Uber Attacker Benjamin Golden Vs. Uber Driver Edward Caban: Who Will Pay Up?

In a tumultuous string of events, Edward Caban (Uber driver) and Benjamin Golden (Uber attacker) have decided to sue one another for damages. Friday Janurary 15, a viral video surfaced of Benjamin Golden physically attacking Uber driver Edward Caban in a drunken rage. In the video you can see Benjamin punching, slapping, and grabbing Caban’s hair and trying to ram his head into what looks like the dashboard. Here is the video of the attack courtesy of ABC News

Since the incident, Benjamin Golden (a form employee of Taco Bell Corp. as a brand manager) has been charged with assault and public intoxication, in addition to being fired from his job. He has taken to the media to plead his case, and seems incredibly remorseful. Here is what he had to say via new outlet Lex18.

“It’s not me in the video its not me and it was hard to watch. I’m ashamed and what’s taken me so long to talk to anybody is because I’ve been scared.”

“I lost my job I don’t have a lot of resources behind me.”

32-year-old Newport Beach man arrested for attacking Uber driver in Costa Mesa https://t.co/5dbmclF4ys pic.twitter.com/UP3ItRbT0o

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 2, 2015

Losing his job is one of the reasons why Benjamin Golden has decided to sue driver Edward Caban for an exuberant $5 million. The other reason is Golden and his lawyers say he was unaware he was being recorded.

“Golden’s lawyer says she will try to have it thrown out of his criminal case saying it was recorded illegally.”

California Penal code 632 states that a person cannot record a conversation without consent. However, it is not clear if that pertains strictly to audio recordings, video recordings, or both.

Edward Caban has a different side of the story. He told ABC7 News the following.

“He was grabbing my head and was trying to smash it against the window. He was very aggressive, he was swearing at me, he was fading in and out of consciousness.”

This is alluding to the very drunk and belligerent state Benjamin Golden was in during the taxi ride. In a recent Daily Mail article, Caban recounts the events of that night vividly, as he got the sense to immediately grab his personal can of pepper spray, and turned his camera inward to face the car interior. It is almost like he knew Golden was going to be bad news. Once Caban asked Golden to put on his seatbelt, that’s when things went from bad to worse. After going back and forth with Golden, Caban asked him to please exit the car or he would call the police. This is when things got physical. Once the attack started, Caban sprayed Benjamin in the eyes with mace, which caused Golden to quickly exit the car.

Caban is suing Golden for the substantially low amount of $25,000 for damages, assault and battery, and emotional distress. He seems to be struggling physically and emotionally since the attack

“I have barely slept since the incident, and am suffering from ongoing headaches I have become paranoid and having anxiety attacks daily.”

“I have no medical insurance, and am in desperate need to see a mental health professional, as well as follow-ups with a doctor.”

Caban has quit driving for Uber since the incident and has started a GoFundMe page to help raise $1000 to cover cost until the situation between him and Benjamin Golden is settled.

Since the incident it has been a tough road for both men, and now it has come down to the almighty dollar. Who do you think is more deserving? Do you think Benjamin Golden is the victim he says he is or should he receive harsher punishment?

[Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images]