Uber Technologies settled a federal lawsuit in Austin, Texas, less than 48 hours after jury selection was completed. The case was a bellwether trial in multidistrict litigation (MDL) consolidating claims from approximately 5,000 people who allege they were sexually assaulted by Uber drivers.
The plaintiff alleged that failures in Uber’s background-check process led to her 2020 assault by a driver who was later criminally convicted. During jury selection, Uber’s attorneys stipulated that they would not contest that the assault occurred.
The settlement terms are confidential. Attorneys for the plaintiffs are publicly urging Uber to pursue a global resolution for all survivors involved in the MDL, which represents a major legal and financial overhang for the company.