CJ-2026-1419 - DAVID L. STRONG v. NEXT RIDE LLC

What's This Case About?

Let’s be honest: nobody signs up for a ride-share thinking, “You know what I want? A near-death experience with a driver who’s high, uninsured, and possibly running from the law.” But that’s exactly what David L. Strong claims he got on a seemingly ordinary day in Oklahoma City—except this wasn’t just a bad Uber rating waiting to happen. This was a full-blown vehicular catastrophe allegedly orchestrated by a company that may or may not exist, a driver who’s now dead, and a shadowy figure named Mehdi Abesi, who might be the puppet master behind a fleet of rogue ride-share cars… or just a guy who really likes LLCs.

David L. Strong, a resident of Cleveland County, Oklahoma, was just trying to get from point A to point B on January 7, 2026, when his life allegedly took a hard left turn—literally—on Northwest 36th Street near North Tulsa Avenue. According to court filings, Devonta Wilson, a driver for a company called Next Ride LLC, plowed into Strong’s vehicle while allegedly under the influence of drugs, driving recklessly, and possibly with the full knowledge that he had no business behind the wheel. The crash left Strong with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, emotional trauma, and a car that probably now qualifies more as modern art than transportation. But here’s where it gets juicier than a fast-food burger left in the sun: Devonta Wilson is now deceased, which means Strong isn’t suing a living, breathing defendant—he’s suing an estate. That’s right. The man who allegedly caused the crash is no longer with us, so the legal blame game has shifted to everyone else who might have handed him the keys in the first place.

Next Ride LLC, the supposed ride-sharing company Wilson worked for, is now one of the main targets. On paper, it looks like a legitimate business—registered in Oklahoma, with a principal address in Oklahoma City. But Strong’s lawsuit raises eyebrows: Was Next Ride LLC actually operating like Uber or Lyft, or was it just a name on a piece of paper? Because here’s the twist—Next Ride LLC shares a registered agent and address with another company, Autobahn Financial LLC, which sounds less like a ride-share firm and more like a German-themed investment scam. Both are linked to Mehdi Abesi, who, according to the filing, might be the man behind not one, but two companies that allegedly enabled a dangerous driver to get on the road. And that’s not just corporate overlap—that’s a full-blown corporate tangle, the kind that makes you wonder if someone’s trying to hide something… or just really loves paperwork.

The lawsuit lays out five distinct claims, each one peeling back another layer of this increasingly bizarre onion. First up: negligence against Devonta Wilson’s estate. Strong argues that Wilson wasn’t just driving poorly—he was driving like he was in a Fast & Furious audition, under the influence and with total disregard for human life. That’s the foundation. Then comes vicarious liability against Next Ride LLC, which basically means: “Hey, you hired this guy, so you’re on the hook for his mess.” It’s the legal version of you break it, you bought it—except someone else broke it, and the company has to pay.

But it gets wilder. The third claim is negligent entrustment—a fancy legal way of saying, “You gave a dangerous person the keys, and you knew he was dangerous.” Strong’s lawyers argue that Next Ride LLC and Autobahn Financial LLC knew or should have known that Wilson was a ticking time bomb on wheels, yet they still let him drive their vehicle. Did they skip background checks? Ignore prior incidents? Fail to train or monitor him? The filing doesn’t say, but the implication is clear: this wasn’t an accident waiting to happen. It was an accident they let happen.

Then—bam—comes the piercing the corporate veil claim against Mehdi Abesi. Now, this is not your everyday legal maneuver. Normally, LLCs are designed to protect owners from personal liability. You form a company, it acts independently, and your personal assets stay safe. But courts can “pierce the veil” if they believe the company is just a shell—a fake front used to dodge responsibility. And that’s exactly what Strong’s team is alleging: that Next Ride LLC and Autobahn Financial LLC aren’t real operating businesses. They’re shams. They’re alter egos of Mehdi Abesi, used to create the illusion of legitimacy while avoiding accountability. If this claim holds, Abesi could be on the hook personally—meaning his house, his savings, his vintage BMW collection could all be fair game. And honestly? If you’re running a ride-share company out of the same address as a financial LLC with no website, no app, and apparently no safety protocols, maybe you should be worried.

And finally, the pièce de résistance: punitive damages. This isn’t about covering medical bills or fixing a car. This is about punishment. Strong isn’t just asking to be made whole—he’s asking the court to slap these defendants with extra money to say, “What you did was so reckless, so irresponsible, that we need to make an example of you.” Punitive damages are rare in civil cases, and they’re only awarded when behavior crosses into the realm of “what were you even thinking?” territory. And based on the allegations here—handing a car to a drug-impaired driver, hiding behind shell companies, possibly ignoring red flags—it’s not hard to see why Strong’s team thinks this qualifies.

