Uber/Lyft Rideshare Assault Mass Tort Marketing Campaigns

Both sides continue preparing for the next bellwether trial in the Uber sexual assault MDL scheduled to begin on September 30.

 
The case involves a plaintiff identified as Jane Doe QLF 001, who alleges that an Uber driver sexually assaulted her during a 2020 ride in Arlington, Texas.

 
Attorneys for the plaintiffs are seeking testimony from an Uber corporate representative about how the company selected the driver for that particular ride. Uber is attempting to block the deposition, arguing that the requested testimony is repetitive, burdensome, and largely concerns a safety system that did not exist when the ride occurred.

 
Plaintiffs also contend that Uber’s marketing to intoxicated women is relevant in the litigation but Uber is expected to argue that this evidence should be limited in the next trial, especially because the plaintiff was a guest rider rather than the account holder.

 
Uber already has lost two trials in the multidistrict litigation this year—one for $8.5 million in Arizona, and another for $5,000 in North Carolina.

 
As of August there were 4,397 lawsuits active in the MDL, an increase of over 450 from the last report. The total includes 831 cases that are described as pending resolution, as well as cases that Uber is trying to have dismissed.

 
Plaintiffs are pressing for a structured plan to move the remaining Uber sexual assault cases toward trial, settlement, or remand.

 
The sexual assault MDL involving Lyft includes over 70 lawsuits in federal court, an increase of about 20 from July.

The next sexual assault bellwether trial in the multidistrict litigation against Uber Technologies Inc. has been set for Sept. 14.

 
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of the Northern District of California scheduled the trial after rejecting Uber’s request for more time and its choice of bellwether cases.

 
The case, Jane Doe QLF 001 v. Uber, involves a woman who alleges sexual assault by her Uber driver during a ride in Texas in 2020.

 
Uber already has been found liable in two trials in the multidistrict litigation this year, one in which a jury in Arizona ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver, and another case in which $5,000 was awarded in North Carolina.

 
At last count, there were 3,427 cases in the federal Uber sexual assault MDL and approximately 778 cases pending in the California coordinated state court proceeding.

According to the most recent case count, approximately 3,057 claims against Uber are pending in the federal multidistrict litigation in the Northern District of California, while another 854 cases remain active in California state court.

 
Plaintiffs allege that Uber failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect passengers using the platform from sexual assault and other misconduct by drivers.

 
The next bellwether trial is scheduled to begin September 14 and involves allegations that a California woman was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver in 2022.

 
The parties continue to meet periodically with the settlement special master to discuss a potential resolution.

 
Lyft currently faces over 50 lawsuits brought by former passengers who allege they were sexually assaulted, raped, harassed or otherwise attacked by rideshare drivers, with hundreds more claims expected to be filed in the coming months.

 
In a pretrial order in the Lyft MDL issued on June 8, U.S. District Court Judge Rita Lin announced she was adopting a short-form complaint proposed by plaintiffs who filed a master long-form complaint, on which the short-forms will be based.

 
The option to file directly with the MDL court will dramatically streamline the process for women bringing new lawsuits over sexual assaults by Lyft drivers. It will also reduce delays linked with transferring complaints from various different U.S. District Courts nationwide, and allow parties to standardize information gathered about each claim.

 
The order gives plaintiffs the ability to file new claims directly with the MDL court in the Northern District of California regardless of where they live, seeking to make consolidated management of the growing litigation more efficient.

The Lyft sexual assault MDL is progressing through its early stages as attorneys on both sides build their cases. Plaintiffs’ and defendants’ attorneys filed a joint stipulation in early May asking U.S. District Court Judge Lin to allow more time for both sides to compile and review information for the litigation. The attorneys are working on ride receipts, Plaintiff and Defendant Fact Sheets, and a Fact Sheet Implementation Order.

 
Judge Lin also set several deadlines for the two sides, including a joint stipulation and proposed order for plaintiffs’ fact sheets in late May. The judge has scheduled additional case management conferences for June 25, July 15, and August 26, 2026. There were 46 pending claims in the MDL at the start of May.

