Insurer Lawsuit: 52 People Staged Uber Hit-And-Runs In Columbia, South Carolina

More than 50 people were involved in a series of hit-and-run accidents with Uber rideshare vehicles in the Columbia area that an insurance company claims either never happened or were deliberately caused as part of an insurance scam.

According to a lawsuit filed in federal court by the insurance company, several defendants hailed Uber rides that were then rear-ended by another car.

The passengers would then go to the hospital and file claims with the rideshare’s insurer, James River Insurance. The company’s lawsuit seeks to avoid paying claims filed by the individuals, which add up to more than $75,000, according to the suit.

The lawsuit, filed in August, alleges that of the 52 people identified in the lawsuit as being part of the scheme, “many.... are social acquaintances, neighbors, and/or have other personal relationships with their co-defendants.

“Such personal relationships decrease the likelihood that the defendants were all actually involved in real hit-and-run accidents while using an Uber ride share and increase the likelihood that these alleged ‘accidents’ are actually staged motor vehicle accidents for the purpose of committing insurance fraud,” the lawsuit says.