Neal Price, a rideshare driver struggling with homelessness, has filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago, alleging violations of civil rights and antitrust laws. The complaint was lodged in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on January 23, 2025. Price claims that the city's Transportation Network Provider (TNP) rule has unjustly impacted his ability to earn a living by facilitating the sharing of driver deactivation information between rideshare companies Uber and Lyft.
The case revolves around an incident on January 7, 2025, when Price's Uber account was deactivated following a rider's report of "dangerous driving." Subsequently, Lyft also deactivated his account based on this report. According to Price, Lyft received notification from Uber about his deactivation through Chicago's TNP rule—a process not stipulated by the rule itself. This led to Price being unable to work for either company without due process, severely affecting his livelihood as he struggles to find stable housing.
Price argues that the TNP rule effectively creates a monopoly between competing rideshare companies by allowing them to share driver data. He contends that this violates both state and federal antitrust laws. "The TNP rule allows these companies to conspire against drivers like me," Price stated in his complaint. He further accuses the City of Chicago and the rideshare companies of conspiring to deprive him of his civil rights under 42 USC 1983 and 1985.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages amounting to $1 million and punitive damages, Price requests further relief deemed just by the court. He highlights the emotional distress caused by this unexpected deactivation while already dealing with homelessness as a significant impact on his mental and physical well-being.
Representing himself in this legal battle, Neal Price is determined to challenge what he perceives as an unlawful practice affecting not only him but potentially many other drivers. The case is presided over by Judge Virginia M. Kendall with Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Cole assigned as well. The case identification number is 1:25-cv-00791.