Biotech CEO Sues Uber After Driver Assault With Fake License

A Charleston-based biotech chief executive is suing Uber after alleges he was violently assaulted by an Uber driver who had allegedly gained access to the platform with a fake license while living in the United States illegally. The incident, captured on surveillance video, shows the driver approaching the CEO as he held his service dog, then head-butting and knocking him unconscious in a downtown parking lot. The CEO, Bryan Kobel, 45, sustained a severe concussion, memory issues and other injuries, and the driver was arrested on assault charges and later placed in federal immigration detention, with an immigration hold pending.

The incident occurred in April when Kobel, who runs TC BioPharm, was in King Street’s restaurant district and attempted to cancel a ride after the driver refused to transport his service dog. Video footage shows the driver exiting an Audi SUV, approaching Kobel and his dog, and then delivering a brutal blow. 911 calls captured by witnesses described the severity of the scene, with one caller reporting that the victim was bleeding heavily and an ambulance would be needed. Kobel required hospital care, including seven staples for a head laceration and...