I hope this leads rideshare companies to better protect their riders. Women especially are so vulnerable. I'm glad the jury didn't buy Uber's argument that it wasn't responsible for the driver because he's an independent contractor, not an employee.
During the trial, plaintiff's attorney argued that Uber was aware of a wave of sexual assaults committed by its drivers, but had failed to take basic actions to improve the safety of its riders. Critics have made similar claims for years, drawing headlines and congressional scrutiny.
"A U.S. jury ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million after finding it liable in a lawsuit brought by a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver when she was 19, a verdict that could influence thousands of similar cases against the ride-hailing company.
The ride-hailing giant has long maintained that it is not liable for the misconduct of drivers on its platform, whom it classifies as independent contractors, not employees. But the jury rejected that defense, providing a road map for more than 3,000 pending sexual assault and sexual misconduct lawsuits that accuse the company of systemic safety failures.
This is the first trial in the multidistrict litigation brought in February 2024 in the Northern District of California against Uber Technologies, Inc., consolidating numerous claims from among the more than 3,000 sexual assault lawsuits filed against the company in state and federal courts. The lawsuits allege Uber prioritized growth over safety by using inadequate background checks, skipping in-person driver vetting, and failing to invest in preventive measures such as cameras or monitoring systems. It also claims Uber knowingly put vulnerable passengers, such as intoxicated women, at risk through its marketing and business practices.
https://archive.is/5wF6Z