Somerville Man Sues Uber After Crash Left Him Paralyzed

SOMERVILLE, MA — A Somerville man is suing Uber for $63 million following a car crash that left him permanently paralyzed.

William Good, a 31-year-old chef, was a passenger in an Uber that struck a parked car on Highland Avenue on April 30, 2021, according to a release from his lawyer, Victoria Santoro Mair of Sweeney Merrigan Law.

The release states that Good felt the Uber "swerve" before the crash, and the driver, who had an "extensive driving history and prior driver re-training," insisted Good was not injured and tried to move him after the collision.

"I struggle daily with the knowledge that this Uber employee was hired as a professional driver – the last thing he should have been hired to do," Good said in a statement. "But most of all, I struggle to understand how a company that is so sophisticated has been completely unable to ensure the safety of its drivers on the roads."

The complaint further states that Good immediately knew he had broken his neck and repeatedly protested the driver's claims that he was uninjured. He is seeking to hold Uber accountable for his injuries, as well as its failure to "appropriately screen, hire and supervise their driver."

Uber did not comment on the lawsuit, citing pending litigation. The company uses a two-part process to screen potential drivers in Massachusetts, including checking their motor vehicle record and criminal history at a local, state and federal level, and conducting a CORI background check. Drivers are re-screened every six months.

But Good's lawyer, Santoro Mair, said this process is insufficient for keeping dangerous drivers off the road. She added that the company's environment puts pressure on workers to "perform faster, accept more fares and create more profit," which contributes to unsafe driving.

"Uber can and must do better to ensure its drivers are vetted, trained and supervised," she said in a statement. "Uber can and must do better to ensure no one else is injured as a result of its unsafe drivers."