Judge Says Uber’s Arbitration Clause Is Unenforceable

A Brooklyn judge has ruled that the arbitration clause in Uber’s app is buried so deep in reams of legal language that it is unfair to expect users to read and understand it. Therefore a disabled woman can bring a lawsuit against the rideshare company. “A registrant may complete the process (of acceptance) without seeing or even being aware that there are other clickable buttons leading to a screenshot containing Uber’s terms and conditions,” he wrote. The ruling only applies in New York, but it could be used as a precedent in other states, said the plaintiff’s attorney. His client took Uber to court for failing to pick her up on several occasions when she tried to order a wheelchair-accessible ride in the summer of 2016. Uber now has 30 days to respond to the original court case. Company officials declined to comment on the case or ruling.