 
Judge Lin has appointed Roopal P. Luhana of Chaffin Luhana LLP, along with Rachel B. Abrams and Aimee H. Wagstaff, to serve as plaintiffs’ co-lead counsel for the Lyft litigation. Luhana and Abrams have also served as co-lead counsel in the Uber MDL.

In the second bellwether trial in the Uber sexual assault MDL, a federal jury in North Carolina found Uber liable for a sexual assault by a driver in March 2019.

 
The plaintiff, Brianna Mensing, said her Uber driver grabbed her upper, inner thigh and asked if he could “keep it with him” at the end of a late-night ride she ordered through the company’s app.

 
Following a week-long trial, the jury in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina awarded Mensing $5,000.

 
It was the second consecutive defeat for Uber in the bellwether trials. Last year a federal jury ordered the company to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers during a 2023 trip in Arizona. The jury found that Uber was liable because the driver was acting as an “apparent agent” of the company during the incident.

 
Over 3,500 plaintiffs have filed lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation against Uber overseen by U.S. Judge Charles R. Breyer of Northern California.

U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who is overseeing the Uber sexual assault litigation in the Northern District of California, said the next bellwether trial in the litigation will begin with jury selection on April 13.

 
The trial will involve a lawsuit brought by a plaintiff identified as “WHB 823,” who claims to have been sexually assaulted by an Uber driver in North Carolina in March 2019 after ordering a ride through the company’s app.

 
Plaintiffs and defendants agreed that Daubert motions and motions for summary judgment would be due by March 10, with motions in limine due by March 13, and a joint proposed pretrial order expected by March 27.

 
In the first bellwether trial, a federal jury ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers during a November 2023 trip in Arizona.

 
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation determined that a separate sexual assault MDL involving sexual assault allegations against Lyft drivers should be established before U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin, in the same court as the Uber claims.

A federal jury has ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers during a November 2023 trip in Arizona.

 
The plaintiff alleged she was heading to her hotel when the driver stopped the car partly through the ride, entered the back seat and raped her.

 
The lawsuit asserted that Uber had long known that its drivers were assaulting passengers, and that it failed to implement the safety measures needed to stop this from happening.

 
The jury found that Uber was liable because the driver was acting as an “apparent agent” of the company during the incident. The jury did not find Uber liable for negligence or design defects, and it declined to award punitive damages. The plaintiff was awarded $8.5 million in compensatory damages, less than the $144 million her lawyers had requested. Uber said it plans to appeal the verdict.

 
This was the first bellwether trial for over 3,000 similar lawsuits against Uber that have been consolidated in federal court.

The first bellwether trial in the MDL involving allegations of sexual assault by Uber drivers got underway in an Arizona federal court.

 
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer rejected an attempt by Uber to postpone the trial, which stems from a lawsuit brought by an Oklahoma woman who says she was assaulted by an Uber driver in Arizona in 2023.

 
The woman alleges that Uber was aware of a wave of sexual assaults committed by its drivers but failed to take basic actions to improve passenger safety.

 
Uber argued that a recent public advocacy advertising campaign had unfairly prejudiced potential jurors by portraying Uber as refusing to implement basic safety measures to protect passengers. But the court declined to delay the proceedings or grant Uber additional discovery related to the campaign.

 
The outcome of the trial is being closely watched as it is expected to shape the direction and potential settlement value of the claims in the MDL, which now includes 3,078 pending cases, an increase of 129 from December.

Lawyers on both sides are preparing for the first bellwether trial involving plaintiffs who allege they were sexually assaulted while using the Uber rideshare service. Jury selection is set to begin on Jan. 13, 2026. The plaintiffs’ lawyers will be given 48 hours to present their case, and Uber will be given 32 hours to defend itself.

 
166 new cases were added to the Uber MDL during the month of November, bringing the total number of lawsuits to 2,949.

 
Uber filed a motion asking U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer to postpone the bellwether trial over what it called a misleading ad campaign that could prejudice potential jurors.

 
The campaign, sponsored by the Consumer Attorneys of California, reportedly stated that Uber receives a report about a sexual assault or sexual misconduct every eight minutes. Uber contends this is prejudicial and could improperly influence the jury pool.

With bellwether trials approaching in the Uber sexual assault MDL, attorneys for the two sides were reported to be meeting with a retired judge to conduct settlement negotiations.

