Uber ordered to pay $8.5 million in key trial over driver sex assault claims
By Diana Novak Jones
Feb 5(Reuters) - A federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber UBER.N on Thursday to pay $8.5 million after finding it liable in a lawsuit brought by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver, a verdict that could influence thousands of similar cases against the ride-hailing company.
The case, brought by plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, was the first trial – known as a "bellwether" – of more than 3,000 similar lawsuits against Uber that have been consolidated in U.S. federal court. Bellwether trials are used to test legal theories and help gauge the value of claims for possible settlements.
Dean, an Oklahoma resident, sued Uber in 2023, one month after her alleged assault in Arizona. She said Uber was aware of a wave of sexual assaults committed by its drivers, but had failed to take basic actions to improve the safety of its riders. Such assertions have long dogged the company, drawing headlines and congressional scrutiny.
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