Uber Sexual Assault Lawyers & Lawsuits
If you have experienced sexual assault, abuse, or harassment in an Uber, you have rights and options, including filing a lawsuit. Helping Survivors can connect you with leading Uber sexual assault lawyers today to help answer your questions and understand what to do next.
Key Takeaways
- Thousands of individuals have experienced sexual assault in an Uber from inappropriate comments to severe sexual abuse and even kidnapping. If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault in an Uber, you have legal rights and options and deserve support from experienced professionals.
- Recently, all active and new federal rideshare sexual assault cases against Uber are being combined into a Multi-District Litigation. This saves court resources and makes it easier for survivors to seek justice against Uber — and as of April 2024, more than 200 cases have been filed under the Uber Sexual Assault MDL.
- Having an experienced Uber sexual assault lawyer can help ensure your claims are filed properly, your personal information is protected, and that your case can help prevent future harm against others.
Hiring the Right Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer
Most individuals have not had the need to hire an attorney — and especially not for personal injury matters like rideshare sexual assault and abuse. Knowing who to trust and what questions to ask when hiring an attorney is an already confusing and difficult process without having just gone through a traumatic experience.
At Helping Survivors, one of the Uber sexual assault lawyers we collaborate with is Melissa Reitberg, an attorney at Meirowitz and Wasserberg. Melissa specializes in representing clients in rideshare sexual assault cases and is a dedicated advocate with extensive experience in personal injury law. Melissa earned her Juris Doctorate from the Elizabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and is based in New York City.
Melissa and our other legal advocates support and enable our mission to help heal, educate, and empower people who have been impacted by sexual abuse, assault, or harassment. If you or someone you know has been impacted by any form of abuse while in a rideshare, we can connect you with a skilled Uber sexual assault attorney like Melissa to guide you through the next steps of your recovery.
- Hiring the Right Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer
- Can I File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Uber?
- Steps to Hiring an Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer & Filing a Lawsuit
- What to Know About the Uber Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation (MDL) – April 2024 Updates
- Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits in the News
- Uber Sexual Assault Lawyers & Lawsuits FAQs
- Want To Speak With A Lawyer?
Kathryn Kosmides
Managing Director | Helping Survivors
The best Uber sexual assault lawyers:
Offer Free Consultations
The law firm should provide a free consultation to thoroughly review the facts and circumstances surrounding what happened to you and inform you of your rights and options.
Take Cases on Contingency
All firms should take this type of case on contingency — meaning you do not have to pay anything upfront. The firm takes a percentage of the settlements or damages awarded by the courts once the case has finished.
Discuss All Options
The law firm should be very transparent with you about your legal rights and options and the potential outcomes of each including reporting to law enforcement and filing a civil claim against Uber.
Are Trauma Informed in their Work
While you want an Uber sexual assault lawyer that will fight for you and ensure you get the justice you deserve, you also want an attorney who understands and empathizes with you throughout the experience. Your law firm should be responsive, communicative, and sensitive to your needs.
What an Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer Can Help With
If you’ve been harmed by a rideshare driver, you might be unsure of the best next steps — including how to safeguard your legal rights and options. Although many lawyers handle personal injury cases, having one experienced in Uber sexual assault cases can simplify the process and expedite the process while potentially increasing the damages awarded based on their knowledge and expertise.
Engaging an experienced Uber sexual assault attorney can aid you in understanding your legal rights and assist with:
- Collecting and documenting evidence of the assault.
- Writing and submitting an in-app incident report to Uber.
- Assisting in the process of reporting to law enforcement, if it hasn’t been done yet.
- Filing a Uber sexual assault lawsuit on your behalf.
- Managing all communications with the rideshare company, their lawyers, and the courts.
- Negotiating with Uber’s representative for a potential settlement.
- Ensuring your personal information remains confidential if you decide to file a claim.
- Representing you in all public court appearances related to the case.
We can connect you with local or national law firms that have specialized Uber sexual assault lawyer ready to provide the support you need and deserve.
Can I File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Uber?
