Woman Sues Uber After Being Stabbed In The Face By UberPOOL Co-Passenger In Lakeview

By Rachel Cromidas in News on Apr 6, 2017 3:27PM

A woman who was stabbed in the face by a co-passenger during an UberPOOL rideshare in Lakeview earlier this year is now suing the ride-hailing company.

The woman, Jennifer Camacho, 25, was stabbed on Jan. 30 after she got into an UberPOOL she called at the end of a night out in Boystown, around the 3300 block of North Halsted Street. Another passenger, Julie Ramer, 34, of Logan Square, was in the car at the time, and allegedly took a three-inch knife and slashed Camacho's cheeks multiple times, near her eyes, according to the lawsuit.

Ramer was charged with one misdemeanor count of battery, and is out of jail on $1,500 bail. Her next court date is April 24, according to authorities. Camacho has facial scarring from the attack that could be permanent, her attorney told the Tribune, and the insurance claim she filed through Uber refused to cover her because the assault was not viewed as an accident. Attorney Bryant Greening said Camacho had no way of knowing that her co-passenger posed a danger to her:

"Uber is promoting a safe ride-share experience and is in the best position to make sure that its drivers and passengers are safe people," said Bryant Greening, the attorney representing Camacho. "They should be providing training for drivers on how to deal with these types of situations and mitigate violence if it does occur."

Camacho filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Uber in Cook County Circuit Court, according to ABC7, noting that the two women did not know each other before sharing the Uber. The lawsuit is seeking a total of $150,000 in damages against both Uber and Ramer.