Uber Driver Knocks Biotech CEO Unconscious Over Service Dog, Lawsuit Claims (Video)

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

A biotechnology executive is reportedly suing Uber after a video showed one of its drivers punching him in the face while he was holding his service dog.

Bryan Kobel, CEO of United Kingdom-based TC BioPharm, filed the lawsuit on Monday, Aug. 18, according to The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. 

The suit claims that Kobel was knocked unconscious while waiting for a ride with his girlfriend outside Maison, a French restaurant on Upper King Street in Charleston, on Thursday, April 24.

According to the lawsuit, the driver, identified as 42-year-old Vadim Nikolaevich Uliumdzhiev, argued with Kobel over the goldendoodle he carried under his arm.

Kobel told Uliumdzhiev that the dog was a licensed service animal and that denying him a ride would violate his disability rights.

A 15-second surveillance video from a nearby business shows Uliumdzhiev headbutting Kobel in the nose and then punching him in his jaw. 

Kobel fell flat on the pavement, hitting the back of his head hard as his dog slipped free and circled nearby.

Uliumdzhiev got back into his vehicle and drove off, as witnesses rushed to help Kobel. The suit claims that Kobel was left unconscious in a pool of blood with a concussion.

Kobel continues to recover from his injuries, according to the Law Office of Kenneth E. Berger.

"This case is about who is behind the wheel and the systems meant to keep riders safe," the law firm said in a Facebook post on Thursday, Aug. 21. "We're seeking justice for our client and change that prevents the next person from being hurt."

According to inmate records, Uliumdzhiev was arrested on Thursday, May 8, and charged with second-degree assault and battery. The lawsuit also claims Uliumdzhiev wasn't a legal resident but a Russian national.

Authorities also told Kobel that Uliumdzhiev’s driver’s license was fake, according to the lawsuit. 

Immigration and Customs Enforcement records show that Uliumdzhiev is being held in an ICE detention facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, as of press time.

The lawsuit names Uliumdzhiev, Uber, and Uber subsidiary Raiser as defendants. The suit accuses Uber of failing to properly screen the driver’s documents.

Uber's website says that it partners with three third-party agencies to run background checks.

"There is no place for violence on the Uber platform," an Uber spokesperson told The Post and Courier. "While we can't comment on pending litigation, Uber is deeply committed to safety and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations around worker eligibility."

In his criminal case, Uliumdzhiev is scheduled to appear in a Charleston County court in mid-October.