Callahan & Blaine Files Suit Against Uber and Hertz on Behalf of Passenger with Amputated Legs

PR Newswire

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Callahan & Blaine has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Brendan Brock, 23, against Uber and Hertz after a horrific accident on March 7, 2018, which resulted in both of his legs being amputated. The Uber driver who was driving Brock incredibly ran out of gas on a major freeway, forcing Brock to get out and push the car to help get the car off the freeway. A third party vehicle lost control and crushed Brock between the vehicles.

According to Callahan & Blaine, the Uber driver had rented his vehicle through Hertz, solely to drive for Uber. The lawsuit alleges that but for the Hertz/Uber enterprise, the driver would not have had a vehicle.

Edward Susolik, senior partner at Callahan & Blaine, explained, "This lawsuit is about corporate accountability and responsibility. Uber and Hertz are making millions of dollars by hiring drivers with rented vehicles, resulting in numerous catastrophic accidents, leaving many innocent third parties profoundly inured or dead. This enterprise is very similar to a taxi company, but without any licensing, regulation, training, supervision or maintenance. Through this rental program, it is no longer a peer-to-peer barter system. The renters of the Hertz vehicles, contacted through advertising to drivers by Uber, become for all intents and purposes Uber employees by virtue of the control that Uber has. Uber must therefore accept the responsibilities of an employer, including financial responsibility for accidents. Instead, Uber purports to call the drivers independent contractors and attempts to avoid the costs associated with having employees. We intend to change this system through this litigation."

The case is Brendan Brock v. Uber, et. al., OCSC Case No. BC701358.

The highly sophisticated litigators and trial attorneys of Callahan & Blaine specialize in complex business and insurance litigation and catastrophic personal injury matters. The firm has won countless trials and accomplished record-breaking jury verdicts and settlements. Visit Callahan-Law.com for more information.