If you are a victim of sexual assault, abuse, or harassment in an Uber, you have the option to file a lawsuit against the company and the perpetrator. This goes beyond reporting to the platform and/or reporting to law enforcement for criminal justice action.
Individuals who have experienced harm in an Uber can:
- File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against Uber – You can sue Uber as a company for a failure to adequately protect users from predatory drivers and riders.
- File a Sexual Assault Lawsuit Against an Uber driver – You can choose to separately sue the driver individually for attempted or actual sexual assault during or after an Uber trip — although when pursuing civil charges against the perpetrator is a separate action and may not make sense in all cases of harm.
Typically, an Uber sexual assault attorney files a civil claim against Uber to seek damages for:
- Pain and suffering and related non-economic damages.
- Compensation for medical bills
- Compensation for the cost of mental health treatment
- Compensation for lost wages
You can file an Uber sexual assault lawsuit if an Uber driver has forced or attempted to force a sexual act on you without your consent. This includes if you experienced any of the following forms of sexual abuse:
- Unwanted fondling or touching
- Attempted rape
- Rape
- Other non-consensual sexual acts, such as oral sex
- Stalking and/or harassment
If you were intoxicated, asleep, were under 18 at the time of the incident, or under the influence of drugs or other substances, you can not consent to any sexual interaction.
Perpetrators of Uber sexual assault often use physical force, but they may also use blackmail, threatening words, or any kind of coercion to force sexual acts upon you. Because Uber drivers have information about you, including the address you were picked up from and the address you are being dropped off at, this gives them access to potential information they can use against you. If you experienced sexual assault in an Uber, the most important thing is to find physical safety and ensure the perpetrator cannot cause you further harm.
From there you should document everything that happened to you in your own words and understand what to do next: including reporting to Uber and speaking with an Uber sexual assault attorney who can help you take the next step.
Steps to Hiring an Uber Sexual Assault Lawyer & Filing a Lawsuit
In the last few years, hundreds of individuals have sued Uber for failing to uphold its duty of care to protect its users from sexual assault and other violent offenses.
Most sexual assault survivors are suing Uber for:
- Poor hiring and vetting of drivers
- Deceptive marketing
- Lack of monitoring or oversight of drivers
The steps to file a lawsuit against Uber for sexual assault include:
- Document Your Experience – Write down everything you can remember and take screenshots of any evidence of the ride.
- Speak with an Attorney – Ideally you should speak with an experienced Uber sexual assault attorney as soon as possible as they can help guide you through all of the steps and processes.
- Review & Sign with Law Firm – Law firms take these cases on contingency, meaning they are compensated once there is a settlement or you win the case if taken to court. This means it does not cost anything upfront and most states have standard percentages law firms can take.
- Law Firm Files Claims Against Uber – Based on the state you are in, there may be different steps to file a lawsuit against Uber. They will take on all of this work so you can focus on healing.
- Responding to Court Summons – If there are any required court appearances or filings, your attorney will take care of these and you will likely not need to attend.
- Discovery Process – This is the process of gathering evidence and information related to the harm that happened to you and what information Uber does or does not have such as the driver background check results.
- Settlement Negotiations or Trial Proceedings – Once discovery is complete, both sides will come together to decide to discuss a settlement or the case will go to a hearing.
You can file a case even if you were assaulted while traveling outside of your home state. However, the statute of limitations determines how long you have to file a lawsuit against Uber for the harm that happened to you, so speaking to a professional attorney as soon as possible is important.
For those rideshare passengers who experienced harm in California, there are specific regulations that are advantageous to survivors.
If you’re contemplating how to sue Uber for sexual assault or need insights about the recent court rulings, like the Uber Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation and how to file a claim under this new ruling, it’s important to consult a legal expert familiar with rideshare sexual assault. Helping Survivors can put you in touch with a law firm who can assist you in thinking through the next steps.
We can connect you to the leading rideshare abuse law firms.
What to Know About the Uber Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation (MDL) - April 2024 Updates
Since Uber was founded, thousands of individuals have come forward as victims of sexual assault while using Uber’s rideshare services, either as passengers or drivers. In a significant development in October 2023, a panel of judges made the decision to consolidate all of the federal cases and have them collectively heard to save court resources.
