Uber passenger caught on video hitting driver sues the driver.

[Vladimir Putin]

The Orange County Register, Sunday, January 17, 2016, 4:23pm EST

UBER PASSENGER, CAPTURED ON VIRAL VIDEO DRUNKENLY SLAPPING AND HITTING DRIVER, SUES DRIVER FOR $5 MILLION

By KELLY PUENTE, Orange County Register staff writer

A Newport Beach man who allegedly attacked an Uber driver in an altercation that was caught on video is now suing that driver for $5 million, claiming the video was recorded without his consent, according to court records.

Benjamin Golden, a 32-year-old former executive for Taco Bell, was arrested in November and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery for allegedly slapping and hitting his Uber driver, Edward Caban, 23, on Oct. 30.

The altercation off Newport Beach Boulevard in Costa Mesa was recorded on a dash-camera and posted to YouTube in a video that went viral. Golden, who lost his job over the incident, later apologized through his attorney.

In November, the Uber driver sued Golden for more than $25,000 in damages, claiming assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.

In a cross-complaint filed by Golden last month, he claims Caban illegally recorded the incident and then posted the video to his YouTube page, generating millions of views.

The lawsuit says Golden never consented to be audio or visually recorded and the recording was done without his knowledge.

Golden says he was intoxicated that night and began to “fear for his safety and well-being” when the driver decided to pull over and “kick” him out of the car in an unfamiliar location. In the altercation, Golden was blinded by the driver’s pepper spray, the suit says.

As a result of the overwhelming media coverage, Golden says he suffered severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety and the loss of his job.

The lawsuit claims invasion of privacy, negligent infliction of emotional distress, intentional infliction of emotional distress, assault and battery. He is seeking damages in excess of $5 million.

Golden’s attorney Courtney Pilchman was not immediately available for comment. Both parties are due back in Orange County Superior Court on Feb. 3.

In an interview in November, Caban’s attorney, Rivers Morrell, said the Uber driver was traumatized by the attack.

“It’s been a living nightmare for this young kid who has never had any altercations,” Morrell told the Register. “He’s fearful, he can’t sleep, he just can’t get this out of his head.”

Golden has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and is due back in court on Feb. 24.

Copyright © 2016 Orange County Register. All Rights Reserved.

[Gillian]

$5m lawsuit? Only in America ...

[jonnie64]

Yeah, good luck with that, fool.

[thx1138]

All cabs should post a warning that all activities in the vehicle are recorded "for quality purposes".

[Vladimir Putin]

The Miami Herald, Thursday, January 21, 2016, 5:52pm EST

MIAMI DOCTOR SUSPENDED AFTER VIDEO OF HER ATTACKING UBER DRIVER GOES VIRAL

By CARLI TEPROFF, The Miami Herald

A neurology resident at Jackson Health System has been placed on administrative leave after a YouTube video of her hitting and screaming profanities at an Uber driver went viral, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed in a statement.

Anjali Ramkissoon, a fourth-year resident, was “removed from all clinical duties.”

“Jackson has launched an internal investigation,” the statement reads. “The outcome of the investigation will determine whether any disciplinary action will be taken, up to and including termination.”

The video of the Sunday Jan. 17 incident in the Brickell area was posted Tuesday Jan. 19 by someone who uses the YouTube account Juan Cinco. It had been viewed more than 500,000 times by Thursday evening. In the video, Ramkissoon, wearing short white shorts and a long-sleeved orange shirt, can be seen hitting an Uber driver in the face.

“Get some help,” the driver says to her.

She gets in the passenger side of the car and demands a ride in a profanity-laced rant.

He refuses. She then begins throwing papers, scissors and other things out of his car.

Miami police spokeswoman Frederica Burden confirmed that officers responded but said no report was taken.

“We were called for a disturbance,” she said. “There was no report written, and there will be no investigation.”

The YouTube poster, who explained that he called the Uber and she intercepted, said “it was only when they put her in the police car that she started crying, apologizing and claiming that she would lose her medical license … if she got arrested.”

The poster added that the unnamed driver accepted a settlement and didn’t press charges.

A spokesman for Uber said in a statement Thursday that the passenger’s account has been suspended while the company investigates: “Uber expects everyone in our community to treat each other with respect and common courtesy, and we have a zero tolerance policy for all forms of harassment and abuse.”

Copyright © 2016 The Miami Herald. All rights reserved.

[dreamon]

The guy who attacked the Uber driver, Ben, lived down the hall from me when I lived in Newport. He was quite the douche canoe. He must have been really drunk because those directions are terrible.

