In a significant development for public safety and accountability, the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles (Southwest District) granted a Plaintiff’s motion for leave to amend her complaint to add punitive damages against Uber Technologies, Inc. under Civil Code § 3294.
The ruling—issued on November 7, 2025 by Judge Tamara Hall in Dept. 5—authorizes Plaintiff to pursue punitive damages at trial based on allegations that Uber knowingly kept a dangerous driver on the road despite repeated safety complaints. The Court emphasized recent discovery revealing multiple, serious unsafe-driving complaints about the Uber driver in the months preceding the collision, and that Uber allegedly failed to suspend, train, or remove the driver despite notice.
Discovery revealed five separate rider safety complaints lodged against the driver in the six months before the September 28, 2022 crash—reports describing lane weaving, running stop signs, distracted driving/phone use, improper drop-offs at night, and driving with hazards on while eating and sometimes removing hands from the wheel. Plaintiff contends Uber knew about these complaints yet kept the driver active, amounting to a conscious disregard for public safety and ratification of reckless conduct—grounds that can support punitive damages under § 3294.
“We’re grateful the Court recognized the strong showing for punitive damages at this stage,” said attorney Jonathan H. Davidi. “The record reflects repeated safety complaints that could—and should—have kept this driver off the road. This ruling allows a jury to consider whether Uber’s inaction in the face of those warnings warrants punitive damages to deter similar conduct in the future.”
Plaintiff is represented by Robert Glassman, Jonathan Davidi, and Tyler Paboojian of Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and co-counsel Daniel Setareh and Randall Baker of Setareh Law, APLC. Plaintiff’s counsel filed a First Amended Complaint with the court on Wednesday, November 12, 2025.
Trial in this matter is set for August 25, 2027.