Lawsuit: Uber Driver Sexually Assaulted, Harassed Chicago Woman
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A Chicago woman is suing Uber after a driver allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed her last month.
The woman said the driver started attacking her during a ride, so she pulled out her phone to document the assault. But it did not stop there, the driver continued to harass her after he dropped her off. CBS 2's Sandra Torres has the story.
"I couldn't believe it was happening at first," said Elizabeth Hammond.
Hammond, 30, said she began recording images minutes after getting into an Uber in the early morning hours of Sept. 24.
"I wanted to be able to show it happened," she said.
Hammond said she order the Uber ride from the Uptown neighborhood to Logan Square. She claimed the video she recorded shows her Uber driver repeatedly reaching into the backseat and inappropriately touching her.
According to the suit, her driver, "Aleksander," groped her, moving his hand up and down her bare leg for more than 20 minutes.
"Please don't touch me," the recorded audio said. "You're taking me home right?"
The driver responded by asking her to spend the night and offering her money to stay with him," according the the suit. When they reached Hammond's destination, the driver demanded her phone number and made her confirm its accuracy before she got out of the vehicle. He then sat in the car and watched her enter her apartment building.
"Liz is a captive in a vehicle, doors are locked, vehicle is moving," said Bryant Greening, LegalRideShare Attorney.
Bryant Greening is Hammond's attorney.
"Locked the doors, groped Liz, propositioned her, demanded her phone number, watched her enter her apartment building, then threatened her after," he said.
The same day, the driver allegedly called Hammond and left her a voice mail saying, "Hey Liz. It's me. I want to talk to you because my account is closed. What's f***ing wrong with you? Bye," according to the lawsuit.
And while she said she filed a police report and reported the incident to Uber, her attorneys filed a lawsuit on Wednesday on her behalf.
"I feel distrusted," Hammond said. "I realized this was a routine thing for him. I wanted it to stop, so no one else would feel assaulted or uncomfortable."
The driver has not been identified in the Lawsuit.
A representative from Uber told CBS 2 they cannot comment on pending litigation, but confirmed the driver's account has been suspended.
(CBS Chicago and Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