 
The first federal bellwether trial, Dean v. Uber Technologies Inc., is scheduled to start on January 7, 2026, with five more cases to follow.

 
In the Dean case the plaintiff is an Arizona woman who claims she was raped by an Uber driver after the company had already received multiple complaints about him, including reports of lewd comments and sexual touching. The woman contends Uber never warned her about the driver and never took him off the road before the alleged assault.

 
The number of federal lawsuits consolidated before Judge Charles Breyer in the MDL stands at 2,804, with an additional 750 cases pending in state court in the Northern District of California. The settlement talks are aimed at heading off hundreds of individual trials over claims that Uber failed to protect passengers and carried out inadequate background checks on drivers.

A jury rendered its verdict in the first trial in California involving sexual assault allegations against an Uber driver.

 
After a three-week trial in San Francisco Superior Court, the jury found Uber not liable for the sexual assault of a woman who said she was attacked by her driver on a ride she ordered from the app. The woman alleged the driver assaulted her after pulling over on a side street.

 
Lawyers for the plaintiff said the jury found that Uber was negligent in terms of the measures it put in place to protect the woman’s safety, but that the negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the woman’s harm. Thus the company was not held liable for damages. The woman’s attorneys had asked the jury for between $175,000 and $1.2 million in compensatory damages for each year of her life

 
It was the first case to go to trial among over 500 lawsuits consolidated in California state court.

A bellwether trial against Uber got underway in San Francisco Superior Court, involving an alleged sexual assault of an 18-year-old college student headed to the San Jose airport in 2019. The woman claims that the driver started to grope and kiss her while she sat in the front passenger seat. He allegedly restrained her by her hair and attempted to take her pants off.

 
Lawyers for the plaintiff contend that Uber prioritized the company’s growth over the safety of riders. They add that Uber’s public safety reports left out many categories, and that internal data show thousands more sexual violence reports per year when all categories are included.

 
Plaintiffs furthermore allege that Uber declined to implement safety measures that would have helped to protect passengers from assaults by drivers. This is the first bellwether case in California state court among 600 lawsuits consolidated before Judge Ethan P. Schulman. The first bellwether trial in the federal Uber sexual assault MDL is expected to start in December.

After U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer rejected Uber’s attempt to dismiss all bellwether sexual assault lawsuits, the first trial is scheduled to move forward on December 8, 2025. The two sides have agreed on the first case: Dean v. Uber.

The plaintiff, an Arizona woman, claims she was raped by an Uber driver after the company had already received multiple complaints about him, including reports of lewd comments and sexual touching. The woman contends Uber never warned her about the driver and never took him off the road before the alleged assault.

Judge Breyer also ordered both sides to begin picking five additional cases for a second wave of trials. At the start of the month there were 2,513 pending lawsuits in the Uber sexual assault MDL, an increase of over 600 since May, as more plaintiffs allege that Uber failed to protect them from sexual assaults by drivers.

Sealed court records reviewed by the New York Times found that Uber received reports of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States nearly every eight minutes between 2017 and 2022, far higher than the company previously disclosed. The Times report also indicated Uber’s safety decisions were shaped partly by its focus on expanding its customer base, limiting legal exposure, and preserving its business model, which treats drivers as independent contractors rather than employees.

More plaintiffs are coming forward with sexual assault claims against Uber drivers, bringing the total number of cases in the MDL in the Northern District of California to 2,359 as of the start of July. That is an increase of 130 over the previous month. The litigation is expected to continue to grow, as plaintiffs allege Uber failed to implement adequate safety measures including conducting proper background checks on drivers.

One new lawsuit was filed by a Louisiana woman alleged that an Uber driver sexually assaulted her during a ride arranged through the Uber platform in 2024. She seeks compensation for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm suffered as a result of the incident.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer denied Uber’s motion to dismiss all claims in the MDL, allowing the first bellwether trial to go forward as scheduled on December 8, 2025. The judge did agree to dismiss certain aspects of the plaintiffs’ claims and one actual complaint out of six. But the plaintiffs were allowed to refile amended complaints, and the parties were ordered to each select a replacement lawsuit for the one case that was dismissed within the next 14 days.

