Lawsuit Filed Against Uber in Death of Child in San Francisco

Uber Technologies Inc., the app- based, on-demand transportation service, was sued for wrongful death by the parents of a six-year-old child killed last month by a car linked to the company.

The parents of Sofia Liu sued Uber and the driver who hit the girl and seriously injured her mother and brother as they crossed a street on a green light on New Year’s Eve in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint, filed Monday in state court in San Francisco, is the first wrongful death suit against Uber, Christopher Dolan, the family’s attorney, said in a statement. The case could become another setback for the company as it strives to convince regulators that its service is safe. Uber has faced criticism in some cities for using drivers who don’t have taxi or limousine licenses.

Uber said Jan. 1 that the driver was “a partner of Uber” who wasn’t providing services on the Uber system during the time of the accident.

“This tragedy did not involve a vehicle or provider doing a trip on the Uber system,” the company said. Andrew Noyes, a spokesman for Uber, said the company had no comment on the lawsuit.