Uber held liable, ordered to pay $8.5 million in driver rape suit
Uber signs are seen on cars in Krakow, Poland, on October 12, 2025.
Jakub Porzycki | Nurfoto | Getty Images
Uber On Thursday, the plaintiff was ordered to pay $8.5 million in the Arizona case, the first of thousands of lawsuits alleging sexual assault and abuse by drivers on the ride-sharing platform.
In the lawsuit, Jaylynn Dean alleged that she was raped by her Uber driver while returning to her hotel in November 2023.
The ruling found Uber liable for the driver’s actions and laid the groundwork for nearly 3,000 similar lawsuits that have been consolidated in federal court across the country.
The company was not ordered to pay punitive damages.
Lawyers representing Uber and Dean did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
The ride-hailing company said drivers classified as contractors on its platform should not be held responsible for their abuses.
last year, The New York Times reported It was stated that Uber received more than 400,000 reports of sexual assault and abuse between 2017 and 2022, which is much more than the company announced. In a report published last August, Uber said serious sexual assaults were occurring on the platform. down 44%.
Uber has taken steps to address security on the platform and implemented new features such as an in-app emergency button and password verification. In July, Uber piloted a program in the U.S. that allows female drivers and passengers to opt out of being matched with a man.
Rideshare rival Lyft he also faced lawsuits related to sexual assault and harassment.
