Uber Reaches Deal to Settle Rape Victim's Defamation Suit
Court papers filed Dec. 8 indicate that the Jane Doe plaintiff reached a deal to settle her defamation and invasion of privacy lawsuit with Uber and two former executives accused of improperly obtaining the medical records and police file from the attack.
December 11, 2017 at 01:08 PM
2 minute read
Uber office. Photo credit: Linda Parton/Shutterstock.com A woman who was raped by her Uber driver in India has reached a deal to settle a civil lawsuit against the company and former executives accused of improperly obtaining her medical records.
The Jane Doe plaintiff, represented by counsel from Wigdor LLP and Anderson & Poole, sued Uber for defamation and invasion of privacy in June. The lawsuit came in the wake of media reports that former executive Eric Alexander traveled to India to obtain the medical and police records from the victim's case, then shared them with former Uber senior vice president Emil Michael and CEO Travis Kalanick.
According to court papers filed in the Jane Doe plaintiff's lawsuit on Dec. 8, Uber, Kalanick and Alexander reached a deal to settle the lawsuit after a round of private mediation in September. A spokesman for Uber confirmed by email Monday morning that the company had reached a deal to settle the lawsuit but declined to comment further. At the time the suit was filed, the company issued a statement saying: “No one should have to go through a horrific experience like this, and we're truly sorry that she's had to relive it over the last few weeks.”
The plaintiff previously brought a negligence and fraud lawsuit against Uber in January 2015, claiming her attack could have been prevented if Uber had adequate driver background checks in place. That suit was voluntarily dismissed nine months later. Uber reportedly paid more than $3 million to settle the earlier suit.
Michael, Uber's former senior VP, was previously dismissed from the defamation lawsuit in October after his lawyers at Latham & Watkins argued in court papers that the Jane Doe plaintiff's complaint didn't accuse Michael of doing anything unlawful. That dismissal, however, was without prejudice.
Latham's Steven Bauer said in an email that Michael was not part of the settlement. “There was no basis for a suit against Mr. Michael,” Bauer said. “When we filed our motion to dismiss, the plaintiff dropped the case rather than oppose it.”
Doe's lawyer, Douglas Wigdor, didn't immediately respond to a message seeking a comment.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View All
Meta agrees to pay $25 million to settle lawsuit from Trump after Jan. 6 suspension
4 minute read
How We Won It: Latham Secures Back-to-Back ITC Patent Wins for California Companies
6 minute read
Trending Stories
Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
