Uber passenger was shot after driver flashed gang signs, lawsuit says
A woman who says she was shot and severely injured during an Uber ride in Las Vegas has filed a lawsuit against the ride-hailing company, one of its drivers and an alleged shooter.
According to the complaint filed in Clark County District Court on Tuesday, Tamojanae Barlow was a passenger in a vehicle being driven by John Eyraud, who was driving for Uber on Aug. 15, when Eyraud started flashing gang signs at another driver and commented, while stopped at an intersection near Valley View and Charleston boulevards, that his hands were “registered weapons.”
Barlow claims that the other driver, Robert Sult Jr., then stepped out of his vehicle and shot into Eyraud’s vehicle, striking and injuring Barlow.
“Her injuries are to her arm, and her body, not to mention the shock of being shot at in the middle of the night while being a passenger in an Uber,” Barlow’s attorney, Robert Murdock, said Thursday.
The complaint argues that Eyraud breached his duty to protect the plaintiff, and that Uber breached its duties to the plaintiff when it “hired, contracted and/or retained unqualified individuals they knew or should have known presented a risk of harm to their passengers.”
Barlow is seeking at least $90,000 in damages.
An Uber spokesperson has responded to the lawsuit, saying, “The reported details of this incident are terrifying. While we can’t comment on pending litigation, we are deeply committed to the safety of riders and drivers on the Uber platform.”
The spokesperson also highlighted several safety features Uber has in place, including an emergency button for riders and drivers, “live help” from safety agents and GPS tracking of every trip.
Court records indicate that Sult pleaded guilty to felony charges of battery with use of a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm at or into an occupied vehicle last month. He’s scheduled for sentencing on May 10.
Attempts to reach Sult and Eyraud directly were unsuccessful.
A criminal defense attorney for Sult could not immediately be reached.
Contact Justin Razavi at jrazavi@reviewjournal.com. Follow @justin_razavi on Twitter.
