Uber Driver Carjacked and Run Over With His Own Vehicle in Chicago

In February of 2026, CBS News reported that police had found a deceased Uber driver on the West Side of Chicago. This individual was carjacked and killed by criminals, and these incidents have become all too common across the nation. Uber drivers receive very little protection and are often targets for carjackers in Chicago. What can the families of deceased Uber drivers do? How can they recover compensation? Could a Chicago workers’ comp lawyer help?

Woman Faces Murder Charge After Fatal Carjacking Incident

At around 2:00 AM, neighbors found the victim unresponsive in the neighborhood of South Austin. First responders arrived and determined the man had suffered a traumatic, fatal head wound. They then transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead by medical staff.

Witnesses say that they saw the victim delivering food before being approached by two people. These individuals then stole his car and proceeded to strike him fatally with it. Some say that they saw the victim being dragged underneath his Uber vehicle, but local police would not confirm or deny these accounts.

The fact that only one person is in custody also raises questions. What happened to the second individual who was allegedly involved in this fatal carjacking? Whatever the case may be, it’s clear that the Uber driver was just trying to do his job. Reports indicate that he was in the process of delivering food to medical staff at a nearby hospital, who often order meals late into the night.

This particular hospital issued a statement offering its condolences. The defendant reportedly “smiled widely” in her mugshot, and she had eight prior felony convictions on her record. For whatever reason, she was out on pre-trial release in connection with another crime that had occurred two weeks prior. Questions will almost certainly be raised as to whether the defendant should have been behind bars.

The family is certainly bitter about the way things have panned out. ABC 7 Chicago later reported that a fight broke out between members of the victim’s family and members of the defendant’s family during a court hearing. The family also began raising money for the driver’s surviving partner and young son.

Can Uber Drivers File Workers’ Compensation Claims?

Generally speaking, Uber drivers are “independent contractors” and not “employees.” As a result, they are ineligible to file workers’ compensation claims in the same way as employees. That being said, you may have some success in pursuing death benefits if you can establish that Uber “misclassified” the victim as an independent contractor. You might also file a lawsuit against a third party who contributed to the fatal accident or carjacking in some way.

Can a Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Help Me?

While it’s true that Uber drivers are “independent contractors” under the law, this doesn’t necessarily mean that compensation is completely out of reach after a fatal work-related incident in Chicago. In this type of situation, the families of deceased victims may explore various legal options. These might include third-party claims, misclassification claims, and much more. Contact Connolly Injury Law today to learn more about these options.

Sources: 

cbsnews.com/chicago/news/person-in-custody-death-uber-eats-driver-daniel-figueroa-loretto-hospital/

abc7chicago.com/post/montoya-perry-charged-carjacking-killing-uber-eats-driver-daniel-figueroa-own-car-west-side-due-court/18648383/