Uber Driver Sex Abuse Lawsuit

The popular rideshare company Uber (Uber Technologies Inc) is currently defending a growing wave of lawsuits brought by passengers claiming that they were sexually abused or assaulted by an Uber driver. The lawsuit assert that Uber was negligent in failing to adequately screen its Uber drivers before hiring them, allowing sexual predators to become drivers.

The Uber driver sex abuse lawsuits have steadily grow over the last 2 years and have now been consolidated into a “class action” MDL in the Northern District of California. On this page, we will explain the basic facts and legal allegations in the Uber driver sex abuse lawsuit. We will also look at who may be eligible to bring a case and what the estimated settlement payouts in these cases might be.

We are currently accepting new Uber sexual assault cases. If an Uber driver assaulted you, contact us today at 888-322-3010 or contact us online. 

Uber and Its Drivers

Uber Technologies, Inc., commonly known as Uber, is a global technology company that provides ride-hailing services through its app, allowing passengers to connect with drivers for transportation. Founded in 2009, Uber began in San Francisco and quickly expanded worldwide.

Uber operates in over 900 metropolitan areas across more than 60 countries, making it one of the most well-known and used ride-hailing platforms globally. Uber’s business model operates on a flexible contractor basis, where drivers are considered independent contractors rather than employees, allowing them to set their own schedules.

The fact that Uber’s drivers are not classified as employees, but independent contractors does not mean that Uber cannot be liable when they sexually assault a passenger. Whether the driver is an employee or contractor, they are still considered an “agent” of Uber when driving.

Uber Driver Sexual Abuse of Passengers

When you think about some of the common ways in which we use Uber rideshare services, its not very difficult to envision why sexual assault of passengers by Uber drivers is a major concern. Many young people use Uber late at night when they are too drunk to drive. This often puts them alone in a vehicle late at night with the driver. These gives the Uber driver the access and opportunity to commit sexual assault.

Over the past decade, Uber has faced an increasing number of complaints, public criticism, and civil lawsuits related to Uber drivers allegedly detaining and sexually assaulting passengers. Since the company’s rise to prominence, reports of such incidents have surfaced regularly, often following a troubling pattern: an Uber driver picks up a vulnerable passenger, but instead of heading to their destination, takes them to a secluded area to commit sexual assault.

According to Uber’s own safety data, the company receives between 3,000 and 7,000 reports of alleged sexual assault from passengers each year. Most of these cases involve claims of non-consensual sexual touching, while a smaller proportion involve more severe allegations, including forcible rape. However, it’s important to note that these statistics only reflect self-reported incidents by Uber, likely underreporting the true scope of the problem.

Allegations in Uber Driver Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Uber is increasingly facing civil lawsuits from passengers who claim they were sexually assaulted by Uber drivers. These lawsuits all make very similar allegations. The lawsuits allege that the company failed to conduct proper background checks and did not adequately screen drivers before allowing them to transport passengers.

Prioritizing Growth Over Safety

One of the primary overarching arguments in the lawsuits is that Uber prioritized rapid expansion at the expense of passenger safety. They claim the company deliberately streamlined the driver approval process to onboard new drivers as quickly as possible, using a background check system designed for speed rather than thoroughness.

The lawsuits further allege that Uber misrepresented the safety of its service, branding itself as a secure and reliable transportation option to attract customers—particularly those traveling alone. Marketing campaigns featured slogans like “safest rides on the road” and “a ride you can trust,” despite internal knowledge as early as 2014 that such claims were misleading.

Questionable Background Check Practices

The fundamental allegation at the core of the Uber driver sex abuse lawsuits is that Uber was negligent in failing to conduct adequate background checks and screening procedures for its Uber drivers. This claim is really the key to holding Uber liable in these cases, because ordinarily an employer is not liable for the intentional tortious acts of its employees. To hold Uber liable, plaintiff need to show that it was negligent and that this negligence led the to sexual abuse or assault by its driver.

As the litigation has progressed, plaintiffs and their lawyers have developed a wealth of evidence regarding Uber’s negligent screening and driver hiring practices.   Uber outsourced its background checks to a company called Hirease, Inc., which promised to process driver applications within just 36 hours. Unlike traditional taxi and livery services that used fingerprinting and FBI database searches, Uber allegedly bypassed these industry standards, allowing drivers with concerning histories to slip through the cracks.

At the height of its expansion, Uber was so focused on onboarding new drivers that it reportedly mailed cell phones to applicants so they could start driving before completing even the company’s minimal background check.

