Uber Technologies Inc. can’t require a Connecticut customer accusing the company of price-fixing to resolve the fight in arbitration, a federal judge ruled in one of several cases challenging the ride-hailing company’s efforts to steer disputes of all kinds away from public courtrooms.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan said Friday that Uber’s online user agreement didn’t provide Spencer Meyer with sufficient notice of its arbitration policy for it to be binding. He denied Uber’s request to throw out the antitrust lawsuit over the company’s practice of raising prices during periods of high demand and have the matter sent to an arbitrator.
The ruling comes as Uber has sought to enforce its arbitration agreements with drivers in several states. A San Francisco federal judge is considering whether to approve the company’s $100 million settlement with California and Massachusetts drivers in an agreement that would leave them as contractors rather than employees and would also leave the arbitration provision in place.
