U.S. courtroom with flag

A pivotal trial alleging that Uber failed to protect its passengers from sexual assaults by drivers is now slated to get underway in January. Last week, the judge overseeing thousands of related cases officially scheduled the first federal bellwether trial for January 13.

The trial’s outcome will be closely watched, as it could have significant implications for thousands of similar cases. As of November, more than 2,700 Uber sexual assault lawsuits were active in federal court, making this one of the largest consolidated litigations in the country. Other cases involving Uber, as well as similar lawsuits against Lyft, are pending in state courts.

Since trying thousands of individual cases would be costly and time-consuming, bellwether trials play a critical role. Their results help both sides gauge the strength of their arguments and can influence settlement negotiations. Losses in these trials could prompt Uber to pursue a broader settlement for other pending cases rather than risk additional trials.

First Uber Sexual Assault Trial Showed Mixed Results

While this will be the first federal trial involving rideshare sexual assault claims, one case already went before a jury in California state court earlier this year. Its outcome was somewhat mixed.

According to Bloomberg, the case involved a passenger who claimed she was groped and kissed by an Uber driver. She subsequently dropped out of college and received treatment for PTSD following the incident. The jury ultimately sided with Uber, giving the company a significant early win in the litigation, but also found that the rideshare service had been negligent.

“In my opinion, the evidence against Uber regarding the lack of safety measures and reporting for sexual assaults is strong, and the jury clearly agreed,” Whitney Ray Di Bona, attorney and consumer safety advocate at Drugwatch, said. “However, Uber had strong defenses, including the fact that the accused driver had passed a thorough background check and received consistent 5-star ratings for years after the alleged assault, because the plaintiff never reported the incident. This evidence may have shaped the jury’s decision.”

The upcoming January trial will provide a fresh look at how similar claims, with different details, may play out before a jury.

Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits Claim Company Failed To Protect Customers

The growing number of Uber sexual assault lawsuits stems from claims that the popular rideshare service did not do enough to protect passengers from driver-related assaults. Plaintiffs allege that Uber has been aware for more than a decade that drivers were assaulting female passengers, yet failed to take sufficient preventive measures.

“Uber’s response to these ongoing sexual assaults by Uber drivers has been slow and inadequate and has put the lives and well-being of its customers at grave risk,” the complaint for the upcoming bellwether trial states.

The cases also focus on claims that Uber prioritized a speedy application process over proper safeguards, conducting “cursory and ineffective” background checks versus measures like fingerprinting.

Similar lawsuits involving Lyft are also pending, with more than 100 cases consolidated in California state court.