A biotech executive in South Carolina has filed a lawsuit against Uber after a violent assault by one of its drivers left him unconscious and seriously injured in a downtown Charleston parking lot.
The suit, lodged in Charleston County on Monday, alleges that Bryan Kobel, 45, CEO of TC BioPharm, suffered a concussion and required seven staples and four stitches after being headbutted and punched by Uber driver Vadim Uliumdzhiev , a 42-year-old Russian national living in the United States illegally.
The incident took place in April after Kobel and his girlfriend had dinner at Maison, a French restaurant on King Street. Uliumdzhiev refused to allow Kobel’s licensed service dog, a 17-pound goldendoodle, into his car.
When Kobel asked to cancel the ride, the driver stormed out of his Audi SUV and attacked him.
Surveillance footage showed Kobel being knocked to the ground alongside his pet.
“I woke up in a hospital bed with seven staples in my head and four stitches,” Kobel was quoted as saying by the New York Post. “It’s been a brutal experience to this day.” He later described weeks of memory loss, speech difficulties and vision issues.
“It was about 60 days before I could really have some semblance of a normal life,” he said, as reported by Fox News.
Witnesses rushed to call 911, with one male caller telling operators: “He’s bleeding very badly in the back of the head. We’re going to need an ambulance. … There’s a gazillion witnesses.”
Uliumdzhiev was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and battery, records show. After posting a $10,000 bond, he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Georgia once officials confirmed he was in the country unlawfully.
Authorities later told Kobel the driver had used a fake licence to gain access to Uber’s platform.
As per Fox News, Uliumdzhiev even picked up another Uber passenger just two minutes after fleeing the scene. Kobel also claimed his own account was suspended and later deactivated by Uber following the attack, despite him submitting hospital and police records.
As per Fox News, Kobel is now suing Uber and its subsidiary Raiser, accusing the rideshare giant of gross negligence and of putting profits over passenger safety. “Uber let a wolf into the henhouse,” he said in a statement cited by Daily Mail. His attorney, Kenneth Berger, added: “Riders rely on Uber to know who is behind the wheel. Instead, a man using a fake ID was allowed to assault a passenger and flee.”
Uber condemned the assault, saying, “There is no place for violence on the Uber platform. Uber is deeply committed to safety and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.”
However, the company has not explained how Uliumdzhiev cleared its vetting system.
The driver remains in federal custody, with a criminal case pending in Charleston County Circuit Court.
The suit, lodged in Charleston County on Monday, alleges that Bryan Kobel, 45, CEO of TC BioPharm, suffered a concussion and required seven staples and four stitches after being headbutted and punched by Uber driver Vadim Uliumdzhiev , a 42-year-old Russian national living in the United States illegally.
The incident took place in April after Kobel and his girlfriend had dinner at Maison, a French restaurant on King Street. Uliumdzhiev refused to allow Kobel’s licensed service dog, a 17-pound goldendoodle, into his car.
When Kobel asked to cancel the ride, the driver stormed out of his Audi SUV and attacked him.
Surveillance footage showed Kobel being knocked to the ground alongside his pet.
Russian national illegal alien uber driver knocks out his passenger to the ground then drives off pic.twitter.com/XuaTnkdUcU
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) August 22, 2025
“I woke up in a hospital bed with seven staples in my head and four stitches,” Kobel was quoted as saying by the New York Post. “It’s been a brutal experience to this day.” He later described weeks of memory loss, speech difficulties and vision issues.
“It was about 60 days before I could really have some semblance of a normal life,” he said, as reported by Fox News.
Witnesses rushed to call 911, with one male caller telling operators: “He’s bleeding very badly in the back of the head. We’re going to need an ambulance. … There’s a gazillion witnesses.”
Uliumdzhiev was arrested on charges of second-degree assault and battery, records show. After posting a $10,000 bond, he was transferred to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Georgia once officials confirmed he was in the country unlawfully.
Authorities later told Kobel the driver had used a fake licence to gain access to Uber’s platform.
As per Fox News, Uliumdzhiev even picked up another Uber passenger just two minutes after fleeing the scene. Kobel also claimed his own account was suspended and later deactivated by Uber following the attack, despite him submitting hospital and police records.
As per Fox News, Kobel is now suing Uber and its subsidiary Raiser, accusing the rideshare giant of gross negligence and of putting profits over passenger safety. “Uber let a wolf into the henhouse,” he said in a statement cited by Daily Mail. His attorney, Kenneth Berger, added: “Riders rely on Uber to know who is behind the wheel. Instead, a man using a fake ID was allowed to assault a passenger and flee.”
Uber condemned the assault, saying, “There is no place for violence on the Uber platform. Uber is deeply committed to safety and complies with all applicable laws and regulations.”
However, the company has not explained how Uliumdzhiev cleared its vetting system.
The driver remains in federal custody, with a criminal case pending in Charleston County Circuit Court.
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