Uber sued for $63 million by man paralyzed in accident

A Massachusetts man is suing Uber for $63 million, claiming that the ride-hailing company hired a driver with a dangerous record who was at the wheel in an accident that left him paralyzed. According to the lawsuit filed Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court, Will Good was on his way home from work in an Uber on April 30 when the driver speeded up and hit a parked car. The lawsuit states that Good hit his head on the passenger's seat and immediately knew he was paralyzed.

The lawsuit states that the driver's driving history dates from 1996 that includes more than 20 driving citations, many for failure to stop and failure to yield. According to the suit, the driver was previously required to undergo a driver re-training course by Massachusetts. Uber, Good's lawsuit argues, should not have hired a driver for its platform, given its long history of citations, and should have expected that hiring him would help "health, safety and / or would threaten the welfare of residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including Plaintiff William Good.”

Good is seeking a jury trial and damages, which includes physical and emotional injuries, permanent disability, and extraordinary pain and suffering.

Uber declined a request for comment from The Verge, citing a pending lawsuit.

Goods' attorney, Victoria Santoro Maier, said in an interview with The Verge that Goodes is trying to raise awareness so that what happened to her doesn't happen to anyone else. “He is hoping that by using his voice, he can contribute to the effort to make Uber safer,” she said. Santoro Maire said no charges were filed against the driver in the incident.

The lawsuit comes as a coalition of ride-hailing companies are pushing proposals that are likely to become a state ballot initiative later this year. The Boston Globe reports that the coalition wants voters to decide whether companies like Uber and Lyft can classify drivers who work for them as independent contractors, not employees. State Attorney General Maura Healy has argued that Uber and Lyft are breaking the law by not classifying their drivers as employees, which they say allows companies to avoid responsibility for their drivers' actions.

Voters favored ride-hailing companies over a similar ballot initiative in California in 2020, but a judge later ruled the measure was unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Santoro Maier says Good is hoping that by raising awareness of how Uber operates business, voters will be able to make an informed decision if asked to determine whether ride-hailing drivers are contractors or employees. should or not. "Voters should know what Uber's business practices are," he said. "They don't want to be held responsible for the safety of passengers while in the car."