Everything You Need to Know About the 2024 Uber Sexual Assault Class Action Lawsuit
The Uber sexual assault class action lawsuit involves numerous claims against Uber for failing to protect riders from serious incidents and harm, including sexual assault, kidnapping, rape, harassment, stalking, and other forms of violence.
The lawsuit represents the claims of many women across multiple states who have taken legal action against Uber for being sexually assaulted or harassed by their drivers.
According to the United States District Court Northern District of California:
“This is a Multi District Litigation (MDL) case involving whether Uber Technologies, Inc. and related entities (collectively, “Uber”) failed to implement appropriate safety precautions to protect passengers. The plaintiffs are former Uber passengers who were sexually assaulted or harassed by their Uber drivers. Plaintiffs bring various claims against Uber, including negligence, breach of contract, and product liability claims.”
Source: https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/breyer-charles-r-crb/ubermdl/
According to various reports, there have been over 10,000 reports of sexual violence in Uber.
Nearly 200 Uber sexual assault cases have been grouped together in one San Francisco court. This MDL status allows similar cases with similar questions of law to be handled at one time. The establishment of the Uber Sexual Assault MDL (Multidistrict Litigation) aims to handle consolidated cases efficiently, prevent inconsistent pretrial rulings, and save time and resources.
The MDL allows each plaintiff to receive a settlement based on their specific claim and damages, while individual and state-specific issues are not affected by the consolidation.
The litigation is in its early stages, with pretrial orders and documents establishing processes for the case to progress. Uber has already filed multiple motions to dismiss the case entirely, and you can expect Uber to fight the lawsuit for as long as they can.
As of the end of March (26th) 2024, pretrial motions are still being heard, and orders posted to the Northern District Court of California website created to track and follow the Uber Sexual Assault MDL.
Source: https://www.cand.uscourts.gov/judges/breyer-charles-r-crb/ubermdl/
Uber claims they have done a lot to “increase” safety for people using their ride share service. The following is taken directly from a report Uber published on December 5, 2019:
“Because intent alone is not enough, we’ve tripled the size of our safety team since 2017, with more than 300 professionals now dedicated to safety for our core rides business. And because we have one of the best technology teams in the world focused on safety, we’ve also added new safety features like our In-App Emergency Button, more rigorous background checks that continuously look for new criminal offenses and technology that allows us to check in with customers if we detect a potential crash or unexpected long stop during a trip.”
https://www.uber-assets.com/image/upload/v1575580686/Documents/Safety/UberUSSafetyReport_201718_FullReport.pdfSource: https://www.uber-assets.com/image/upload/v1575580686/Documents/Safety/UberUSSafetyReport_201718_FullReport.pdf
The Plaintiffs in the Uber Sexual Assault MDL however, claim Uber did far too little to respond to the reports of sexual violence among users of its rideshare program.
Bellwether Trials Not Scheduled as of April 2024
There are a lot of steps that must happen for a case of this magnitude to wind its way through the court system. In general, until Bellwether trials have been scheduled, you can consider this case to be in its “infancy.”
Bellwether trials are “test” trials that allow the case to be litigated to “see” what damages might be awarded to plaintiffs if the cases were all allowed to go forward one at a time. These bellwether trials help determine what an appropriate settlement if any might be.
It is common to see cases go through three, and occasionally four bellwether trials before settlement negotiations begin. But in most cases, if the plaintiffs achieve three large settlements from the first three bellwether trials, settlement negotiations are usually not far behind.
Summary – Uber Sexual Assault Class Action Lawsuit
All cases have been consolidated into an MDL in the Northern District Court of California. This provides an opportunity for these cases to be heard as a group, rather than one at a time. This saves time for the courts and offers a more expedient processing time for defendants (sometimes).
The Uber Sexual Assault MDL is still in the pre-trial phase. Bellwether trials, which are used to see what a jury may award in damages, have not been scheduled yet. It is common for three to four bellwether trials to be conducted prior to settlement negotiations beginning.
Plaintiffs claim Uber didn’t do enough to address the volume of sexual assaults occurring within its rideshare platform. Uber disagrees and offers evidence of the steps it has taken to help protect users of its rideshare platform.
Will we see a settlement agreement in 2024 on the Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits? This is unlikely since Bellwether Trials have not even begun.
Remember – some class action lawsuits have lasted over two decades (the Credit Card Processing Fee Class Action Lawsuit as an example)
More About Post Settlement Funding for Attorneys from Balanced Bridge Funding
Does Balanced Bridge Funding Offer Post Settlement Funding on the Uber Sexual Assault Settlement?
Balanced Bridge provides post-settlement advances to attorneys. We can fund in situations where a settlement has been reached but there will be some delay until contingency fees are distributed to the attorneys. This can happen in scenarios like waiting on lien resolutions or waiting for final approval from a judge, committee, or government entity, among other things.
The Uber Sexual Assault lawsuit is in its infancy, so it is hard to tell if a settlement or judgment will be forthcoming. But – if a settlement agreement is reached or a judgment award is rendered, attorneys representing plaintiffs in the Uber Sexual Assault MDL will become eligible to receive post settlement funding for attorneys with Balanced Bridge Funding.
Post Settlement Funding is a Non-Recourse Transaction
What if a defendant can’t pay – do I have to pay back my post settlement funding advance?
No, you do not. Post settlement funding is a non-recourse transaction. This means you don’t need to worry about what might happen if the defendant suddenly can’t pay your contingency fees — we accept all risk of non-payment, meaning that you will still get to keep the money from your settlement advance if the defendant goes bankrupt or is unable to pay for whatever reason.
Fast, Hassle Free Post Settlement Funding Application
In most cases, we can get your money in your hands in one week or less. Our application is simple, straightforward, and easy to complete. Remember, this isn’t a loan, so there isn’t as much paperwork to go through. In most cases, we can approve your application and have your money deposited into your checking account in a matter of days.
