Santa Clara, CA: A preliminary $20 million settlement has been approved potentially ending a Telephone Consumer protection Act (TCPA) violations class action lawsuit pending against Uber Technologies Inc.
According to the terms of the settlement, three proposed settlement classes would be created. One would include anyone Uber texted about its referral program. The second would include potential drivers who had partly completed Uber’s application process and received texts even after asking Uber to stop sending them. The third proposed class would include all recipients of unwanted texts sent by Uber.
The lawsuit, filed in 2015 by Maria Vergara, alleged that for weeks Uber sent her unwanted text messages asking her to complete the sign up process for the Uber app. Claims were also made in a separate filing in 2014, by potential Uber drivers Jonathan Grindell, Jennifer Reilly, James Lathrop, Sandeep Pal and Justin Bartolet stating that Uber sent them unwanted texts about becoming Uber drivers. An amended complaint was filed by Vergara and the potential drivers.
Additionally, the settlement stipulates that Uber discontinue its Refer-a-Friend program on cellphones issued to drivers, maintain an improved opt-out system and implement signup processes meant to reduce the chances of contacting wrong phone numbers.
The suit is Maria Vergara et al. v. Uber Technologies Inc., case number 1:15-cv-06942, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
