Uber is being sued for the second time in four years by the Department of Justice over complaints about its ridesharing service’s treatment of customers with disabilities.
According to the suit, a copy of which was posted online by the website TechCrunch, the company is alleged to «routinely refuse to serve individuals with disabilities, including individuals who travel with service animals or who use stowable wheelchairs.»
The lawsuit also accuses Uber of imposing cleaning surcharges related to service animals and charging cancellation fees to disabled riders who’ve been denied service.
«And Uber’s drivers insult and demean people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions,» the suit states.
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In a statement provided to CNET, Uber said: «Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber — full stop. We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials, and we fundamentally disagree with the DOJ’s allegations.»
The company pointed to the US Service Animal policy, which all drivers are required to agree to, and says it takes «decisive action, including permanent account deactivation» when that policy is violated.
«We continue to invest in technology, training, and dedicated reporting channels — such as a 24/7 service animal denial hotline — to ensure riders can quickly alert us so we can investigate and address issues,» the statement said. «We remain deeply committed to expanding access and continuously improving the experience for riders with disabilities.»
The company also pointed to a page it provides where passengers can file a complaint.
In 2021, Uber was sued by the DOJ for charging wait-time fees to disabled customers who needed more time to get to their rides. That suit was settled in 2022.
Uber is also facing a suit from the Federal Trade Commission from earlier this year, when the agency accused the company of deceptive pricing practices related to its Uber One subscription service.