Plaintiffs in the Uber sexual assault MDL took action to obtain background checks for the drivers accused of sexual assault, issuing subpoenas to Checkr and Accurate Background. To this point, the companies have refused to produce the records without a court order.

The judge has approved the parties’ choice for a Settlement Master to manage settlement discussions between Uber and the attorneys representing the sexual assault survivors. Their selection, retired judge Gail A. Andler, will attempt to facilitate negotiations about settling the lawsuits while the rest of the cases continue.

Over 200 new lawsuits have been filed, bringing the total number of cases in the MDL to 2,229. The plaintiffs include eight California women who filed suit in San Francisco against Uber Technologies, Inc., and its affiliated companies. The women allege they were sexually assaulted, harassed, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers during rides arranged through the Uber app.

The number of cases in the Uber sexual assault MDL before Judge Charles Breyer in California had grown to 2,062 by the beginning of May, an increase of 179 new filings from the previous month.

Judge Breyer selected six cases for Bellwether Trial Wave 1. These include claims from multiple states representing a cross-section of alleged misconduct by Uber drivers, including verbal harassment, unwanted touching, kissing, and sexual penetration. The first trial is scheduled for Dec. 8.

The judge also issued several rulings on discovery pertaining to upcoming Rule 30(b)(6) depositions, including a dispute over Uber’s deletion of data. Plaintiffs will be allowed to pursue questions tied to specific production gaps or documented retention failures but may not rely on hearsay, third-party claims, or material like Super Pumped to compel testimony. The plaintiffs contend Uber’s data deletion practices reflect a pattern of concealment, while Uber calls the requests for broad testimony on this issue speculative and overbroad.

Last month saw a surge of new claims, with 283 cases added to the Uber sexual assault MDL, the highest monthly case volume yet. It brought the total number of cases at the start of April to 1,883.

One of the latest lawsuits was filed by a woman from Kansas City, Missouri, who alleges she was sexually assaulted by an Uber driver during a ride in Florida in 2023. The suit says she was paired with her attacker through the Uber platform and that the company is liable for the assault under several negligence and vicarious liability theories.

Plaintiffs filed an objection to an attempt by Uber to prevent over 73,000 documents revealed during discovery from being used in court.  Uber claims these materials are privileged, meaning they cannot be used in the case or disclosed fully.

A total of 1,600 pending cases were recorded in the Uber sexual assault MDL at the start of March, with 38 new cases having been added over the course of February.

On March 11, the court issued Master Order No. 3, establishing strict procedures for how Uber must handle and log privileged documents in the passenger assault MDL. The order gives plaintiffs a clear path to challenge Uber’s confidentiality claims and ensures that depositions scheduled after April 10, 2025, can move forward without delay. This prevents Uber from stalling the discovery process and strengthens plaintiffs’ ability to access critical internal communications and legal assessments.

Later that week, plaintiffs filed amended complaints in all bellwether cases currently set for trial—unless a global settlement is reached first. These updated filings offer a clear window into each case’s facts, which range widely in severity and Uber’s potential liability. Some claims involve verbal harassment with no prior driver red flags, while others, like Jane Doe QLF 001, involve assaults by drivers with known criminal histories.

At the start of the month, a total of 1,562 pending cases were recorded in the Uber sexual abuse MDL, with 75 new cases having been added in the previous month. At least half of the cases in the MDL are California state court claims.

The court has issued Master Order No. 2 to streamline privilege disputes over attorney-client and work product protections. A special master is expected to oversee the process, and Uber is required to submit revised privilege logs and redacted documents before key depositions. Early deposition privilege issues will be addressed after the testimony, while later ones will be resolved in advance. Plaintiffs can challenge privilege claims through a structured process.

Later in the month, both sides submitted their proposed first trial cases.

The Uber MDL now includes 1,564 consolidated cases, with 50 new filings since December 2024. Over 2,000 lawsuits, including 513 in California state court, are pending. A status conference on Friday, January 24, will address the bellwether selection process, with parties exchanging choices by February 14, 2025, per PTO #21.

A new lawsuit filed by a Peoria, Arizona, resident identified as Jane Roe CL 95 in Arizona alleges that an Uber driver sexually assaulted her during a ride in Flagstaff on January 11, 2023. The plaintiff claims Uber’s inadequate driver vetting and oversight created unsafe conditions, directly contributing to the incident.