Uber’s Lack of Training and Oversight Put Profits Over Women

One of the most damning accusations leveled against Uber is its complete failure to implement the kind of comprehensive training and oversight that could have protected passengers from harm. This is not just a minor oversight—it’s a key piece of the legal puzzle in the Uber driver sex abuse lawsuits. Plaintiffs argue, forcefully, that Uber’s leadership not only neglected its moral duty but actively chose not to invest in programs that could have educated drivers on how to behave appropriately and professionally, particularly when it comes to vulnerable passengers.  When you put all your energy into getting drivers and little energy in protecting women…the outcome we got is really no surprise.

What we are seeing in these cases is not just a failure of individual drivers. There are a lot of drivers.  We all now there will be bad seeds.  This is different. This is a direct result of Uber’s corporate choices. The company’s refusal to institute meaningful policies and training programs has created a breeding ground for misconduct. Uber’s own actions—or lack thereof—have set the stage for sexual assault.  So it is not about a one-off mistake or a bad driver here and there. It is  about a culture of negligence, where the safety of passengers is an afterthought to profit margins. Uber’s background checks may be in place, but plaintiffs argue that the company has utterly failed to recognize that a background check alone—which was often also screwed up, our lawyers can tell you—cannot prevent misconduct from happening in real time.

Our focus is sexual assault. But this is about more than just the threat of sexual assault. Uber’s failure to create clear, enforceable guidelines and monitoring for driver behavior opens the door for all kinds of abuse—harassment, discrimination, and even violence. Instead of using data and technology to prevent sexual abuse, the company lets its drivers roam free, unchecked and unsupervised.

Uber Lawsuits Allege Failure to Protect Passengers from Sexual Assault

The lawsuits against Uber argue that the company failed to implement critical safety measures to protect passengers from sexual assault. Plaintiffs claim that Uber’s refusal to enforce a strict zero-tolerance policy on inappropriate behavior—such as making sexual advances or engaging in sexual activity with passengers—constitutes gross negligence. They allege that Uber allowed drivers to fraternize with passengers and engage in conduct that could lead to assault, a risk that could have been mitigated with stronger company policies.

Additionally, the lawsuits highlight Uber’s reliance on a flawed background check process. Unlike traditional taxi services, which—despite their shortcomings—have long used fingerprint-based background checks, Uber opted for a less rigorous screening method. This decision allegedly allowed drivers with histories of violent or sexual offenses to slip through the cracks, putting passengers at risk.

Plaintiffs argue that Uber’s negligent approach—failing to properly vet drivers and refusing to implement strict policies to prevent misconduct—created a dangerous environment that directly contributed to the rise in sexual assault cases involving its drivers. At the core of these claims is the assertion that Uber prioritized rapid growth and profits over passenger safety, a pattern that plaintiffs believe is central to the company’s failure to prevent these incidents.

Uber Driver Sex Abuse MDL

The Uber driver sex abuse lawsuits really started getting filed at beginning of 2023 and gained immediate momentum. In October 2023 all of the Uber driver sex abuse cases pending in various federal districts were consolidated into a new “class action” MDL (Multi-District Litigation).

An MDL is a legal procedure used in federal court systems to consolidate multiple civil cases that share common factual issues into a single district court. This process streamlines pretrial proceedings, including discovery and motions, to increase efficiency, reduce court costs, and ensure consistent rulings across similar cases.

Every Uber sexual assault lawsuit will have the same elements of what Uber knew about the sexual assault of its clients and what it did to try to keep women safe.  In the Uber MDL, pretrial discovery will be the same for all Uber sex abuse lawsuits.

This means that all future Uber sexual assault lawsuits filed in federal court will be automatically transferred to the MDL. Once in the MDL, the cases will undergo consolidated discovery. After that, a select group of representative cases will be chosen for bellwether trials. The outcomes of these test trials will serve as a benchmark to help both sides gauge potential jury reactions and facilitate settlement negotiations. The goal is to use these trial results to guide discussions on a broader resolution rather than litigating each case individually.

Settlement Payout Estimates for Uber Driver Sex Abuse Lawsuits

Most mass tort MDLs are ultimately resolved through a global settlement, where the defendant agrees to pay a substantial sum to settle all pending cases. Individual claims are then categorized into settlement tiers using a points-based system that evaluates factors such as the severity of the assault and the strength of the evidence. Higher-tier cases receive larger settlement payouts, while lower-tier cases receive smaller amounts.

Our attorneys estimate that settlement values for Uber sexual assault cases could range from $300,000 to $800,000, with some cases exceeding $1 million. The highest-tier cases, involving forcible rape with strong supporting evidence, could reach multimillion-dollar settlements. Meanwhile, lower-tier cases would likely involve less severe forms of sexual assault and receive lower payouts.

That said, this litigation is still in its early stages, and much remains uncertain. While our estimated settlement averages are speculative at this point, we are optimistic about the strength of these cases. We understand that plaintiffs want insight into potential outcomes, which is why we provide these projections based on our legal experience and analysis.