According to the lawsuit, the young teen was drugged and repeatedly raped after being dropped off in an Uber.
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia mom is filing a Gwinnett County lawsuit against Uber and a driver, claiming that the rideshare company was negligent and that the driver took a 14-year-old girl without parental consent to an alleged sex trafficker’s home.
The complaint alleges a man used the Uber app, paid for a ride for the teen to be picked up and to be taken to his home “for the purpose of having sex with her.” According to the lawsuit, the young teen was drugged and repeatedly raped.
“When Doe entered the car, it well after midnight on the morning of November 1, 2024. The driver picked her up at a dark, deserted gas station,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint alleges that despite the early morning hours, the girl’s young age and the suspicious pickup location, the driver allegedly “did not exercise any vigilance” for the 14-year-old’s safety.
The lawsuit claims Uber didn’t ask to speak with any guardians or parents, alleging that there wasn’t evidence there to suggest that the defendants could “reasonably believe” that the trip occurred with parental consent.
The drop-off location was about 30 miles away from the young teen’s home. She was held there, the suit states, for four days before law enforcement officers located her.
The lawsuit also mentions other instances that the plaintiff claims are examples of Uber’s “reckless disregard” for the safety of the children to whom it provides rides. In a news release, attorneys allege that safety hazards in Uber’s operations can enable traffickers to use the rideshare to take minors into dangerous situations.
“No parent should ever have to experience what we have been through and are currently experiencing,” the teen’s stepfather said in a news release. “Our daughter could have died and now must live with the trauma of this incident. We hope a jury will hold Uber responsible to help ensure this doesn’t continue to happen to other children.”
The family is asking for punitive damages, among other things, including for Uber to implement stronger security measures.
An Uber spokesperson issued a statement about the case.
“The specifics of this case are gut-wrenching. Uber is committed to helping combat human trafficking, and we continue to build on years’ worth of investments in prevention efforts, including equipping every driver with educational resources on spotting the signs of and reporting suspected trafficking cases,” the spokesperson said. “Additionally, we work with advocacy organizations and state Attorneys General to develop educational content and help drive awareness across our communities. We take our role helping to spotlight this issue seriously and that work never stops.”
Uber drivers nationwide have access to human trafficking education in the driver learning center in the app. As it relates to young passengers, Uber encourages drivers to cancel trips with unaccompanied minors without a teen account.
Read more about Uber’s stance against human trafficking on its website.