Charleston Man Sues Uber After Alleged Assault by Driver Over Service Dog Dispute

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A Charleston man is suing Uber and one of its drivers after a disturbing incident that allegedly left him with brain trauma, memory loss, and lingering neurological symptoms — all over a dispute about his service dog.

Man Says Uber Driver Assaulted Him After Refusing Ride

The altercation took place on April 24 in broad daylight on King Street in downtown Charleston. The victim, Bryan Kobel, says he was violently attacked after his Uber driver, identified as Vadim Uliumdzhiev, refused to transport Kobel’s service dog.

After dinner, Kobel requested a ride and entered the vehicle with his dog. When the driver objected, Kobel says he exited the car and politely asked the driver to cancel the trip. What followed was captured on video — Kobel being headbutted and punched, ultimately left unconscious in the parking lot.

“I reminded him as I was leaving to cancel the ride. That’s really the last of my memory,” Kobel said, describing how the next 48 hours were a total blackout due to his injuries. “It was a pretty terrifying situation.”

Lawsuit Alleges Uber Failed to Catch Red Flags

The lawsuit, now filed, accuses Uber and the driver of gross negligence. According to law enforcement cited in the suit, Uliumdzhiev was illegally in the United States from Russia and was allegedly operating using a fake driver’s license.

Kobel’s attorney, Kenneth Berger, called out Uber’s failure to properly screen its drivers:

“If it took our office, a law office, 10 minutes to figure this out or less, how could a multinational corporation with billions of dollars and assets not take the time to do the same?”

Victim Says Uber Deactivated His Account After the Incident

Kobel says that after leaving the hospital, he found that his Uber account had been deactivated, despite him being the victim. He sees that as a sign of a broader problem in rideshare safety standards.

“Hopefully, this event can bring some sort of change. I don’t want anybody else to wake up the way I did,” Kobel stated. “Over a 48-hour window, you have almost no memory, and people are calling to see if you’re still alive.”

He has struggled with cognitive issues, such as forgetting words and losing his train of thought mid-sentence — symptoms that have made recovery difficult and have disrupted his daily life.

Driver Charged, Uber Issues Statement

Uliumdzhiev has been charged with second-degree assault and battery, and a second court appearance is scheduled in October.

Uber responded with a brief public statement:

“There is no place for violence on the Uber platform. 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.”

If you or someone you know relies on service animals and has experienced discrimination or violence while using a rideshare platform, local advocacy groups urge you to report incidents immediately to law enforcement and pursue civil remedies when possible.

For more updates on local crime and safety cases, follow SaludaStandard-Sentinel.com.