A U.S. jury on Thursday ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million after finding the company liable in a lawsuit by Jaylynn Dean, who says she was sexually assaulted by a driver when she was 19. The verdict was the first bellwether trial among more than 3,000 similar lawsuits consolidated in federal court to test legal theories and help guide potential settlements.
The Phoenix federal jury found the driver acted as an agent of Uber and awarded Dean $8.5 million in compensatory damages, but declined to award punitive damages. Dean had sought more than $140 million. Uber said it will appeal and noted the jury rejected her remaining claims that the company was negligent or that its safety systems were defective.
Uber’s shares fell about 1.5% in after-hours trading; rival Lyft’s stock was down about 1.8%. An Uber spokesperson said the verdict “affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety.” Dean’s attorneys said the ruling validates thousands of survivors who have alleged Uber prioritized profit over passenger safety. Dean, an Oklahoma resident, sued Uber in 2023, about a month after the alleged 2023 Arizona assault. Her complaint said she was intoxicated when she booked a ride from her boyfriend’s home to a hotel, and that the driver asked harassing questions before stopping the car and raping her.
Uber argued at trial that drivers are independent contractors and the company should not be liable for criminal acts outside the scope of their duties. Uber attorney Kim Bueno noted the driver had no criminal history, about 10,000 trips and a nearly perfect rating, arguing the assault was not foreseeable to the company.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who oversees the consolidated cases, handled the Phoenix trial. Uber also faces more than 500 cases in California state court; in the only state trial so far, a jury in September found Uber negligent but not substantially responsible for a woman’s harm. Morningstar analyst Mark Giarelli said the verdict may prompt stronger background checks across ride-hailing platforms.