[Dudedude12345]

All cars should record because now people rob taxis and there's no reason to rob an Uber car

[Vladimir Putin]

The guy who attacked the Uber driver, Ben, lived down the hall from me when I lived in Newport. He was quite the douche canoe. He must have been really drunk because those directions are terrible.

He's definitely a douchebag because he's suing his victim.

This may not be relevant, but I prefer Del Taco over Taco Bell.

[Vladimir Putin]

The Daily Pilot, Thursday, November 17, 2016, 4:12pm EST

NEWPORT MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO HITTING UBER DRIVER IN ATTACK RECORDED ON VIDEO

By HANNAH FRY, The Daily Pilot

A Newport Beach man was sentenced Thursday to 60 days in Orange County Jail for striking an Uber driver last year in an altercation recorded on the driver's dashboard camera and posted online.

Benjamin Golden, 33, pleaded guilty Thursday in Orange County Superior Court to a misdemeanor count of battery on a taxi driver. In addition to his jail sentence, Golden will spend the next three years on informal probation and was ordered to pay restitution, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Golden was originally charged with and pleaded not guilty to four misdemeanor counts, including assault on a public transportation worker, battery on a public transit employee, assault and battery. The reduced charge was a result of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Golden was arrested shortly after 8 p.m. Oct. 30, 2015, at a Costa Mesa shopping center where his Uber driver, Edward Caban, had parked in order to get Golden out of the car, police said at the time.

Caban told police that Golden, who was in the back seat, hit him repeatedly and pulled his hair, prompting him to pepper-spray Golden, authorities said. Caban shared video of the incident with police and posted a clip on YouTube showing what he said were the final minutes of the ride.

Police said Caban had picked up Golden in a parking lot on the Balboa Peninsula in Newport Beach and that Golden appeared to be intoxicated.

In the video, Golden argues with Caban about directions. The driver eventually pulls into the parking lot of a shopping center in the 1800 block of Newport Boulevard in Costa Mesa, where Golden is seen falling over in his seat.

The two continue to argue and Caban orders Golden out of the car. Golden refuses to leave and asks Caban to take him to Park Newport, an apartment complex near Jamboree Road.

"Get out of my car or I will call the police," Caban says.

Golden opens the back door, then repeatedly strikes Caban, shouting expletives at him and pulling his hair. Caban then pepper-sprays him.

Golden's employer, Irvine-based Taco Bell, said soon after the incident that Golden was no longer working as a corporate manager for the company.

He also was banned from using Uber.

In December, Golden sued Caban for $5 million, claiming the recording had been made without his consent and caused him severe emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, the loss of his employment and the inability to get another job, according to court documents.

Caban had sued Golden in November, claiming assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress and seeking $1.6 million, according to a statement of damages provided to the Los Angeles Times by Golden's attorneys.

Both lawsuits were dismissed in July, according to court records.

Copyright © 2016 The Daily Pilot.

[Vladimir Putin]

The Miami Herald, Friday, April 22, 2016

UBER SPAT CAUGHT ON VIDEO LEADS TO MIAMI DOCTOR'S FIRING

By LANCE DIXON, The Miami Herald

The Miami doctor whose verbal and physical attacks on an Uber driver in a viral video thrust her into the national spotlight will be terminated by Jackson Health System, a hospital spokeswoman said in a statement Friday.

Anjali Ramkissoon, 30, who struck and cursed out the Uber driver in a video that was posted in January, was initially placed on administrative leave and “removed from all clinical duties.”

“Jackson Health System is moving forward with the termination of Dr. Anjali Ramkissoon, a resident doctor. She is entitled to an appeal process,” the official statement reads.

The cellphone video of the fourth-year neurology resident striking and screaming profanities at the Uber driver in the Brickell area received hundreds of thousands of views. In the clip Ramkissoon, wearing shorts and an orange shirt, and the driver argue as he refuses to give her a ride. He was there to pick up another passenger.

She then climbs into the car and throws some papers, scissors and other items out of the car.

Ramkissoon, 30, made an appearance on Good Morning America after the video caught fire and said she didn’t recognize the woman in that video who told the driver “get the fuck into the car, you disgusting piece of shit.”

“There is absolutely no excuse for my actions,” Ramkissoon told GMA host George Stephanopoulos. “I am so sorry. I have hurt so many people with this. My family, my friends, my job, the Uber driver. Nobody deserves to be treated that way. That’s not me.”

In the interview she said she had a rough day before the video was filmed as she had just broken up with a long-term boyfriend and her father was hospitalized. She apologized and thanked the driver for not pressing charges.