CEO 'shocked' at Uber's response after he was 'attacked' and 'left for dead' by driver
Does anyone remember what life was like before Uber? Founded in 2009 under the name of Ubercab, it's since grown to be much more than just a ride-hailing service as it offers courier services, food delivery, and even freight transport. There are obviously plenty of other alternatives out there and even companies trying to give us 'Uber in the skies', but for many, Uber reigns supreme.
That doesn't mean it comes without its problems, and as well as a YouTuber complaining that Uber Eats doxxed him online, others have branded the 'trip radar' feature as dangerous.
Uber is once again batting off controversy, with one biotech CEO claiming he was 'attacked' by an Uber driver and 'left for dead' next to the car he ordered.
As reported by The New York Post, Bryan Kobel, CEO of TC BioPharm, is now attempting to sue Uber. Kobel maintains that an altercation took place in April 2025 between him and an Uber driver in South Carolina.
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Kobel told Fox News the conversation was originally 'innocuous' when he informed the driver he'd be travelling with a service animal, but soon escalated when they got into an argument about cancelling the ride: "I put my hand out saying, ‘get in your car,’ and that’s it. Next thing I know, I’m on my back in the hospital."
Speaking to America's Newsroom, Kobel explained: "I was shocked. Uber is a $200 billion company. When you get in a car with the Uber sticker on it, it carries that brand weight. It carries the trust that you have in that brand."
Maintaining that he contacted Uber with hospital records, a police report, and photographic evidence of his injuries, he says he was shocked by what happened next: "In fact, he picks up an Uber ride about two minutes later after leaving me for dead."
He was also 'stunned' by Uber's response to the situation, adding: "About 48 to 72 hours later, Uber just deactivated my account."
As well as saying that Uber has failed to take accountability for what happened to him, he thinks it has failed to properly vet its drivers.
The Department of Homeland Security has apparently identified the driver as 42-year-old Vadim Uliumdzhiev, a Russian national who is said to have illegally entered the USA.
After the incident, Uliumdzhiev was charged with second-degree assault and battery and released on a $10,000 bond before later being placed in ICE custody.
Kobel continued: "You would have assumed, and I had up until that date, that they [Uber] do background checks. They vet these individuals. That they’ve got a stringent process that’s difficult to evade, and apparently that’s not the case."
Saying he was 'taken aback', Kobel added: "It made me wonder: How often has this person done it? How many other times is this going to happen?”
Calling Uber to task, he alleged: "It appears to me that this is sort of their [Uber’s] MO, which is: put yourselves, your end users, your riders, in a dangerous situation.
“If something bad happens, disavow any sort of liability, any responsibility, any accountability, throw your hands up and say, 'it’s got nothing to do with us'."
An Uber spokesperson concluded: "There is no place for violence on the Uber platform. While we can’t comment on pending litigation, Uber is deeply committed to safety and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations around worker eligibility."