A California jury has ruled that Uber was negligent in protecting rider safety but not legally responsible for the sexual assault of a female passenger who said she was attacked by her driver in 2016.
The verdict came Tuesday after a three-week civil trial in San Francisco Superior Court. The woman, identified as Jessica C., had sued Uber in 2021, claiming her driver assaulted her after pulling off to a side street during the ride.
Her attorneys argued the company failed to take proper safety steps that could have prevented the attack.
While jurors agreed that Uber's safety efforts were lacking, they decided the company's negligence was not a direct cause of the harm Jessica suffered, according to her lawyer, Celine Cutter.
According to Reuters, this was the first trial out of more than 500 similar lawsuits consolidated in California state court.
Another 2,500+ cases are ongoing in federal court. Jessica's lawsuit served as a "bellwether" case, helping courts and attorneys estimate how future claims might be judged or settled.
Her lawyers asked the jury for between $175,000 and $1.2 million in damages per year of her life since the assault. No specific amount was suggested for punitive damages.
In a statement, Uber said it has worked for years to improve safety:
"Uber has worked for years to raise the bar on safety, and will continue to do so in the years ahead," a company spokesperson said.
Uber found not liable in first US trial over driver sexual assault claims https://t.co/SpDuj3O2Ed pic.twitter.com/53dvTVemsD
— New York Post (@nypost) October 1, 2025
Lawmakers Press Uber on Sexual Assault Protocols
The case also brought attention to Uber's safety practices, which have been criticized for not doing enough to protect passengers.
Plaintiffs argued Uber knew that safety tools like dashcams or female-only driver options could prevent assaults but failed to fully implement them.
Uber maintains it should not be held liable for crimes committed by independent drivers and says its background checks and public safety reports meet legal requirements, USA Today reported.
In recent years, the company has tried to improve its image by launching new safety features such as video/audio ride recordings, in-app ride verification, and a Safety Advisory Board.
It has also pledged $10 million to organizations working to end gender-based violence.
Still, critics argue the changes are not enough. Uber's most recent safety report claimed a 44% drop in serious sexual assault reports from 2017 to 2022, but thousands of incidents remain on record.
A US House subcommittee recently sent a letter to Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, asking for more information about how the company handles sexual assault claims and rider safety.
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