Uber Ordered to Pay $1.1m to Blind Woman Refused Rides
upstart writes in with an IRC submission for Runaway1956 (emphasis elided):
Uber ordered to pay $1.1m to blind woman refused rides:
Uber has been ordered to pay $1.1m (795,000) to a blind woman who was refused rides on 14 occasions.
Lisa Irving said on some occasions, drivers were verbally abusive, or harassed her about transporting her guide dog, Bernie, in the car. One driver allegedly cut her trip short after falsely claiming to have arrived at her destination.
An independent arbitrator ruled Uber's drivers had illegally discriminated against her due to her condition. It rejected Uber's claim that the company itself was not liable, because, it argued, its drivers had the status of contractors rather than employees.
Mrs Irving, from San Francisco, said she had worried about her safety after being stranded multiple times late at night due to being rejected by drivers. She also alleged that cancelled rides also led to her being late for work, which contributed to her being fired from her job. The behaviour from drivers continued despite her complaining to Uber, she said.
[...] "I'm sorry it came to this," Mrs Irving told the San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. "I would have preferred that my civil rights be respected. But it sends a strong message that this is not acceptable."
What kind of lowlife . . .
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