A devastating car accident involving a rideshare vehicle has led to a lawsuit against a major transportation network company and its affiliates. On March 25, 2025, Raquel Babuglia and Renato Fratta filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against Uber Technologies, Inc., Raiser, LLC, Raiser-CA, LLC, and Amirhossein Ghorabian. The plaintiffs are seeking damages for negligence, vicarious liability under the doctrine of respondeat superior, and loss of consortium.
The case stems from an incident on December 14, 2024, when Babuglia and Fratta were passengers in an Uber driven by Amirhossein Ghorabian. The ride took place in a black Tesla Model Y on SR-24 Westbound near El Curtola Boulevard in Contra Costa County. According to the complaint, Ghorabian was driving too fast for the rainy conditions and lost control of the vehicle, causing it to crash into a concrete wall. The plaintiffs allege that Ghorabian failed to maintain his vehicle's tires adequately for such weather conditions. As a result of this collision, both Babuglia and Fratta sustained severe injuries.
The plaintiffs assert that Uber Technologies and its subsidiaries acted as employers or agents of Ghorabian at the time of the accident. They claim that Uber exercises significant control over its drivers' work conditions and employment status. The complaint states: "UBER acts as the employer and de facto employer of its drivers," highlighting various ways Uber controls driver operations through their app and policies. These include setting fare prices, managing customer complaints directly through Uber's system, requiring specific driver ratings for continued employment, and controlling aspects like music choice during rides.
Babuglia and Fratta argue that Uber is liable under California's legal principle of respondeat superior because Ghorabian was acting within the scope of his employment during the incident. Furthermore, they accuse Uber and its subsidiaries of negligence per se due to violations of California Vehicle Code sections 22350 (basic speed law) and 24002 (prohibiting operation of unsafe vehicles), which are designed to prevent precisely such accidents.
In addition to claims against Ghorabian for direct negligence while operating the vehicle unsafely in adverse weather conditions without proper tire maintenance—resulting in significant physical harm—the plaintiffs also seek relief for loss of consortium. This aspect addresses how each spouse has been deprived due to injuries sustained by their partner: "PLAINTIFF RENATO FRATTO has been deprived...of his wife RAQUEL BABUGLIA" while similarly noting how Babuglia suffered loss concerning her husband.
Through this lawsuit filed by attorneys June P. Bashant from Rouda Feder Tietjen & McGuinn Law Firm representing them. The Case ID is: CGC-25-623604