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32
Uber Driver Brutally Knocks Out CEO With Service Dog In Shocking Video—Passenger’s Account Got Suspended
A biotech CEO from Charleston, South Carolina, has filed a lawsuit against Uber after a simple booking turned violent and left him injured and unconscious in a parking lot.
The shocking incident, which was captured on surveillance video, showed Uber driver Uliumdzhiev Vadim Nikolaevich knocking out TC BioPharm CEO Bryan Kobel as he held his service dog.
Highlights
- A biotech CEO has filed a lawsuit after his Uber booking ended in a shocking parking lot assault.
- Surveillance footage captured the driver head-butting the CEO as he held his service dog.
- The victim, who was left with a brain injury, is calling on Uber to strengthen rider safety.
Kobel ended up being rushed to the hospital with a brain injury, which left him unable to do his duties properly for months.
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The violent assault was caught on camera as Kobel held his service dog
Image credits: The Law Office of Kenneth Berger
According to Kobel, 45, he had canceled his Uber ride in April from a French restaurant, Maison, when the driver refused to allow his service dog into the vehicle, an Audi SUV.
Kobel recalled that his exchange with the driver was brief. But just moments later, as he stood in the parking lot of a Charleston restaurant with his 17-pound golden doodle, Nikolaevich, 42, exited the vehicle and charged at him.
Disturbing footage showed Nikolaevich aggressively approaching Kobel before head-butting and punching him with enough force to knock him unconscious, according to theNew York Post.
Image credits: TC BioPharm
The impact left Kobel bleeding from the head while his dog tumbled to the ground beside him.
Horrified witnesses rushed to help and called 911, with one caller telling dispatchers, “He’s bleeding very badly in the back of the head. We’re going to need an ambulance. Send the police. … There’s a gazillion witnesses.”
When Kobel regained consciousness, he was in a hospital bed with seven staples in his head and four stitches.
Biotech CEO knocked out by illegal immigrant Uber driver in Charleston, SC, filed lawsuit against Uber. pic.twitter.com/5RjHCYNTAo
— Laszlo Varga (@LaszloRealtor) August 21, 2025
“The next thing I know, I’m waking up in a hospital bed with seven staples in my head and four stitches. It’s been a brutal experience to this day,” Kobel said.
Doctors confirmed a concussion and scarring, and the TC BioPharm CEO later shared that the brain injury caused memory loss and difficulty speaking in the weeks that followed.
“My job involves a lot of public speaking, and I was unsure whether I would be able to do that again,” he said.
Image credits: Charleston Guru
“I wondered, am I ever going to be the person I was before? And that’s a very scary thought.”
Kobel’s lawsuit, filed in Charleston County Court, has accused Uber of negligence in screening and monitoring its drivers.
“Uber hides behind a thin veil of legalese to protect their riders. Frankly, it’s fake. The company needs to make substantial changes on how it protects riders,” Kobel said.
Image credits: Unsplash
Charleston County Sheriff’s Office records revealed that Nikolaevich was later arrested for second-degree assault and battery, but he was released on a $10,000 bond.
Kobel’s lawsuit alleges that Uber is failing to protect riders
While the attack itself was traumatizing, Kobel later learned some details that made his encounter with the violent driver even worse.
Image credits: The Law Office of Kenneth Berger
As it turned out, Nikolaevich had been working forUber with a fraudulent license. He was also undocumented.
“Uber has to take more accountability for its drivers. They’re opening the door to mayhem.”
“Uber let a wolf into the henhouse. They allowed a man who was in a country illegally, a Russian national with a fake license, go through their background check and snake his way in and then have what was nothing more than a violent outburst for no reason,” Kobel said.
Image credits: The Law Office of Kenneth Berger
Kobel said the most disturbing part was that, after leaving him bleeding in the lot, thedriver immediately picked up another passenger, according to aFox News report.
“This man violently assaults me, leaves me effectively bleeding out from my head in a parking lot, speeds off, and picks somebody up two minutes later,” the CEO stated.