The court has also since rejected Uber’s push to limit discovery, requiring custodial documents through December 1, 2024, and allowing tailored discovery for later records. Attempts to delay depositions were also denied, reinforcing timely compliance and prioritizing accountability for policies impacting passenger safety.

By the third week of the month, the parties in the Uber sexual assault litigation have also reached an agreement on the production of U.S. Safety Report data, resolving prior access issues. Uber will provide comprehensive datasets on 375 incidents in phases, with final production due by March 14, 2025.

The Uber sexual assault MDL saw 48 new cases added in the previous month, bringing the total number of pending cases to 1,459 at the start of December.

In the Uber sexual assault MDL, the court rejected overly broad privilege claims, reminding defendants that privilege only shields documents primarily focused on legal advice. Business-related materials, including PR drafts and internal updates, must be disclosed. This decision reinforces accountability and challenges the misuse of privilege to hide sensitive but non-legal communications.

The court has also outlined a clear path forward: 20 bellwether cases will be selected by February 14, 2025, with amended complaints due by March 14, 2025. Discovery closes on September 22, 2025, and the first trial is scheduled for December 8, 2025. A global settlement remains likely.

By the end of the month, the plaintiffs had moved to compel Uber to produce marketing materials related to rider safety and driver background checks, citing alleged delays. Uber contends the request is premature, stating they are actively reviewing documents. The court will address the dispute in an upcoming hearing.

November 25, 2024

An Illinois woman has added her case to the growing MDL against Uber, claiming she was sexually assaulted by a driver in Cook County in November 2022. The lawsuit alleges that Uber failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect passengers, as has been echoed in numerous similar cases within the litigation. Meanwhile, Uber continues to resist efforts to disclose internal documents. The company argues that such disclosures could harm its business operations and reveal privileged information.

November 12, 2024

Uber has moved to seal certain internal documents, claiming that disclosure would compromise its competitive position and reveal private, sensitive information. The company asserts that the materials include strategic business plans, privileged communications, and legal tactics, which, if exposed, could harm its interests. Uber is opposing public access, even in redacted form, emphasizing the distinction between proprietary data and content that may simply be embarrassing.

November 1, 2024

The Uber driver sexual assault MDL added 65 new cases since October, reaching a total of 1,411, slightly below September’s 83-case increase. Meanwhile, a comparable number of cases remain active in California state courts, as Uber’s California residency allows plaintiffs to file there. Attorneys have yet to reach a consensus on the most favorable venue, leading to continued filings in both state and federal jurisdictions.

October 22, 2024

Plaintiffs’ attorneys and Uber are at odds over whether or not to reach out to former Uber employees during the investigation. Plaintiffs maintain their actions comply with ethical standards, avoiding individuals represented by Uber’s legal team or former in-house counsel. Uber, however, warns this could violate attorney-client privilege or NDAs, as some ex-employees may be represented or soon will be. While ABA guidelines permit contact with unrepresented individuals if privilege is safeguarded, Uber’s lack of clarity on which employees held privileged information raises additional challenges.

October 6, 2024

Plaintiffs are requesting records from Ballard Partners to support allegations that Uber’s lobbying influenced legislation to help the company avoid stricter safety measures. They claim these records could reveal how Uber shaped policies to benefit its business while minimizing the importance of passenger safety. According to the plaintiffs, the documents may show that Uber had knowledge of potential safety risks and that it misrepresented its commitment to rider safety. This evidence, they argue, is vital to proving that Uber placed its profits above the well-being of its passengers.

October 5, 2024

In the discovery conference overseen by Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros this week, the focus was on disputes over Uber’s document production and privilege logs. Uber agreed to validate its review of data from 20 custodians in line with the ESI Order. Plaintiffs continue to press for an audit to confirm inclusion of hyperlinked files and metadata. Judge Cisneros ruled that employee background checks and compensation details remain undisclosed without specific justification. Discovery deadlines are being extended as parties resolve issues collaboratively. Since the previous month, 83 new cases have joined the Uber driver sexual assault MDL, now totaling 1,346 cases.