As of April 2024, over 200 cases have been unified under this ruling. This speeds up the process for survivors and makes the chance of them finding justice and healing through filing a claim faster and more likely.
If you believe you have a sexual assault claim against Uber, contact us as soon as possible to understand if you qualify to file under the Uber Passenger Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation (MDL).
Although the individual cases are scheduled to proceed to trial in their respective states, all pretrial matters, including witness and expert depositions and document discovery, will be under the jurisdiction of Judge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California. This comprehensive pretrial process is anticipated to provide insights into the widespread issue of sexual assault within the Uber platform.
Presently, all cases are set for trial in their respective states. Nevertheless, there exists the possibility that Judge Breyer may opt for a “bellwether trial” to serve as a representative trial for all the cases.
On April 1, 2024 Uber’s lawyers submitted a letter to Judge Breyer indicating that they have filed six motions to dismiss Uber driver sexual assault lawsuits due to survivor’s alleged failures to state actual claims. It appears that five of the motions filed seek to dismiss claims brought under state specific laws, including California, Illinois, New York Florida, and Texas. Judge Breyer has ordered plaintiff lawyers to file response briefs to Uber’s dismissal motions by the end of April.
On February 12, 2024, the MDL against Uber has reached a milestone with its 100th lawsuit filed. Initiated in October 2023, the MDL aims to provide a platform for the more than 10,000 Uber passengers who have reported sexual assaults while using the service to seek justice and compensation for the harm they have experienced.
As mentioned, In October 2023, the JPML consolidated the cases into the “Uber Passenger Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation (MDL).” Uber sought to change the MDL’s name to exclude the term “sexual assault,” claiming it suggested a presumption of guilt. However, in December 2023, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) chose not to modify or remove the term “sexual assault” from the title of the federal Uber sexual assault cases overseen by Judge Breyer in the Northern District of California.
Helping Survivors is actively collaborating with these leading law firms to ensure that victims of Uber-related sexual assault have access to the experienced legal representation they rightly deserve.
Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits in the News
Over the last few years, individuals who have been sexually assaulted, kidnapped, and abused in Ubers have filed hundreds of lawsuits against Uber and other rideshare companies.
2024 Uber Passenger Sexual Assault Multi-District Litigation
In October 2023, a notable ruling by a panel of judges led to the consolidation of approximately 80 legal cases into one collective proceeding in a federal court – alongside new cases filed under the MDL. Although each case will proceed to trial in its respective state, all preliminary legal matters will be overseen by Judge Charles Breyer. This unified pretrial process aims to address the problem of sexual assault on the Uber platform, which is especially pertinent for individuals in California acquainted with the state’s Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits.
2019 CPUC Lawsuit Against Uber - $9M Settlement
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) filed a landmark case against Uber due to concerns over the company’s internal handling of customer-reported sexual assault incidents, rather than reporting them to law enforcement. After negotiations failed, the CPUC ordered Uber to provide detailed information about the assaults, including the names of those involved and witnesses, leading to a $59 million fine when Uber did not comply. Ultimately, Uber settled the case for $9 million, agreeing to report future sexual assault incidents during rides to the CPUC, with the provision to protect victims’ identities unless they choose to share additional information.
Over Five Hundred Women Across the U.S. Sue Uber
In July 2022, the law firm Slater Slater Schulman LLP filed an Uber sexual assault lawsuit in a San Francisco court. The lawsuit detailed the claims of 550 women in multiple states who were sexually assaulted, kidnapped, raped, harassed, stalked, falsely imprisoned, or otherwise attacked by Uber drivers with whom they had been matched through the Uber app.
New York Woman Sues Uber
In September 2020, a New York woman filed a civil lawsuit against Uber, claiming the company failed to protect her and other riders against sexual assault, despite a pattern of reported incidents. The plaintiff argued that Uber’s negligence resulted in her 2018 sexual assault. She also sued the company for:
- Engaging in deceptive marketing practices that created a false image of safety, despite a lack of safety policies at the time of her assault
- Providing zero oversight or monitoring of drivers while riders were in their care
Massachusetts Woman Files Uber Sexual Assault
In July 2020, a Massachusetts woman sued Uber for a 2018 sexual assault. The driver accused of sexual assault was arrested but soon fled the country.
