February 6, 2026
More than 3,000 women have filed suits against the company with claims of sexual violence but Uber alleges 99.9% of trips between 2021 and 2022 ended without reported safety concerns.
A federal jury in Phoenix is being celebrated for awarding a victim $8.5 million by Uber after claims she suffered a rape at the hands of one of the company’s drivers, The New York Times reported.
The popular ride-sharing company long rejected accusations of being liable for the driver misconduct, as drivers are labeled as independent contractors, not employees. However, the jury said otherwise, setting a tone for other pending sexual assault and sexual misconduct lawsuits, accusing the company of failing systemic safety measures.
The victim, Jaylynn Dean, pinned the lawsuit on Uber after claiming her driver raped her in November 2023 during a ride to her hotel from her boyfriend’s apartment. While she didn’t win her intended $114 million award, Dean said the suit is about making “sure it doesn’t happen to other women.” “I’m doing this for other women who thought the same thing I did, that they were making the safe and smart choice — but that, you know, there are risks of being assaulted,” she said from the witness stand.
Dean has had to think back to the heinous details of that night, where she said the driver pulled into a dark parking lot, climbed into the back seat, and raped her, describing “dozing in and out of consciousness” and not being able to stop the driver. After reporting the incident, Uber banned the unnamed driver, but he never faced criminal charges, nor was he named in the litigation.
While Uber alleges the highly rated assailant had no criminal history and was aware of the company’s rule of banning sex between drivers and passengers, Dean suffered. On the night in question, she was celebrating passing her flight attendant test, but has since abandoned the career path and has a fear of the dark, admitting it takes her back to that night.
Uber has faced mass criticism from lawmakers, investors, and more, attempting to hold them accountable for a consistent pattern of sexual violence during rides. The company was found not responsible in September 2025 by a California jury in a state court case related to sexual assault that a woman claimed she experienced during a 2016 ride.
According to ABC News Bakersfield, more than 3,000 women have filed suits against the company with claims of sexual violence. But Uber alleges 99.9% of trips between 2021 and 2022 ended without reported safety concerns. The number is still high, coming to a total of 2,717 incidents of sexual assault or misconduct, which Uber says represents roughly one in every 700,000 trips.
Following the verdict, Uber announced plans to appeal, saying it “acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety.” Chief product officer, Sachin Kansal, agreed with the sentiment, even pushing back on claims that the company “dragged its feet” on adding safety features such as dashcams — but had no problem saying, “I’ll be the first one to say we have not done enough.”
“There’s a lot more that we have to do,” he said.
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