The U.S. Justice Department 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’s civil rights division claims that the company and its drivers routinely refuse to serve individuals with disabilities, including individuals who travel with service animals or who use stowable wheelchairs. Uber is also accused of charging extra fees on riders who need special accommodations, including cancellation fees when service is denied. According to the DOJ, these actions violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Lawyers for the DOJ wrote that despite the importance of its services to people with disabilities, Uber denies them full and equal enjoyment of its services in several critical ways. The DOJ also states that Uber refuses to reasonably modify its policies, practices, or procedures where necessary to avoid discriminating against riders with disabilities. This has caused significant economic, emotional, and physical harm to individuals with disabilities.
Uber, in a statement, said it fundamentally disagrees with the DOJ’s allegations and stated it has a clear zero-tolerance policy for confirmed service denials. The company wrote that every driver must acknowledge and agree to comply with its U.S. Service Animal Policy and all applicable accessibility laws before using the Uber Driver app, and that it regularly reminds drivers of these obligations. Uber stated that when a violation is confirmed, it takes decisive action, including permanent account deactivation.
Uber has long faced accusations that its services are discriminatory toward people with physical disabilities. The DOJ previously sued the company in 2021 for overcharging those passengers. The company ultimately reached a settlement with the DOJ in 2022 where it paid out millions of dollars to more than 65,000 affected users. Uber has also been hit with a number of personal lawsuits from passengers who have alleged similar discrimination and has faced public protests.
The DOJ says in the complaint, which was filed in federal court in California’s Northern District, that it alerted Uber in 2024 to the fact that the company’s treatment of disabled riders was being investigated. According to the complaint, after Uber became aware of this, the company rolled out a feature where passengers could self-identify that they were riding with service animals.
This story has been updated with a statement from Uber.