like I planned,” she continued.
Sarah is holding Uber, as well as the driver and Honda, responsible for being paralyzed after the accident. The lawsuit alleges the ride share company was negligent in allowing an individual with a criminal record to be an Uber driver and to use an uninsured vehicle.
“They should not allow them to drive under Uber’s name because passengers who get in those cars assume they’re safe, and they’re not,” said Sarah’s attorney told Fox4.
The lawsuit is seeking damages for Sarah’s medical expenses, including hundreds of hours of physical therapy, along with other unspecified damages.
“She can’t get out of bed on her own, can’t go to the bathroom on her own,” Sarah’s father who cares for his daughter paralyzed after the accident told Fox4. “The issues that she has to deal with are all things we all take for granted.”
According to a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 30,000 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2014, and many more suffered serious injuries.
If you or someone you love has been paralyzed after an accident, an experienced attorney can help you obtain the compensation you deserve. Contact the attorneys at McDonald Worley for a FREE case evaluation.