The family of a Johnston County Uber driver killed in 2025 is now suing the company, claiming they did not do enough to protect him.

Eneye Gbedee filed a lawsuit against Uber Technologies and Rasier, LLC, saying the company's current policies resulted in the death of her husband, Emmanuel Kwame Gbedee Sr., who was found dead more than a year earlier after giving an Uber passenger a lift.

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"Even today, Uber continues to maintain that 'safety is a top priority,'" the lawsuit reads. "This ubiquitous messaging generated reassurance that drivers and passengers could count on Uber to keep them safe."

Gbedee was found shot and dead on Jan. 11, 2025, in the backseat of his own car on Holly Grove Road in Benson. He was driving for Uber when he picked up then-18-year-old Tray'vian Brown, who was charged with his murder.

The lawsuit claimed that Uber "circumvented the taxi industry's existing safety protocols" and minimized background checks, vehicle checks and driver oversight to expand its roster of non-professional drivers to keep up with the company's demands.

What are Uber's current safety guidelines?

In order to use Uber, passengers must provide the company with a name, email address, payment method and phone number. Anyone who signs up for Uber using an anonymous form of payment such as Venmo or gift cards, or is using an account that the company believes requires verification, may be required to upload an ID, driver's license or passport.

Uber's website also lists several tools for drivers to use to keep them safe, which include:

  • Allowing female drivers to only accept ride requests from other women.
    • Allowing drivers to only accept ride requests from passengers with a set minimum-star rating.
      • PIN verification to make sure drivers pick up the right person.
        • Allowing drivers to share their trip location with friends and family in real time.
          • Recording trips through the driver app using a phone's selfie camera and microphone.
            • In-app emergency button.

              A spokesperson for Uber said that while they cannot comment on pending litigation, the safety of their drivers is a fundamental function of their business.

              "We know there is always more work to do, and we remain committed to strengthening  protections and improving the experiences for everyone on the platform," the spokesperson said.

              The lawsuit, however, claims that the app created an "illusion of a responsible corporation" that monitored every aspect of the ride and protected both drivers and passengers when they accept a ride.

              "When Uber launched its new transportation system, it did not hire any safety experts, nor did it spend a single minute or dollar thinking about how to prevent the robbery, assault and murder of Uber drivers," the lawsuit read.

              'I've been attacked by multiple passengers'

              Several Uber drivers spoke to WRAL News outside of Raleigh-Durham International Airport on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution by the company. They said they believe the dangers they face on the job are real, but feel they have no alternatives for work.

              "I've been attacked by multiple passengers, both physically and sexually," said one driver. "I'm a single parent. I need the income, so I do what I need to do."

              Uber has faced several lawsuits involving the safety of both passengers and drivers alike. In 2024, a court ruled that ride-share platforms owe drivers a "duty of care" after a Washington Uber driver was fatally stabbed by riders years earlier.

              Drivers outside of RDU noted that while Uber has introduced several features in an attempt to protect drivers, they fall short if the violence comes from the back seat and help isn't within reach.

              "The worst one I had? My hands were being held," another Uber driver said. "I can't call, I can't yell...I'm limited on what I can do."

              Uber drivers said that several features have been introduced to protect passengers, such as drivers submitting to background checks every few months, but now they want additional changes to keep them safe as well.

              "Every three or [five] months, they check the background of the driver. Why are you not checking the background of the passenger, too?" one Uber driver asked.

              Where does the criminal investigation into Emmanuel Gbedee's death stand?

              A judge found that Brown was not capable of proceeding to trial in September 2025, saying that Brown was "virtually nonverbal" and did not understand his current circumstances.

              Brown remains at the Johnston County Detention Center on charges that he assaulted a detention officer in January.

              WRAL News reached out to representatives for Gbedee's family. Lawyers representing Gbedee's estate said the family would not be commenting on the lawsuit at this time and provided the following statement, which read in part:

              “Since Mr. Gbedee’s death, his family has been forced to reckon with a painful truth: he did precisely what Uber encouraged him to do. He got behind the wheel, trusting in the company’s assurances of safety and support. That trust was misplaced. We are pursuing this action to hold Uber accountable for systemic failures that exposed Mr. Gbedee, and countless drivers like him, to foreseeable harm. The workers whose labor sustains Uber’s platform deserve more than empty promises. They deserve protection. Mr. Gbedee deserved to come home to his family, and we intend to ensure his death is not met with silence. "