By Kelly Cloonan
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies, alleging the ride-hailing giant discriminated against passengers with disabilities.
The DOJ's complaint, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges that Uber and its drivers routinely refused to serve hundreds of individuals with disabilities and imposed surcharges such as cleaning fees for service animal shedding and cancellation fees to riders it has denied service.
According to the DOJ, these acts violate Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination based on disability by private transportation companies.
The law also requires Uber to allow service animals to accompany individuals with disabilities in vehicles as well as assist riders with stowable wheelchairs and mobility devices.
The lawsuit seeks $125 million in monetary damages for individuals who have been subject to discrimination and previously submitted complaints to Uber or to the DOJ, and demands that Uber pay a civil penalty. Uber receives thousands of complaints each year alleging disability-based discrimination, the court filing said.
The lawsuit also seeks a court order to force Uber to modify its policies to comply with the ADA, and to train its staff and drivers on its requirements.
"We will enforce the ADA's guarantee that people with disabilities have equal opportunity and full participation in all aspects of American society, including transportation," said Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.
Uber said in a statement that it disagrees with the allegations, and it has a zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials.
It added that each of its drivers in the U.S. is required to agree to comply with its policy regarding service animals and all applicable accessibility laws before using its driver app.
Uber also regularly reminds drivers of these obligations, and, when it confirms a violation, it takes action including permanent account deactivation, the company said in a statement.
"Riders who use guide dogs or other assistive devices deserve a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience on Uber--full stop," the company said.
The San Francisco company continues to invest in technology, training and dedicated reporting channels, such as a hotline to report service-animal denials, to help riders flag issues so the company can investigate, it said.
Write to Kelly Cloonan at kelly.cloonan@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 12, 2025 13:57 ET (17:57 GMT)
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