BRIDGEPORT- A Milford woman is now filing a lawsuit against the popular ride-sharing app Uber after claims she was sexually assaulted during a ride.
The woman, only known in this lawsuit as “Jane Doe,” said she called an Uber for her and her friends after a night out in Bridgeport in November of 2017.
A few minutes into the drive from Bridgeport to Milford, things took an inappropriate turn for the woman.
“During the course of the ride, the driver proceeded to sexual assault her, grope her, fondle her and things like that,” her lawyer Douglas Mahoney said.
State Police arrested 52-year-old Wael Salem and charged him with fourth degree sexual assault. A judge later granted Salem accelerated rehab. He was put on probation and opened up the possibility for the charges to be dismissed.
Mahoney filed the lawsuit in Milford Superior Court last month.
“If they’re going to market themselves as a safe form of transportation and they’re benefitting from this number of rides, they should take some real basic steps to protect their passengers,” Mahoney said. “If you install cameras like the ones you see in the New York City taxis, it might go a long way to reduce this problem.”
Mahoney claimed Uber knows female passengers are vulnerable to sexual assault and hopes the lawsuit will force the ride-sharing app to increase its safety features.
Uber said they said they will not be commenting on the lawsuit as it is pending litigation.