Oregon Woman Sues Uber for More than $1 Million
In January 2020, an Oregon woman sued Uber and one of its drivers for sexual assault. The woman, who was assaulted by the Uber driver in 2018, asked for over one million dollars in damages. The accused driver had previously faced charges related to the assault but was acquitted of these charges in 2019.
Uber Sexual Assault Lawyers & Lawsuits FAQs
Individuals who have experienced rideshare sexual assault often have a ton of emotions and questions. It is a very jarring experience that makes anyone who experiences it distraught. We hope this page has helped you understand why survivors file claims against Uber, the process to file an Uber sexual assault lawsuit, and why having an experienced rideshare sexual assault attorney on your side is critical.
Uber and other ride-hailing services have become an increasingly popular mode of transportation. However, poor hiring and vetting of drivers, as well as inadequate reporting mechanisms put Uber riders at risk for sexual assault and other forms of harm.
Uber has released two US safety reports, the first covering the years 2017-2018 and the second from 2019-2020. While they have stated that statistically sexual assault and other harms have decreased by significant percentages between the total number of assaults reported between the two reports, they obfuscate that during the pandemic rides decreased as much as 40% during this time, thus reports decreasing by the same rate should be expected and does not mean a safer experience for passengers. Thousands of rideshare sexual assault victims have experienced harm, and hundreds have filed civil lawsuits against Uber for the harm.
Below are some of the other questions individuals who have experienced rideshare sexual assault often have. If you have specific questions related to your experience or are seeking to connect with an Uber sexual assault lawyer who can help you today, reach out to us at Helping Survivors and we will get you connected with someone today.
In their two US Safety Reports, Uber reported over 10,000 sexual assaults, kidnappings, and deaths between 2018 – 2021. Thousands of survivors have started to come forward to prevent future harm and seek justice and healing through reporting their assault and filing a claim against Uber.
Prior to 2018, Uber required customers to pursue sexual assault claims through independent arbitration and mediation rather than court. Their policies also prevented survivors from speaking about their experiences publicly by requiring them to sign nondisclosure agreements.
Uber finally ended required mediation and arbitration in 2018 after immense pressure from several large scandals and an open letter penned by 14 female victims of sexual assault.
Today, Uber sexual assault survivors can now choose to settle claims through:
Mediation: You can attempt to reach a collaborative settlement
Arbitration: You can resolve the claim with a trained arbitrator
Court: You can pursue legal or financial accountability
An experienced lawyer can speak with you to understand and evaluate your case and help you understand your best course of action.
An experienced lawyer can work to prevent your information from being public information based on your desires and local laws.
While there is not set amount that a sexual assault lawsuit claim against Uber is worth, the amount of potential compensation from damages and the time involved to handle the claims will vary depending on the type of harm you experienced and the facts surrounding the case.
A trained attorney experienced in sexual assault lawsuits against Uber and other personal injury complaints can estimate the damages based on current and future expenses and financial losses along with their knowledge of previous settlements with the company and in the industry. While many factors will influence the value of your case and the final settlement or award amount, it is always worth having a free consultation with an attorney regarding your experience.
There are many law firms and websites that advertise to survivors of rideshare sexual assault. Helping Survivors is one of the few organizations that works with experts, advocates, nonprofits, and multiple law firms to ensure survivors are connected to the best possible resources for their unique needs.
You want a law firm that has deep expertise in these types of cases and can make the process as easy as possible for you by being survivor-centric in their work. We can connect you to the best law firm for you wherever you’re located in the United States to help ensure you have the best attorneys representing you however you choose to move forward.
The ability to file a sexual assault lawsuit against Uber or Lyft depends on the civil statute of limitations in the state the harm occurred. You should immediately get in touch with an experienced attorney even if you believe the statute of limitations may have expired.
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