"Uber Technologies Inc. was hit with $8.5 million in damages in a trial over a 19-year-old woman's claim that she was raped by her driver in Arizona, raising the rideshare giant's risk of a costly settlement to resolve thousands of similar cases. The verdict reached by a nine-person jury in Phoenix on Thursday is the first time Uber has been found liable for not preventing an alleged sexual assault of a passenger."
"The company faces almost 3,000 similar civil lawsuits from passengers filed around the country. The company prevailed in a similar case last year in California state court. Uber said it will appeal but also hailed some of the jury's conclusions. Sarah London, a lawyer for the plaintiff, Jaylynn 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."
"Bloomberg Intelligence has estimated that if Uber continues to fare poorly in early trials, the company may ultimately have to pay in excess of $500 million to settle more than 3,000 pending cases. Decisions in the first cases will be pivotal in shaping any broad settlement, BI litigation analysts Matthew Schettenhelm and Holly Froum wrote in a Feb. 2 research note."
A Phoenix jury awarded $8.5 million in damages after finding Uber liable for not preventing an alleged rape of a 19-year-old passenger by her driver. The verdict is the first finding that Uber failed to prevent an alleged sexual assault of a passenger and raises exposure amid nearly 3,000 similar civil suits nationwide. Uber said it will appeal and noted some jury findings. Bloomberg Intelligence estimated that continued adverse early trial outcomes could force Uber to pay in excess of $500 million to resolve more than 3,000 pending cases.
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