Uber has reportedly filed a lawsuit against prominent Los Angeles personal injury attorneys Jacob Emrani and Igor Fradkin of Downtown L.A. Law Group, accusing them of orchestrating a fraudulent network of medical providers to inflate injury claims.
The suit, filed in California, alleges that Emrani and Fradkin worked with facilities such as GSK Spine and Radiance Surgery Center to generate so-called “phantom damages” by sending clients to preferred medical providers with the intent of driving up settlement values.
According to Uber, these practices have a direct impact on riders’ costs. Roughly 45% of a California rider’s fare reportedly goes toward government-mandated accident insurance — significantly higher than the 5% average in states outside of California.
Uber’s Head of Policy and Communications, Adam Blinick, described the arrangement as a scheme that unfairly shifts the financial burden of inflated claims onto everyday users.
When contacted for comment, representatives for Downtown L.A. Law Group reportedly denied the allegations, characterizing the lawsuit as an effort by Uber to undermine legitimate injury claims and avoid accountability.
The case highlights ongoing tension between rideshare platforms and personal injury firms over claim practices in California’s insurance-heavy legal environment.
