Uber Rider’s Sexual Assault Claims Overcome Free Speech Defense

San Francisco Judge Richard Ulmer allowed parts of a rider’s sexual assault case against Uber Technologies Inc. to proceed Friday, ruling that facts still need to be determined, including whether the company is a common carrier.

A plaintiff proceeding under the pseudonym Jane Doe sued the ride-sharing platform in San Francisco Superior Court, alleging she was violently sexually assaulted by an Uber driver while using the service in September 2020.

The driver had a history of rape and sexual assault charges, and if Uber performed more thorough background checks on its workers, her assault would never have happened, she says. ...