The U.S. Department of Justice sues Uber for discriminating against disabled passengers

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the ride-hailing platform Uber (UBER.US) on Thursday in federal court in San Francisco, accusing it of multiple forms of discrimination against individuals with disabilities.

The complaint states that Uber and its drivers frequently refuse to provide services to individuals with disabilities, including passengers with guide dogs or those using foldable wheelchairs; it is also accused of improperly charging cleaning fees related to guide dogs and cancellation fees for passengers who were unlawfully denied service. The Department of Justice further claims that some drivers have insulted and belittled individuals with disabilities, even asking inappropriate questions.

Uber issued a statement in response, emphasizing that the company has a clear zero-tolerance policy for refusal of service and strongly disagrees with the Department of Justice's allegations