A jury has determined that Uber must disburse $8.5 million to a woman alleging she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers. This ruling sets a potential precedent for payouts to thousands of other riders who have filed comparable lawsuits against the ride-sharing firm.
Jalynne Doe initiated legal action against Uber in 2023, asserting that a driver raped her during a trip in November. According to court filings, she accused Uber of failing to implement adequate safeguards to prevent such assaults, despite advertising “safe rides.”
On Thursday, a federal jury in Arizona concluded that Uber bore liability in the case, reasoning that the driver functioned as an “apparent agent” of the company during the incident. However, the court did not find Uber responsible for negligence or design defect and declined to award punitive damages. Doe was granted $8.5 million in compensation, falling short of the $144 million her legal team had requested.
Rachel Abrams, a partner at the law firm Peiffer Wolf representing Doe, characterized the verdict as an “indication of what’s to come.”
For several years, Uber has been engaged in a struggle against allegations connecting it to responsibility for sexual misconduct committed by its drivers against passengers.
Doe’s case served as the inaugural “bellwether” trial for roughly 3,000 similar lawsuits consolidated in federal court. Thursday’s decision functions as a “test case” that could assist both Uber and other plaintiffs in shaping their legal tactics and understanding the level of concession each side might be prepared to make, noted Alexandra Lahav, a professor of law at Cornell Law School. A comparable trial in California recently concluded with a different outcome—the jury in that instance found Uber not liable.
While verdicts in these indicator cases do not automatically dictate the resolution of every other claim, these proceedings can offer a guideline for future litigation in analogous matters. Collectively, Uber could potentially be compelled to pay tens of billions of dollars in damages if other cases yield results similar to Doe’s verdict.
“Because of Jalynne’s bravery, a worldwide corporation valued at over $150 billion will now be held accountable for the lifelong harm she sustained,” Abrams stated in a message to CNN. “We will not cease our efforts until Uber implements the necessary safety measures to shield its users from the perils inherent on its platform.”
Uber has consistently refuted accountability for assaults perpetrated by its drivers and has communicated its intent to appeal the ruling in Doe’s case.
“The jury rejected claims of Uber’s negligence and that our safety systems were flawed,” an Uber representative said in a statement. “They awarded an amount significantly below what was sought and entirely denied punitive damages. This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested substantially in rider safety.”
CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson commented that this case might herald “significant shifts.”
“If you are Uber, you are immensely concerned about future liability,” he observed. Jackson further suggested that Uber’s decision to contest the ruling in the Doe case could be a gamble, as a loss might provide plaintiffs’ attorneys in other pending cases with an even clearer path to victory.
Beyond the 3,000 federal cases, approximately 500 separate lawsuits against Uber have been organized in the California state court system. A California jury in September ruled that Uber was not liable concerning allegations of sexual assault against another passenger, marking the first state-level case to reach trial.
Contrasting the initial state verdicts with the federal case, Lahav commented, “We have two distinct results… this suggests to me that we will probably see more trials” before either party commits to settling the cases en masse.
A History of Ride-Sharing Sexual Misconduct Lawsuits
A 2018 CNN investigation uncovered at least 103 Uber drivers in the U.S. accused of sexual assault or battery against passengers over the preceding four years. A year later, Uber issued its inaugural safety report, which indicated 5,981 reports of sexual assault were received during 2017 and 2018.
The company’s most recent safety report, covering 2021 and 2022 data, documents 2,717 reports of sexual assault and misconduct. Uber maintains that over 99.9% of rides are completed without any safety incidents.
Uber has instituted various safety measures intended to protect riders, including functionality allowing users to share their trip locations with contacts, annual background checks for drivers, and an in-app feature to record audio during a ride. Last year, an option was launched enabling female passengers to specifically request female drivers.
Nevertheless, the company continues to face scrutiny regarding safety. In September, U.S. House lawmakers sent a letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi requesting a briefing on the company’s initiatives to prevent and address sexual misconduct by drivers. “We welcome the opportunity to meet with subcommittee staff to elaborate on Uber’s technology, robust policies, and expert partnerships that prioritize the safety of women,” an Uber spokesperson told CNN on Friday.
Uber’s competitor, Lyft, has also been the target of lawsuits alleging sexual assault or driver misconduct. Lyft promotes its own safety protocols and features, which it claims are designed to keep passengers secure.
Sarah London, a partner at Girard Sharp who also represents Doe, remarked that despite Thursday’s verdict, the “work is far from over.”
“The verdict validates thousands of survivors who risk coming forward personally to demand accountability from Uber for prioritizing profits over passenger safety,” she stated. “Thousands of cases remain, and justice will ultimately be measured by the outcomes of the ongoing litigation and whether meaningful safety reforms are implemented to protect future riders.”
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