A US court has ordered Uber to pay $8.5m (£6.2m) to a woman who said she was raped by a man driving for the ride-share company in a legal ruling that could influence the outcome of thousands of other cases against the company.
The federal lawsuit was heard in Arizona, where a jury deliberated for two days, before finding that Uber was responsible for the driver’s behaviour.
Uber said it intended to appeal against the verdict.
The jury rejected additional claims made in the lawsuit, including that Uber had been negligent and that its safety systems were defective.
The plaintiff, Jaylynn Dean, said she was sexually assaulted in the car, while taking an Uber to her hotel in 2023. She said Uber had been aware of a wave of sexual assaults committed by its drivers but had not taken basic action to improve safety.
I feel like I’m missing something.
Not saying that this didn’t happen, not saying that at all…but was there ever a criminal trial? Or, someone claimed rape and then Uber has to cut them a check for 8.5 mil? I feel like something has to happen in the middle but I’m not sure what.
From what I’ve found this part of the case is more about legal theory: is uber liable for criminal conduct by drivers? The jury said yes they are.
The sexual assault is still described as alleged in the articles so I think that part is still up for trial?
It’s alleged because the was a federal lawsuit, not a criminal trial.
The federal lawsuit was heard in Arizona, where a jury deliberated for two days, before finding that Uber was responsible for the driver’s behaviour.