Local singer sues Uber over crash

Houston country songwriter and singer Rich O’Toole, who was seriously injured in a crash while taking an Uber in Amarillo, has sued Uber and its driver for alleged negligence after the car in which he was riding was hit by another vehicle.

The February accident prevented O’Toole from headlining the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest the following week, according to O’Toole’s lawsuit, which was filed this week in state district court in Harris County.

O’Toole broke his neck, underwent emergency surgery and narrowly escaped permanent paralysis, his lawsuit says.

Uber maintains that the driver was an independent contractor, according to the lawsuit, but O’Toole argues that the driver was an employee of Uber.

Uber did not respond immediately to a request for comment this week.