The US Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Uber, accusing the ride-hailing company of violating federal law by discriminating against people with physical disabilities.
In particular, the Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Rights Division alleges that the company and its drivers “regularly refuse to serve individuals with disabilities, including individuals traveling with animals or who use portable wheelchairs.”
Uber is also accused of charging additional fees to riders who require special accommodations, including cancellation fees when service is denied. According to the DOJ, these practices and others listed in the complaint violate Americans with disabilities.
“Despite the importance of its services to people with disabilities, Uber denies people with disabilities the full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways,” the DOJ attorneys wrote. “Uber also refuses to reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures to avoid discrimination against riders with disabilities.”
This has caused “significant economic, emotional, and physical harm to individuals with disabilities,” the DOJ claims.
Uber said in a statement that it “fundamentally” disagrees with the DOJ’s allegations and said it has a “clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed denials of service.”
“Every driver must acknowledge and agree to comply with our U.S. Service Animal Policy and all applicable access laws before using the Uber driver app, and we regularly remind drivers of these commitments. When we confirm a violation, we take decisive action, including permanent account deactivation,” the company wrote.
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Uber has long faced accusations that its services discriminate against people with physical disabilities. The DOJ sued the company in 2021 for overcharging passengers. The company eventually reached a settlement with the DOJ in 2022, where it paid millions of dollars to more than 65,000 affected users. Uber has also been hit with several private lawsuits from passengers who alleged similar discrimination and faced public outcry.
The DOJ says in a complaint filed Thursday in federal court in the Northern District of California that it alerted Uber in 2024 that the company was being investigated for its treatment of people with disabilities. According to the complaint, after Uber learned of this, the company implemented a feature where passengers could identify themselves as riding with service animals.
This story has been updated with a statement from Uber.
