Jason Itkin: Transport company institutes nationwide background checks on its drivers

Inner Circle member Jacon Itkin, Houston, Texas, represented a mentally challenged woman.  This young woman lived with her parents because she was unable to care for herself.  A local clothing store agreed to hire this young woman to do very basic tasks around the store.  This job provided a tremendous sense of self-worth for this young woman.  The young woman was transported to and from work by a taxicab service that “specialized” in transporting disabled individuals.  The service was funded by the local government and administered by a private nationwide transport service.  The private company did not run background checks or have other safety policies in place to ensure that its drivers were qualified to ensure the safety of their passengers.  When Mr. Itkin's client was picked up for work one day, the driver diverted from his route, took her to a local park, and raped her.  After the sexual assault, the driver then dropped Mr. Itkin’s client off at work and acted as if nothing had happened. 

After filing suit against the transport company, it was discovered that the driver had an earlier conviction for sexual assault.  If a background check had been performed, this tragedy would have been avoided.  As part of a settlement for his client, Mr. Itkin arranged for the transport company to institute nationwide background checks on its drivers. They also set up an advisory board that his client was invited to participate on to ensure that the company reviewed and improved its safety procedures.  These changes greatly reduced the chances of another driver taking advantage of another vulnerable person.