Adding to the frustration, Kobel claimed that Uber suspended and deactivated hisaccount within days of the incident, despite him providing hospital records and police documents.
Image credits: Charleston County Detention Center
“When I left the hospital, my account had been suspended, and within 48 hours, it had been deactivated.
“Despite me sharing hospital records, police records, the detective’s name and phone number, and images of the assault, Uber chose to effectively victim-blame me and vilify me,” he said.
Uber condemned the incident, though Kobel’s attorney says the ride-hailing giant should do better
Image credits: Fox News
Uber issued a statement condemning the violence but declined to discuss the lawsuit directly.
“There is no place for violence on the Uber platform,” the company said. “While we can’t comment on pending litigation, Uber is deeply committed to safety and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations around worker eligibility.”
The company added that it screens drivers using background checks, social security numbers, and driver’s licenses, but it did not explain how the driver in question slipped through the cracks.
More: Illegal alien and Russian national working as @uber driver knocks out customer who has now filed a lawsuit. https://t.co/Z98S3FICmqpic.twitter.com/1humSO7d6W
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) August 21, 2025
Kenneth Berger, Kobel’s attorney, for his part, stated that Uber must do better to ensure its riders’ safety because it provides an essentialservice to people.
“Riders rely on Uber to know who is behind the wheel. We’re seeking answers and accountability for how an undocumented individual using a fraudulent ID was able to access Uber’s platform, assault a passenger and flee.
“Publicly traded companies that profit from public trust must have screening and real-time identity systems that actually protect people,” Berger said.
Netizens weighed in on the CEO’s violent experience with his Uber driver on social media
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What do you think ?
Ol' Stevie 3 months ago
It is incredibly easy and surprisingly common to leave someone tetraplegic, in a vegetative state, or in a pine box by punching them. Even if you've the build and strength of an earthworm, couldn't punch your way out of a wet paper bag, or can't hit someone without causing more harm to yourself than to them. ll it takes is for them to lose balance, fall, and hit their head on the concrete and that's a whole lot of lives ruined - and for what? Because someone said something you didn't like?
Nils Skirnir 3 months ago
TBI’s (and yes grammar mavens, apostrophes are used after plural initialisms) have many long term consequences. These include the above, but also, migraines, infarcts, TIA’s, etc
Load More Replies...
Zaach 3 months ago
CrimsonLee - you are pretty clueless, aren't you. Just because there were no service animals back in the day does not mean they weren't needed.
Marnie 3 months ago
I'm nearing 60, and I've known of service dogs since I was little.
Load More Replies...
SteelyDan 3 months ago
In 2014-2016, I drove for both Lyft & Uber. After some experience, Lyft added me as a “Mentor,” meaning that I met prospective drivers, inspected their car & documents/ID and did a test drive with them. I could reject a driver for any reason, even just a poor vibe. I rejected about 20% of the 1000+ drivers I met. Without fail, most of them were already driving for Uber, despite the fact that they didn’t even match the ID they were using or were totally creepy. Sometimes it wasn’t even a close call. Lyft was definitely safer back then. Oct. 2016, Lyft ended the mentor program and just started activating drivers without a meet or inspection, just like Uber did/does. Now neither of them are safe, imo
UKDeek 3 months ago
On the facts presented, it looks like both parties have some level of blame here. The customer (the CEO) may have been trying to bypass the animals rule by stating the dog is a service animal. This fact can be debated until the cows come home, but it certainly seems like a root cause here. I suspect that some sort of discussion occurred regarding the dog. The Uber driver had the opportunity to do the right thing and walk away - there was no need to escalate the situation. Yes, it could have led to some unpleasant back and forth and accusations, but certainly better than the outcome that was reached.
Ken Smith 3 months ago
As the Customer is always right, Mostly, we do not knew what led to this, there seems to be a lot about the "Service Dog" but no explanation why the dog is needed so is it just a dog? The guy seems to be in a top job, says he a speaker so confident. There's too much missing to know the issue, why did Uber block the customer? I assume there's a different story from the Drivers side, Its easy to blame the imigrant, and if he's illegal he should go like the rest but that's not the reason for the conflict, or is it?
