Chaffin Luhana Partner, Roopal Luhana Appointed as Co-Lead In Uber Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation

Roopal Luhana, Founder and Partner at Chaffin Luhana LLP has been appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in the In Re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The litigation primarily focuses on allegations that Uber did not implement sufficient safety measures to prevent passengers from being sexually assaulted during rides.

New York, NY – December 8, 2023 — The Honorable Charles R. Breyer of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has appointed Chaffin Luhana LLP Founder and Partner, Roopal Luhana as Co-Lead in the In Re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation MDL (No. 3084).

Plaintiffs’ Co-Lead Counsel is responsible for coordinating pretrial proceedings on behalf of plaintiffs. These individuals have many responsibilities in the MDL, which was established by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) on October 4, 2023.

California State Uber lawsuits were previously consolidated in the San Francisco Superior Court on December 9, 2021. A recent ruling, however, excluded all plaintiffs who weren’t California residents. Plaintiffs appealed the decision, but meanwhile, many plaintiffs in that litigation have dismissed their cases and re-filed in federal court.

Ms. Luhana Brings Years of Experience to the Litigation

Ms. Luhana, who co-founded Chaffin Luhana LLP firm with partner Eric Chaffin in 2010, has many years of experience in consolidated litigation. For two decades, Ms. Luhana has led and assisted in litigating numerous consolidated litigations and MDLs. She has been entrusted by federal judges who have appointed her to numerous Plaintiffs’ Executive and Steering Committees, including in Camp Lejeune, Paraquat, Zantac, 3T Heater Cooler, Yaz Birth Control and Denture Cream litigations, among others. In these leadership positions, Ms. Luhana has led the charge in navigating a multitude of critical issues, including ESI and discovery matters, law and briefing, experts, and data analytics, to name a few.

Ms. Luhana was also named as Chair of the ESI/Document Production Committee for the Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability litigation, in which plaintiffs claimed that Zantac manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline failed to warn about the potential cancer effects of the antacid drug.

Most recently, she was appointed to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Camp Lejeune Water Litigation, and to the Plaintiffs’ Executive Committee in Paraquat Products Liability Litigation. Now, she will be working on behalf of passengers who were sexually assaulted by Uber drivers whom they trusted to transport them safely to their destinations.

As Co-Lead Counsel, she will be involved in presenting to the Court the plaintiffs’ position on matters arising during pre-trial proceedings. She will also be helping to coordinate settlement discussions or other dispute resolution efforts on behalf of plaintiffs, delegating tasks to other plaintiffs’ counsel, coordinate the initiation and conduct of discovery on behalf of plaintiffs, and much more.

“I am deeply honored to be appointed as Co-Lead Counsel in the Uber Rideshare Litigation MDL. This appointment underscores our firm’s commitment to seeking justice for those who have been wronged, particularly in complex and significant cases like this. The allegations against Uber not only highlight a disturbing breach of trust but also raise serious questions about corporate responsibility and passenger safety. We aim to not only secure rightful compensation for the survivors but also to drive systemic change in Uber’s operations to ensure such incidents are prevented in the future. We stand ready to advocate tirelessly on behalf of the plaintiffs to hold Uber accountable for its actions and to work towards a resolution that upholds the dignity and rights of those affected.” – Roopal Luhana, Partner, Chaffin Luhana LLP.

Survivors Claim Uber Didn’t Do Enough to Protect Riders

Currently, there are over 130 lawsuits pending against Uber in the MDL. Most involve plaintiffs who claim the company failed to take the necessary steps to protect its riders from sexual assault.

Uber was founded in 2009. In 2014, the company started charging riders an extra $1 fee for each trip. Uber called this a “Safe Rides Fee,” but then failed to earmark the money for actually improving safety.

As the company grew, it required more drivers, so it used a background-check system designed to get them approved as quickly as possible. Plaintiffs claim that this system was sub-par, and abandoned fingerprinting and FBI checks because they were time-consuming methods of verification.

After news reports in 2018 revealed that more than 100 women had been sexually assaulted during Uber rides, the company began to look into safety. It produced its first-ever safety report.

Data from Uber’s latest safety report in 2020 combined with data from the 2018 report shows there were 9,805 reports of sexual assault on Uber rides between 2017 and 2020, including 852 reports of rape.

Plaintiffs involved in the Uber MDL claim that the company has long been aware that its riders were being sexually harassed, assaulted, and raped, yet did not take the appropriate action. They list Uber’s failures in its inadequate background checks, discounting of passengers’ reports of sexual assault, inattention to drivers who assaulted passengers, and negligence in warning riders of the dangers.

They also claim the company made false statements regarding its ability to provide safe rides to passengers and failed to adopt measures to protect passengers, such as installing cameras in vehicles.

“Roopal’s appointment as Co-Lead Counsel is a testament to her expertise and our firm’s dedication to obtaining justice for survivors. Her and our firm’s role is pivotal in ensuring that those affected by Uber’s alleged wrongdoing receive the representation they deserve. Chaffin Luhana is committed to this important cause and confident in achieving a just outcome under the leadership Judge Breyer has appointed.” – Eric Chaffin, Managing Partner, Chaffin Luhana LLP.

Judge Breyer Promises Speedy Resolution to the Cases

At the first hearing of the California MDL, Judge Breyer stated that he desires a speedy resolution to the cases because the survivors deserve to have them resolved as soon as possible. He expects to resolve common legal issues during the pre-trial process, including how Uber vetted, hired, trained, and monitored drivers; and how the company responded to reports of sexual assaults.

Uber has denied any wrongdoing, claiming it has taken reports of assault seriously and has adopted measures to protect passengers.

Chaffin Luhana expects that now that Uber lawsuits have been consolidated, many more will be filed in the coming months. If successful, plaintiffs hope to secure compensation and encourage meaningful changes in Uber’s hiring and safety procedure processes.

If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted during an Uber ride, contact Chaffin Luhana LLP for a free and confidential case review at 888-480-1123, or visit their website at https://www.chaffinluhana.com/.

**Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

About Chaffin Luhana:

Chaffin Luhana LLP is a plaintiffs-only national trial firm focused on representing injured survivors and their families in catastrophic and complex cases. Started by former federal prosecutors Eric Chaffin and Roopal Luhana, the firm is comprised of former state and federal prosecutors, former large defense firm attorneys, former judicial law clerks, and caring and compassionate staff including an in-house social worker. The firm has been appointed by federal and state courts to important national litigations including the 3T Heater-Cooler Litigation, the Transvaginal Mesh Litigation, the Yaz Birth Control Litigation, and the Denture Cream Zinc Poisoning Litigation, the Zantac (Ranitidine) Products Liability Litigation, the Paraquat Products Liability Litigation, the Camp LeJeune Water Litigation, and the Hair Relaxer Marketing Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation. With over 200 years of combined legal experience, Chaffin Luhana’s attorneys have recovered over $1 billion for their clients nationwide. For more information, please visit https://www.chaffinluhana.com/.