Skip to main content

Ex Taco Bell Exec Apologizes via Attorney for Drunk Attack on Uber Driver

By Ephrat Livni, Esq. on November 05, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Life is less than golden for Benjamin Golden. The ex-executive for Taco Bell who was filmed drunkenly hitting an Uber driver issued a public apology after the driver sued him, Taco Bell fired him, and prosecutors charged him criminally for the attack, according to ABC7 in Los Angeles.

The driver, Edward Caban, posted a video on YouTube of Golden falling over in his vehicle, being surly and uncooperative, and then finally hitting him in the head. The dashboard camera video, which also shows the driver pepper-spraying the passenger, garnered millions of views.

In Search of Work

Caban filed a civil suit and Golden faces criminal charges for assault and battery. Meanwhile, Taco Bell issued a statement about their former employee. "Given the behavior of the individual, it is clear he can no longer work for us. We have also offered and encouraged him to seek professional help."

Golden's attorney confirmed that he is seeking counseling and said that he did not know what he did to the driver because he was drunk. That said, he accepts responsibility for his actions, Courtney Pilchman said of her client.

Pilchman told CNBC Golden is "hugely remorseful and very upset that he conducted himself in the way that he did. He wants Mr. Caban to know how deeply remorseful he is."

A Civil Suit Against the Ex Taco Bell Exec

Caban, 23, filed a civil suit against Golden and says that he is living in fear of another attack. He told reporters that he is paranoid.

"I keep waking up in the middle of the night. I think I hear something. I keep the shotgun next to the bed now, and I'm honestly afraid he's going to come after me." Counsel for Caban said the lawsuit will promote driver safety and send a message to drivers and passengers that behavior like Golden's will not be tolerated.

Caban seeks $25,000 in damages for assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. He was driving for Uber full-time but is now looking for work.

However remorseful Golden may be, his attorney is not buying Caban's claims. Pilchman told CNBC that the driver's comment about sleeping with a shotgun "is so beyond ridiculous."

Follow FindLaw for Consumers on Facebook and Twitter (@FindLawConsumer).

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard