US House of Representatives Votes At 2 AM To Give Immunity To Uber For Accidents Caused By Its Drivers, Says Consumer Watchdog

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- In a holiday weekend assault on consumer rights, the House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted at 2 AM to give virtual immunity to Uber for accidents caused by its drivers.

Uber is locked in a battle in California over its responsibility for drivers who cause accidents and sexual assaults after shoddy background checks with two ballot initiatives. The amendment was sponsored by California US Representative Vince Fong.

"California cases show how Uber's failed background system has resulted in deaths, injuries and sexual assaults and how Uber needs to be accountable for its drivers if we are to be safe riding in Ubers," said Jamie Court, President of Consumer Watchdog. "Representative Fong should be ashamed of himself for putting Uber riders in his district in jeopardy because a limited liability system will allow Uber to continue to do inadequate background checks so it can have more drivers on the road and that leaves all of us at greater risk."

In one case, for example, documented in Consumer Watchdog's report "A License To Kill," an Uber driver with two DUIs went on a drunken rampage and killed two innocent people. The Uber driver was allegedly speeding as fast as 120 mph in a 40 mph zone and registered a blood alcohol level over twice the legal limit when he killed two people—Gilberto Arteaga-Gutierrez and Silvia Velasco—in Santa Barbara. Used nitrous containers were found inside the driver's car, according to a civil suit. At the time the driver was on probation for his second DUI conviction, but Uber still hired the driver despite conducting a background check. The Uber driver was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, but Uber is fighting its liability in the case. 

Today Consumer Watchdog issued a report showing Uber is amassing a huge self-funded insurance reserve that it plans to spend on robotaxis by trying to limit its liability for crashes and assaults caused by Uber drivers to free up money in the reserve. The report also found that Uber executives received executive bonuses for policy work limiting liability. 

"This 2 AM vote benefits Uber and its executives' bank accounts, but it comes at the expense of riders who need Uber to have a deterrent to hiring shoddy drivers," said Court. "Shame on the House for voting in the dead of night to take Uber riders' rights."

The LA Times covered the report, which also documented the executive bonuses for efforts such as the 2 AM bill's passage.

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog