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Jury Verdict in Uber Assault Case Explores Liability Issues
In a significant legal development, a federal jury in North Carolina has ordered Uber to pay $5,000 to a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by a driver she booked through the app. The decision, emerging amidst Uber's ongoing battle with thousands of similar cases, has intensified scrutiny over the company's liability.The recent verdict follows a high-profile Arizona case where a woman was awarded $8.5 million under similar circumstances. Both cases serve as critical 'bellwethers' for the broader litigation against Uber, possibly steering the direction of forthcoming settlements or mass resolutions.While Uber's defense categorized itself as a software entity, not a traditional transportation service, thereby diluting direct responsibility, the jury's ruling suggests otherwise. The company's attempts to highlight the plaintiff's mental health history were met with criticism, underlining calls for corporate accountability amid numerous safety controversies facing the ride-hailing giant. (With inputs from agencies.)
Jury orders Uber to pay $5,000 to woman who says she was attacked by a ...
By Tracy Connor You're currently following this author! Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email. Uber has lost back-to-back lawsuits after bellwether trials. Bloomberg/Getty Images 2026-04-21T01:10:31.637Z A North Carolina woman sued Uber after she alleged a driver assaulted her in 2019. The rideshare company faces thousands of similar lawsuits across the country. In February, Uber was ordered to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was raped. A federal jury in North Carolina has ordered the rideshare company Uber to pay $5,000 in damages to a woman who testified that a driver assaulted her, touching her inner thigh during a 2019 ride. Monday's civil verdict comes less than two months after a jury in Arizona found Uber liable and ordered it to pay $8.5 million to another woman, who said a driver raped her.Uber said in a statement that it plans to appeal."The jury's award here should further bring these cases back to reality, as it represents a tiny fraction of previous demands," it said, referring to the award amount."That said, we believe the jury was once again incorrectly instructed on the question of liability and have strong grounds for appeal on that important point."Both the North Carolina and Arizona cases were bellwether trials — test runs for more than 3,000 lawsuits across various jurisdictions that feature similar allegations.The results give both sides in the untried suits a sense of how juries might view their cases, which can inform the decision to proceed to trial or try to settle out of court.According to the Charlotte Observer, during the weeklong trial, Uber's attorneys zeroed in on plaintiff Brianna Mensing's history of drug abuse and suggested she had an unreliable memory.Her lawyer, William Smith, told the paper the verdict was a "great result.""Uber comes into court and tries to trash victims, but nine people sitting on the jury believed her," he said. If you are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673) or visit its website to receive confidential support. Uber Sexual Assault Read next
Federal Jury Awards $5,000 in Uber Sexual Assault Case, Sparking Debate ...
A federal jury in Charlotte, North Carolina, has delivered a verdict in the second bellwether trial concerning allegations of sexual assault against Uber Technologies Inc. The jury found that an Uber driver sexually assaulted a passenger in 2019 but awarded the plaintiff only $5,000 in damages.
North Carolina jury holds Uber liable for driver assault | Charlotte ...
The driver grabbed her upper inner thigh before dropping her off in Franklin County, north of Raleigh, the jury found. North Carolina law makes Uber responsible for that assault.
