A string of rapes occurring in Los Angeles has finally come to an end after the perpetrator was caught and arrested Friday, February 23rd, 2018. The rapes happened over a 15 month period in the Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Central Los Angeles, and Alhambra areas.
The 44-year-old perpetrator, Nicolas Morales, has been described as a serial rapist who committed more than half a dozen rapes. His tactic was to pose as a ride-share driver, pick up unsuspecting women who thought their rides had arrived, drive to a secluded location, and sexually assault them. Police did not specify which ride-share service he was pretending to work for during his crimes.
In total, Morales was charged with 27 felony counts, including rape, forcible oral copulation, forcible sodomy, intent to commit a felony, attempted kidnapping, and more. He also used a deadly weapon, a knife, in some of his attacks, which could increase the severity of his sentence. At current standing, Morales could be sentenced to up to 300 years in prison; if there is any hope of release, he would have to register as a lifetime sex offender.
There has been no information released on how Morales found his victims. One such woman was waiting outside of a Hollywood club when Morales claimed that he was her Uber driver. It is unclear as to whether he would simply prowl around looking for victims or if he had another method.
He can be released on bail for the amount of $10.3 million.
Risks of Using Uber
Despite the fact that Morales was not an Uber or Lyft driver, there are still many cases where these crimes happen. Although the majority of Uber drivers are simply citizens who are in search of additional income, there are some who have used the app for more nefarious purposes. Various individuals have reported attempted and successful sexual assaults by Uber drivers. This occurrence is made worse by the fact that Uber does not properly screen its drivers; the background checks only go back seven years, which may not indicate any potential risks with hiring the person.
Although your location is tracked and the information about your driver is presented to you, it can still be risky to enter a vehicle with a stranger. If you are overpowered or if your driver takes you somewhere secluded, you may not have the ability to call the police until much later. Even if you contact the police, there may not be much information to give. Uber should provide all of the information about the driver, but the company may occasionally simply block the individual from being able to use the app.
Because Uber and Lyft are businesses, they may not want to take the risk of publicly admitting that such assaults have happened on trips. This may damage their images and prevent people from using the services. If they call any attention to the acts, they may suffer a decrease in profits.
You should be acutely aware of the dangers present when using any rideshare app and before entering a stranger’s vehicle.
Legal Action
If you suffer an assault while a passenger in a ride-share vehicle, you can sue for assault and battery. Sexual assault and rape both fall under this umbrella. Assault is defined as an action that was committed purely to inflict harm on another person. In filing a civil claim for sexual assault, you do not need to prove as much as you would in a criminal case. Criminal cases require you to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the alleged perpetrator committed the crimes. That burden of proof is lowered in civil cases due to the lack of punishment; notably, no jail time. However, criminal charges can still be brought against the defendant.
An experienced Los Angeles attorney at Normandie Law Firm can help you work through the legal details of filing a lawsuit against an Uber or Lyft driver for sexual assault. We will make sure that your lawsuit is filed within the proper amount of time – personal injury cases have a deadline of 2 years during which you can take action. That statute of limitations can be tolled, or temporarily suspended, if you were a minor during the incident or if the defendant left the state.
The intended defendant of the sexual assault claim would be the driver who assaulted you. However, if Uber were negligent in hiring the driver or by not providing you with any modicum of safety, you may be able to hold Uber partially responsible as well.
Compensation
A sexual assault case can net you various types of compensation for your damages. You may be able to receive coverage of such expenses like:
- Medical expenses, including hospitalization, surgery, medication, physical therapy, and any other healthcare bills. If you require additional medical treatments after the lawsuit, those bills can be taken care of as well.
- Lost wages, or income you missed due to being absent from work. If you were unable to work because of your injury, or if medical treatments and recovery time in the future will prevent you from completing your job, your income can be reimbursed.
- Property damage, or reimbursement for any items you had that were damaged or broken in the incident. The belongings could be repaired or replaced.
- Pain and suffering, or emotional damages stemming from the ordeal. You may be able to receive compensation for fear, anxiety, PTSD, psychological trauma, mental scarring, and more.
- Punitive damages, which are simply extra forms of monetary compensation that are meant to punish the defendant. Many courts view these damages as excessive and do not hand them out too easily. Only a skilled lawyer will be able to win them for you.
Keep in mind that you may be able to receive similar damages from Uber if you sue the company for negligence.
Normandie’s Role
Let our experienced lawyers at Normandie Law Firm do all we can to help bring you the compensation you deserve from a ride share sexual assault case. We will not rest until the defendant is made to give you the settlement you deserve. It is our goal to bring you a settlement and some peace and justice in the aftermath of your ordeal. Our aggressive lawyers will pursue compensation from all available outlets, including the company and the estate of the defendant. We are willing to work around the clock and go to court if necessary to secure you the restitution you deserve.
Call our law firm today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced attorney. You can ask us anything you want about your case, and we will tell you what we believe your sexual assault lawsuit is worth. We will give you more information on the law and how the litigation process works; we believe all of our clients should be properly informed and knowledgeable about the law and proceedings before taking any legal action.
If you want us to represent you, we will give you a zero fee guarantee on our case. This promises that you will not pay us any out of pocket expenses at all; our fees will only be collected if we win, and we will withdraw the funds from the settlement we bring you. If we lose, you owe us nothing at all, and we cover all the costs of the case ourselves.
To start filing a sexual assault lawsuit against an Uber or Lyft driver, reach out to a skilled lawyer at Normandie Law Firm in Los Angeles.
