USA/Rideshare Companies-
By Isobel Charle, producer, Oregon News Service, a bureau of Public News Service.
Women lawmakers from Oregon and more than 40 other states are calling on the U.S. House of Representatives to strike an amendment they say would grant immunity to rideshare companies in sexual assault cases brought against their drivers.
The amendment is part of the BUILD America 250 Act, a massive transportation package. It would raise the legal burden of proof required to hold app-based platforms such as Uber and Lyft liable for harm.
Rep. Emerson Levy, D-North Bend, said consumers expect companies to be responsible for keeping them safe, and it would be unjust to place responsibility solely on individual drivers.
“When you hire someone, you are accountable that they are following the rules,” Levy contended. “It is your responsibility, because you are getting the benefit and the money from your consumer, that you hire someone who is safe.”
Data On Sexual Assault And Harassment
A letter from lawmakers cites a recent New York Times investigation, which found Uber received more than 400,000 reports of sexual assault or harassment over five years, or an average of one every eight minutes.
Supporters of the amendment said it is designed to stop “abusive litigation.” Levy, who is also a lawyer, acknowledged while many lawsuits are not well-founded, cases of sexual assault are typically underreported and under-litigated.
“I understand that we have an overly litigious society, and I also understand that women don’t report sexual abuse because they’re afraid of the system,” Levy noted. “This would just make it even harder for women to come forward.”
The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee adopted the amendment in a 35-30 vote. The BUILD America 250 Act has not yet been scheduled for a full chamber vote, but one is likely this summer. The Senate has not introduced its version of the bill.