So what’s he asking for? A cool $75,000—plus punitive damages, plus fees, plus interest. Now, is $75,000 a lot? For a fender bender, maybe not. But for someone with serious injuries, ongoing medical care, and emotional trauma? That’s not an outrageous number. In fact, it might be low, especially if Strong’s recovery is long-term. But the real story isn’t the dollar amount—it’s the sheer audacity of the alleged setup. A ride-share company with no real oversight. A driver who shouldn’t have been on the road. A corporate structure that looks like it was designed by someone who watched The Wolf of Wall Street and thought, “I can do that, but with cars.”

Our take? Look, accidents happen. Drivers make mistakes. But when you build a business model on cutting corners, skipping checks, and hiding behind legal shields like a supervillain in a tax seminar, you can’t act surprised when someone crashes—and then crashes your whole operation with a lawsuit. The most absurd part? That anyone thought this setup would fly. Ride-share companies are supposed to vet drivers, insure vehicles, and follow basic safety standards. This sounds less like a transportation service and more like a “get out of liability free” card written in disappearing ink.

We’re not rooting for anyone to get rich off a tragedy. But we are rooting for accountability. If Next Ride LLC was just a name on a mailbox and Mehdi Abesi was running a one-man show with zero oversight, then this case isn’t just about David Strong—it’s a warning shot to every fly-by-night “company” trying to profit off the gig economy while treating human lives like disposable Uber receipts. And honestly? That’s a ride we’re all better off not taking.

Case Overview

$75,000 Demand Jury Trial Petition

Jurisdiction

The District Court of Oklahoma County, OKLAHOMA

Filing Attorney

ERIC J. CAVETT

FOSHEE & YAFFE Law Firm

Relief Sought

$75,000 Monetary

$1 Punitive

Plaintiffs

DAVID L. STRONG individual
Rep: FOSHEE & YAFFE Law Firm

Defendants

Claims

#	Cause of Action	Description
1	NEGLIGENCE AGAINST DEFENDANT, ESTATE OF DEVONTA WILSON	Plaintiff was injured in a collision caused by Defendant Devonta Wilson's reckless driving.
2	RESPONDEAT SUPERIOR/VICARIOUS LIABILITY AGAINST DEFENDANT, NEXT RIDE LLC	Plaintiff claims Defendant Next Ride LLC is liable for Defendant Devonta Wilson's actions as its employee.
3	NEGIGIENCE ENTRUSTMENT AGAINST DEFENDANTS, NEXT RIDE LLC AND AUTOBAHN FINANCIAL, LLC	Plaintiff claims Defendants entrusted their vehicle to Defendant Devonta Wilson despite knowing he was a dangerous driver.
4	PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL AGAINST DEFENDANT, MEHDI ABESI	Plaintiff claims Defendant Mehdi Abesi is liable for the actions of Defendants Next Ride LLC and Autobahn Financial LLC.
5	PUNITIVE DAMAGES	Plaintiff seeks punitive damages for Defendants' intentional and reckless actions.

