Woman suing after alleged Uber driver sex assault

An Oak Cliff woman who says she was sexually assaulted by her Uber driver is suing Uber and the driver.

Police say 56-year-old Talal Ali Chammout followed a passenger into her west Oak Cliff home and sexually assaulted her.

He tried to get his bond reduced last week, but a Dallas County judge nearly doubled it on Thursday after hearing testimony from the victim's mother.

Quentin Brogden represents the alleged victim, known as "Jane Doe,” in a civil suit filed against Chammout, his limousine company and Uber.

“They promise that they check these drivers to the greatest extent allowed by state law,” said Brogden. “They don't even appear to have googled this driver.”

According to the suit, Uber did not do even the most cursory of background checks on Chammout, which would have revealed a 1995 felony assault conviction and a conviction for possession of firearms in 2007.

Chammout was released from prison in 2012 after serving six-and-a-half years.

According to Uber, he was initially marked as "Will not be driving,” but according to a letter from Uber to the City of Dallas, on April 17, an Uber representative "mistakenly granted" him permission to drive.

Brogden says it appears Chammout submitted to Uber an expired City of Dallas permit issued to another driver.

The city has verified that it never permitted Chammout, and wouldn't because he was within five years of being released from prison.

Brogden says all Uber had to do was run the permit through the city website, what he calls yet another glaring mistake with devastating consequences.

“First and foremost in this young woman's mind is the desire to make sure this never ever happens to another woman,” said Brogden. “That's the most important thing.”

FOX 4 reached out to Leandre Johns, the manager of Uber Dallas, but we haven’t gotten a response yet.

The civil suit has been filed, but Chammout has not been served.

We still tried to contact him, showing up at his Plano home. We understand that he is wearing an ankle monitor, but no one answered.

His attorney in the criminal case also did not return our call.