Case Background
Tamia Cornelius, a resident of Palmer, Alaska, sued Safety Holdings, Inc., doing business as SambaSafety US, a Delaware corporation with a principal place of business in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SambaSafety operated as a consumer reporting agency that transmitted motor vehicle record reports to clients, including Uber. Cornelius droves full-time for Uber since August 2022. In May 2024, SambaSafety prepared and sold two driver record reports about Cornelius to Uber. Both reports incorrectly listed her standard driver's license as "Withdrawn." Uber suspended her account based on those reports, and Cornelius lost her only source of income. She filed suit on August 14, 2024, in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, asserting two claims under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The case proceeded to a jury trial, and the jury returned its verdict on February 20, 2026.
Cause
Tamia Cornelius filed a federal lawsuit against Safety Holdings, Inc., doing business as SambaSafety US, alleging violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681, et seq. The case centered on a driver record report that SambaSafety prepared and sold to Uber, which falsely stated that Cornelius's standard driver's license was "Withdrawn." Cornelius alleged that her standard license was valid and active at all times, and that only her Commercial Driver's License (CDL) was inactive because she did not undergo required medical examinations. A CDL was not required to drive for Uber.
Injury
Uber suspended and deactivated Cornelius's account after receiving the inaccurate report from SambaSafety. Cornelius worked as a full-time Uber driver since August 2022 and relied on it as her sole source of income. She alleged she lost thousands of dollars in income during Alaska's peak tourism season, where she previously earned approximately $7,000 per month. She also lost her "diamond driver" status on the Uber platform, which came with perks that allowed drivers to maximize profitability. Cornelius alleged she suffered emotional distress, anxiety, humiliation, damage to her reputation, and loss of sleep. She was forced to borrow money from her son to cover bills and living expenses.
Damages Sought
Cornelius sought actual damages, statutory damages, punitive damages, and reasonable attorneys' fees and costs under the FCRA.
Key Arguments and Proceedings
Legal Representation
Plaintiff: Tamia Cornelius
· Counsel for Plaintiff: David Chami | James Ristvedt | Tarek Chami
Defendant: Safety Holdings, Inc., d/b/a SambaSafety US
· Counsel for Defendant: Andrea M. Hicks, Esq. | Noah DiPasquale | Peter Cox | Timothy J St. George
Claims
Cornelius brought two counts under the FCRA.
Count I — Failure to Follow Reasonable Procedures (15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b)): Cornelius alleged that SambaSafety failed to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy when it prepared the driver record report sent to Uber on May 22 and May 27, 2024. Both reports listed Cornelius's standard driver's license as "Withdrawn," which was inaccurate. Cornelius argued that a cursory review of publicly available DMV records from Alaska would have revealed that her standard license was valid and that only her CDL was inactive.
Count II — Failure to Conduct a Reasonable Reinvestigation (15 U.S.C. § 1681i): On May 28, 2024, Cornelius disputed the inaccurate information with SambaSafety through its online dispute process. She provided supporting documentation, including updated DMV records. On June 7, 2024, SambaSafety responded that it was unable to investigate because she did not include sufficient information. Cornelius contacted SambaSafety again. On June 10, 2024, SambaSafety told her it was not permitted to re-run her motor vehicle record check. Cornelius alleged that SambaSafety failed to conduct any reasonable reinvestigation and failed to issue a corrected report to Uber.
Defense
SambaSafety denied all allegations of wrongdoing. It admitted that it transmitted motor vehicle reports to Uber but denied that it generated reports from any internal database. SambaSafety denied that the reports were inaccurate and asserted that all information communicated about Cornelius was accurate at the time it was reported. SambaSafety raised fourteen affirmative defenses, including that it acted in good faith and complied fully with the FCRA, that Cornelius's damages were caused by intervening causes or third parties over whom SambaSafety had no control, that Cornelius failed to mitigate her damages, and that her alleged damages were speculative. SambaSafety also challenged Cornelius's standing, arguing she did not suffer a concrete and particularized injury-in-fact.
Jury Verdict
The jury returned its verdict on February 20, 2026, finding in favor of Tamia Cornelius on both counts.
Count I — Accuracy of Information and Reasonable Procedures (15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b)):
The jury found that Cornelius proved by a preponderance of the evidence that SambaSafety reported information in her consumer report that was inaccurate or incomplete. The jury also found that SambaSafety failed to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of her consumer reports. The jury determined that this failure was negligent, not willful. The jury awarded Cornelius $40,000 in actual damages for SambaSafety's failure to follow reasonable procedures. The jury also found statutory damages were not applicable because actual damages were awarded. The jury awarded $200,000 in punitive damages to make an example of and punish SambaSafety for its failure to follow reasonable procedures.
Count II — Failure to Reasonably Investigate Disputes (15 U.S.C. § 1681i):
The jury found that Cornelius proved SambaSafety failed to reasonably investigate both her first and second disputes. The jury further determined that SambaSafety's failure to investigate was done recklessly or knowingly, not merely negligently. The jury awarded $40,000 in actual damages specific to Cornelius's reinvestigation claim. Statutory damages were again marked as not applicable. The jury awarded $400,000 in punitive damages for SambaSafety's failure to reasonably investigate Cornelius's disputes.
Total Jury Award: $680,000 — comprising $80,000 in actual damages and $600,000 in punitive damages.
Court documents are available upon request at [email protected]