Petition Text

938 words

THE DISTRICT COURT OF OKLAHOMA COUNTY STATE OF OKLAHOMA DAVID L. STRONG, Plaintiff, vs. NEXT RIDE LLC, an Oklahoma limited liability company, AUTOBAHN FINANCIAL LLC, An Oklahoma limited liability company, ESTATE OF DEVONTA WILSON, an individual, MEHDI ABESI, an individual, Defendants. FILED IN DISTRICT COURT OKLAHOMA COUNTY FEB 24 2026 Case No. CJ-2026- RICK WARREN COURT CLERK PETITION Plaintiff, David L. Strong, and for his Petition against the Defendants alleges and states as follows: PARTIES 1. Plaintiff, David L. Strong, individually, is a resident of Cleveland County in the State of Oklahoma. 2. Defendants are: a. Defendant, Next Ride LLC, an Oklahoma corporation with principal place of business and doing business in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. Defendant Next Ride LLC can be served at: c/o Mehdi Abesi, registered agent, 14800 Aurea Lane, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. b. Defendant, Autobahn Financial LLC, an Oklahoma corporation with principal place of business and doing business in and around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. Defendant Autobahn Financial LLC can be served at: c/o Mehdi Abesi, registered agent, 14800 Aurea Lane, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. c. Defendant, Estate of Devonta Wilson, was a resident of Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma, at the time of his passing. d. Defendant, Mehdi Abesi, is a resident of Oklahoma County and can be served at: 14800 Aurea Lane, Oklahoma City, OK 73142. JURISDICTION & VENUE 3. All acts complained of herein occurred in or around Oklahoma County, State of Oklahoma. FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION: NEGLIGENCE AGAINST DEFENDANT, ESTATE OF DEVONTA WILSON For his first claim, Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the foregoing paragraphs and state: 4. On or about January 7, 2026, on Northwest 36th Street near North Tulsa Avenue, in the City of Oklahoma City, County of Oklahoma, State of Oklahoma, Devonta Wilson, negligently, recklessly, and maliciously drove a vehicle under the influence of drugs, causing a collision with a vehicle operated by Plaintiff, David L. Strong. 5. As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the Defendant, Plaintiff has sustained serious bodily injuries, has sustained aggravation of all pre-existing injuries, has incurred and will incur future medical expenses, has suffered tremendous mental pain and suffering; has suffered property damage, and has incurred medical damages in an amount excess of $75,000.00. SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION: RESPONDEAT SUPERIOR/VICARIOUS LIABILITY AGAINST DEFENDANT, NEXT RIDE LLC For his second claim, Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the foregoing paragraphs and states: 8. At all relevant times mentioned herein, all of Defendant, Devonta Wilson, was an employee of Defendant, Next Ride LLC, and was acting within the course and scope of his employment and on behalf of Defendant, Next Ride LLC. 9. Defendant, Next Ride LLC, is responsible for the actions of its employees during the scope of their employment. 10. As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the Defendant, Plaintiff has sustained serious bodily injuries, has sustained aggravation of all pre-existing injuries, has incurred and will incur future medical expenses, has suffered tremendous mental pain and suffering; has suffered property damage, and has incurred medical damages in an amount excess of $75,000.00. THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION: NEGLIGENCE ENTRUSTMENT AGAINST DEFENDANTS, NEXT RIDE LLC AND AUTOBAHN FINANCIAL, LLC For his third claim, Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the foregoing paragraphs and states: 11. That at all material times mentioned herein that Defendant, Devonta Wilson, was operating Defendant Next Ride LLC and/or Autobahn Financial LLC’s vehicle with Defendant’s full knowledge, consent, and permission. 12. That Defendants, Next Ride LLC and/or Autobahn Financial LLC, did negligently entrust its motor vehicle to Defendant, Devonta Wilson, while Defendants knew or should have known that Defendant, Devonta Wilson, was a dangerous driver. 13. As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the Defendants, Plaintiff has sustained serious bodily injuries, has sustained aggravation of all pre-existing injuries, has incurred and will incur future medical expenses, has suffered tremendous mental pain and suffering; has suffered property damage, and has incurred medical damages in an amount excess of $75,000.00. FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION: PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL AGAINST DEFENDANT, MEHDI ABESI For his fourth claim, Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the foregoing paragraphs and states: 14. Defendant Next Ride LLC and/or Autobahn Financial LLC, are sham organizations used to perpetrate a fraud against the public or to otherwise deceive the public into believing that said entity provides legitimate business services. 15. Defendant Next Ride LLC and/or Autobahn Financial LLC, are the alter ego of their owner, Defendant, Mehdi Abesi. 16. Defendant, Mehdi Abesi, is individually liable and responsible for the actions of the Defendant Next Ride LLC and/or Autobahn Financial LLC, sham organizations. 17. As a direct and proximate result of the negligence of the Defendants, Plaintiff has sustained serious bodily injuries, has sustained aggravation of all pre-existing injuries, has incurred and will incur future medical expenses, has suffered tremendous mental pain and suffering; has suffered property damage, and has incurred medical damages in an amount excess of $75,000.00. FIFTH CAUSE OF ACTION: PUNITIVE DAMAGES For his fifth claim, Plaintiff re-alleges and incorporates by reference the foregoing paragraphs and states: 18. Due to Defendants’ intentional actions, reckless disregard for the rights of others and their gross negligence, and acting with malice, Plaintiff is entitled to punitive damages. PRAYER FOR RELIEF WHEREFORE, Plaintiff prays for judgment against the Defendants for both compensatory and exemplary damages each in excess of $75,000.00, plus interest, attorney’s fees, costs, and all such other and further relief that this Court may deem just and proper. Respectfully submitted, FOSHEE & YAFFE Law Firm Attorneys for Plaintiff ERIC J. CAVETT, OBA No. 22098 P.O. Box 890420 Oklahoma City, OK 73189 Telephone: (405) 378-3033 Facsimile: (405) 632-3036 Email: [email protected] ATTORNEY’S LIEN CLAIMED