LOS FELIZ—Uber, the transportation network, is being sued by a Burbank resident for an alleged attack he endured as a result of one of their drivers. Eric James Archer suffered a broken wrist, and other injuries for attempting to eat French Fries in the driver’s car after he was picked up from the Los Feliz Tiki Ti bar.
The complaint was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Friday, July 19. The lawsuit alleges assault, battery, negligence and negligent hiring, retention and supervision. According to the complaint, Archer is seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
According to Archer, he went to the Tiki Ti bar on February 7 and arranged for an Uber ride at about 2:00 a.m. The driver identified in the complaint only as “Nelson” per Archer’s request, entered a McDonald’s drive thru so the plaintiff could order a cheeseburger combo meal the suit states. Around the time the order was placed, Archer’s girlfriend called and the two were on the phone for less than a minute.
Once Archer received his order and reached into the bag of food, the driver went into a “rage.” The driver cancelled the ride and ordered Archer out of the vehicle at Hollywood Boulevard and Wilton Avenue. Archer walked approximately 10 feet and threw his drink at the driver’s car then called for a second Uber ride.
The second Uber driver approached Archer shortly after unaware that it was the same driver as before. The driver got out of his vehicle and approached Archer, who began to walk away. As he was walking away, Archer realized that he left his ring and went to look for it. The delay gave “Nelson” time to catch up to Archer where he slammed him into the concrete the suit alleges. The driver got on top of Archer and struck him two or three times in the head.
Archer’s girlfriend took him to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where he was treated for a fractured wrist, severe bruising on his forehead and other injuries.
