Uber ordered to pay woman $8.5M in first trial over

Uber ordered to pay woman $8.5M in first trial over

A federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber on Thursday to pay $8.5 million after discovering it liable in a lawsuit introduced by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver, a verdict that might affect 1000’s of comparable circumstances against the ride-hailing company.

The case, introduced by plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, was the first trial – generally known as a “bellwether” – of more than 3,000 comparable lawsuits against Uber that have been consolidated in federal courtroom. Bellwether trials are used to take a look at authorized theories and assist gauge the worth of claims for potential settlements.

The jury discovered that the driver was an agent of Uber, so the company was accountable for his actions. They awarded Dean $8.5 million in compensatory damages however declined to award punitive damages. Attorneys for Dean had sought more than $140 million in damages.

The case, introduced by plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, was the first trial – generally known as a “bellwether” – of more than 3,000 comparable lawsuits against Uber that have been consolidated in federal courtroom. REUTERS

In a press release, an Uber spokesperson famous that the jury rejected Dean’s other claims, that the company was negligent or that its security programs had been faulty, including that the company plans to enchantment. “This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety,” the spokesperson said.

Sarah London, an lawyer for Dean, said the verdict “validates the thousands of survivors who have come forward at great personal risk to demand accountability against Uber for its focus on profit over passenger safety.”

Uber shares fell 0.5% in prolonged buying and selling following announcement of the verdict.

Dean, an Oklahoma resident, sued Uber in 2023, one month after her alleged assault in Arizona. She said Uber was conscious of a wave of sexual assaults dedicated by its drivers, however had failed to take basic actions to enhance the security of its riders. Such assertions have lengthy dogged the company, drawing headlines and congressional scrutiny.

Alexandra Walsh, an lawyer for Dean, said during the trial’s closing arguments that Uber had marketed itself as a protected possibility for women touring at evening, notably if they’d been ingesting.

An Uber spokesperson famous that the jury rejected Dean’s other claims, that the company was negligent or that its security programs had been faulty, including that the company plans to enchantment. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, above. Getty Images

“Women know it’s a dangerous world. We know about the risk of sexual assault,” Walsh said. “They made us believe that this was a place that was safe from that.”

Uber says not accountable for driver actions

Uber, which has confronted quite a few security controversies, including allegations of lax driver vetting and a tradition critics said prioritized progress over passenger safety, has argued that it shouldn’t be held responsible for legal conduct by drivers who use its platform, saying that its background checks and disclosures about assaults are enough.

Uber has argued that it shouldn’t be held responsible for legal conduct by drivers who use its platform, saying that its background checks and disclosures about assaults are enough. Diego – inventory.adobe.com

The company maintains that its drivers are impartial contractors fairly than staff, and that no matter their classification it can’t be accountable for actions that fall outdoors the scope of what might fairly be thought of their duties.

“He had no criminal history. None,” Kim Bueno, an lawyer for Uber, said of the driver during closing arguments, noting that he had 10,000 journeys on the app and an almost excellent rating from riders. “Was this foreseeable to Uber? And the answer to that has to be no.”

Dean’s lawsuit said she was intoxicated when she employed an Uber driver to take her from her boyfriend’s dwelling to her lodge.

The driver requested her harassing questions on the journey before stopping the automotive and raping her, Dean alleged in the lawsuit.

Uber is also dealing with more than 500 circumstances in California state courtroom. Rival Lyft is dealing with comparable lawsuits in each state and federal courtroom, Tada Images – inventory.adobe.com

US District Judge Charles Breyer, who usually sits on the bench in San Francisco, oversaw Dean’s case in Phoenix. Breyer is managing all of the comparable federal circumstances against Uber, which have been centralized in his courtroom in San Francisco.

The company is also dealing with more than 500 circumstances in California state courtroom. In the only one in every of those circumstances to go to trial to this point, a jury in September sided with Uber. The jury discovered that while the company had been negligent with its security measures, that negligence was not a considerable issue in inflicting the woman’s hurt.

Uber rival Lyft is dealing with comparable lawsuits in each state and federal courtroom, although there is no such thing as a coordinated federal litigation for those claims. Shares of Lyft had been down 1% after the verdict.

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