Her underage son took an Uber on 300-mile trip to MLB stadium. Now, SC mom is suing
A boy in South Carolina wanted to “run the bases” at the Atlanta Braves baseball stadium after school — so he got Uber to take him, his mom said in a lawsuit filed Thursday.
She thought he was kidnapped.
Gina Wintz is suing the ride-share company and one of its drivers for negligence in Charleston County court, citing an Uber policy requiring underage riders be accompanied by an adult 18 or older, court documents show.
“When the minor plaintiff did not arrive home, and turned up missing, plaintiff Gina Wintz suffered severe emotional distress as she dreaded her son had been potentially kidnapped,” the complaint states.
A spokesperson for Uber declined to comment on pending litigation.
According to the lawsuit, Wintz’s son called an Uber from his school in a town just north of Charleston around noon on March 12, 2019. WCIV reported the boy was picked up from Oceanside Academy, a high school in Mount Pleasant.
The driver dropped him off to “run the bases” at Truist Stadium, home of the Major League Baseball team the Atlanta Braves, the complaint states.
Wintz expected her son — who “suffers from mental and emotional setbacks” — to be home from school before 3 p.m. Authorities in Georgia didn’t find him until 8:30 p.m., her attorney said in the lawsuit.
She reportedly faced charges in family court as a result.
Uber’s community guidelines require all account holders be over the age of 18, according to its website.
Underage customers are only allowed to ride with an adult, and drivers are encouraged to ask for ID if they think someone looks young, Uber’s website states.
“If they are under 18, please decline the trip and report it to Uber,” the ride share company said in a notice to drivers on Dec. 12. “Note that refusing or canceling trips on this basis will not impact your driver rating or account status.”
The complaint cites that policy but claims Uber failed to follow its own rules and didn’t properly train its drivers. Wintz is seeking a jury trial and damages.