Marnie 3 months ago
A few us actual thinking people saw immediately that Uber and Lyft would eventually make hiring a driver a much less rewarding experience - for riders and drivers. They are awful and I blame every idiot who chose to use them instead of a Taxi back before the well--run and regulated Taxi companies were forced out of business.
Antonio Pinocchio 3 months ago (edited)
I would like to hear the drivers perspective of the situation and what was said to make them lose there cool like that. If i were undocumented and working in a position like that, I would try my best to stay under radar. so the CEO likely said something very significant that caused the driver to lose consideration of any repercussions. The only one i feel for at the moment is the dog. not the driver, or the CEO.
martin734 3 months ago
There is absolutely nothing in that video that justifies that level of violence.
Load More Replies... Ol' Stevie 3 months ago
It is incredibly easy and surprisingly common to leave someone tetraplegic, in a vegetative state, or in a pine box by punching them. Even if you've the build and strength of an earthworm, couldn't punch your way out of a wet paper bag, or can't hit someone without causing more harm to yourself than to them. ll it takes is for them to lose balance, fall, and hit their head on the concrete and that's a whole lot of lives ruined - and for what? Because someone said something you didn't like?
Nils Skirnir 3 months ago
TBI’s (and yes grammar mavens, apostrophes are used after plural initialisms) have many long term consequences. These include the above, but also, migraines, infarcts, TIA’s, etc
Load More Replies... Zaach 3 months ago
CrimsonLee - you are pretty clueless, aren't you. Just because there were no service animals back in the day does not mean they weren't needed.
Marnie 3 months ago
I'm nearing 60, and I've known of service dogs since I was little.
Load More Replies... SteelyDan 3 months ago
In 2014-2016, I drove for both Lyft & Uber. After some experience, Lyft added me as a “Mentor,” meaning that I met prospective drivers, inspected their car & documents/ID and did a test drive with them. I could reject a driver for any reason, even just a poor vibe. I rejected about 20% of the 1000+ drivers I met. Without fail, most of them were already driving for Uber, despite the fact that they didn’t even match the ID they were using or were totally creepy. Sometimes it wasn’t even a close call. Lyft was definitely safer back then. Oct. 2016, Lyft ended the mentor program and just started activating drivers without a meet or inspection, just like Uber did/does. Now neither of them are safe, imo
UKDeek 3 months ago
On the facts presented, it looks like both parties have some level of blame here. The customer (the CEO) may have been trying to bypass the animals rule by stating the dog is a service animal. This fact can be debated until the cows come home, but it certainly seems like a root cause here. I suspect that some sort of discussion occurred regarding the dog. The Uber driver had the opportunity to do the right thing and walk away - there was no need to escalate the situation. Yes, it could have led to some unpleasant back and forth and accusations, but certainly better than the outcome that was reached.
Ken Smith 3 months ago
As the Customer is always right, Mostly, we do not knew what led to this, there seems to be a lot about the "Service Dog" but no explanation why the dog is needed so is it just a dog? The guy seems to be in a top job, says he a speaker so confident. There's too much missing to know the issue, why did Uber block the customer? I assume there's a different story from the Drivers side, Its easy to blame the imigrant, and if he's illegal he should go like the rest but that's not the reason for the conflict, or is it?
Marnie 3 months ago
A few us actual thinking people saw immediately that Uber and Lyft would eventually make hiring a driver a much less rewarding experience - for riders and drivers. They are awful and I blame every idiot who chose to use them instead of a Taxi back before the well--run and regulated Taxi companies were forced out of business.
Antonio Pinocchio 3 months ago (edited)
I would like to hear the drivers perspective of the situation and what was said to make them lose there cool like that. If i were undocumented and working in a position like that, I would try my best to stay under radar. so the CEO likely said something very significant that caused the driver to lose consideration of any repercussions. The only one i feel for at the moment is the dog. not the driver, or the CEO.
martin734 3 months ago
There is absolutely nothing in that video that justifies that level of violence.
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