Why the U.S. Government Is Suing Uber

The Department of Justice is suing the ride-sharing company Uber over allegations of discrimination against disabled passengers. A lawsuit filed Thursday in a San Francisco federal court argued that “despite the importance of its services to people with disabilities, Uber denies people with disabilities full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways.” Per the DOJ, drivers “routinely refuse” disabled passengers, including those with service animals. “Uber and its drivers also impose impermissible surcharges by charging cleaning fees related to service animals and cancellation fees to riders they have unlawfully denied service,” the lawsuit claims, alleging that Uber drivers “insult and demean people with disabilities or ask them inappropriate questions.” The lawsuit details how Uber is “increasingly relied upon” by disabled Americans for work, medical appointments, and other life events. Uber “fundamentally disagrees” with the DOJ’s allegations. In a statement emailed to TIME, the ride-sharing company, which was founded in San Francisco in 2009, said: “Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber—full stop. We have a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials, and we fundamentally disagree with the DOJ’s allegations.” The DOJ has alleged that Uber “refuses to reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures where necessary to avoid discriminating against riders with disabilities,” and therefore violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which “prohibits private transportation companies from discriminating against people with disabilities.” In light of the alleged violations of the ADA, the DOJ is seeking a jury trial, as well as “injunctive relief, monetary damages, and a civil penalty” against the transportation company. Read More: The Harsh Truth About Disability Inclusion According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of April 2025, over 28% of American adults, more than one in four, have some type of disability. Of the more than 70 million disabled American adults, over 12% have mobility issues that include “serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs.” Thus access to transportation services can be life-changing for some. Uber was previously sued by the DOJ in November 2021, accused of unfairly charging disabled passengers who needed more time to enter the vehicle. In 2016, Uber began compensating drivers who waited more than two minutes for a passenger to show up. But the 2021 lawsuit claimed that this discriminated against disabled passengers that were unable to arrive and enter the vehicle within the allocated time frame. The argument was that Uber did not adjust the wait time for these riders, in violation of the ADA. “Uber and other companies that provide transportation services must ensure equal access for all people, including those with disabilities,” said Kristen Clarke, the Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s civil rights division. In July 2022, under a two-year agreement, Uber committed to “waive wait time fees for all Uber riders who certify that they (or someone they frequently travel with) need more time to get in an Uber car because of a disability.” It was mandated that Uber would “credit the accounts of more than 65,000 eligible riders who signed up for the waiver program for double the amount of wait time fees they were ever charged.” Uber was also told to pay $1,738,500 to more than one thousand riders who complained to Uber about being charged wait time fees because of disability, and $500,000 to “other harmed individuals identified by the Department of Justice.”