Uber Sexual Assault MDL

Hello everyone. My name is Jen Newsome and today we’re going to be doing a little bit of an update into the Uber sexual assault lawsuits, the MDL, and everything that you need to know as of now. So Uber is currently facing a growing number of lawsuits from passengers who say that they were sexually assaulted by their ride share drivers. These lawsuits accuse Uber of negligence, failing to properly screen drivers and implement adequate safety measures to protect their riders.

To manage so many cases at once, the courts created what’s called a multi-district litigation or MDL. The MDL brings similar lawsuits from across the country into one federal court so that pre-trial steps like evidence gathering and motions can move more efficiently. Today, there are more than 2500 lawsuits pending in the Uber sexual assault MDL, making it one of the largest sexual assault related MDLs in US history. The goal is to eventually bring representative bellwether trials in front of juries. These early trials will help both sides to gauge how future cases might be valued.

Over the past several months, we have seen some major developments. These include that the first bellwether trial date has been scheduled for January 6th, 2026 in Arizona. It was originally planned for December, but it was pushed back to allow for more time for recovery. Some of the Bellwether cases have been replaced after dismissals and Uber has worked to select cases involving less severe assaults like unwanted touching while survivors attorneys continue to push for more serious cases to go first. Judges have also ordered top executives including both current and former Uber CEOs to sit for depositions. This is important because it means that Uber’s leadership may have to answer questions under oath about what the company knew and when they knew it.

Uber has asked the court to dismiss hundreds of cases for paperwork issues like missing fact sheets or ride receipts. Recently, Uber even accused some plaintiffs of altering ride receipts, a move that survivors attorneys argue is an attempt to discredit victims rather than to deal with the underlying safety failures. At the same time though, judges have allowed survivors attorneys access to critical evidence like Uber driver background checks and records of prior misconduct complaints which could show patterns of negligence.

Outside of the federal MDL though, a parallel state level case in California is also moving forward. The very first trial there began on September 8th, 2025. That means that we could see jury verdicts against Uber in state court before the federal MDL bellwether trials even start. So, what does all of this mean? The MDL process is slow, but it’s setting the stage for how juries and Uber respond to these cases. Survivors don’t have to wait for the MDL, though. Many continue to pursue confidential settlements with Uber outside of court. As these trials approach, survivors and their advocates are watching closely because it’s the first verdicts that could help establish the value of future cases and push Uber toward larger, faster settlements.

We’ll continue to follow the developments in the Uber sexual assault MDL and share updates as the first trials get underway. And a reminder, if you have been sexually assaulted during an Uber ride, Helping Survivors can help guide you through your legal options. We connect survivors with trauma-informed attorneys who work on a contingency basis, which means you do not pay any fees unless they win your case. Reach out to Helping Survivors today if this applies to you and you would like more information.