Jury finds Uber liable for s3xual assault, orders $8.5m damages

A federal jury in Phoenix, United States has found Uber liable for the sexual assault of a passenger, ordering the company to pay $8.5 million in damages to Jaylynn Dean, who said she was raped by her Uber driver during a ride to her hotel in November 2023.

The verdict is the first in what could become a defining legal battle for the ride-hailing company, as more than 3,000 similar cases have been consolidated in US federal court. Legal experts say the ruling may influence how courts assess Uber’s responsibility for the actions of drivers using its platform.

Uber has consistently argued that it cannot be held responsible for the criminal conduct of individual drivers, maintaining that they operate as independent contractors rather than employees of the company.

However, attorneys representing the plaintiffs said the jury reviewed extensive evidence about Uber’s safety practices and concluded that the company bears responsibility for how its platform is structured and managed.

READ ALSO: SERAP petitions CCB over ‘alleged abuse of office in Electoral Act amendment, tax reform laws’

“Today’s 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,” said Sarah London, co-lead and liaison counsel for the plaintiffs.

Uber’s most recent US safety report disclosed that the company received 12,522 reports of sexual assault between 2017 and 2022, with nearly 70 percent of the reports made against drivers.

In response to the ruling, Uber spokesperson Matt Kallman said the company intends to appeal the decision, adding that Uber has invested significantly in rider safety and will continue to prioritise it across its platform.

The post Jury finds Uber liable for s3xual assault, orders $8.5m damages appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Top Stories from Ripples Nigeria.