Uber found liable in landmark sexual assault lawsuit
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| Uber confronts claims that it failed to implement safety measures to protect riders. Credit: David Paul Morris / Contributor / Bloomberg via Getty Images |
Uber will pay millions in damages following a decision by a Phoenix jury that deems the company liable for rape and violence perpetrated by drivers against passengers.
The case sets a legal precedent for more than 3,000 pending sexual assault and sexual misconduct lawsuits against the ride share company, the New York Times reports, following a California court decision that found Uber wasn't liable for a rider's assault. Instead, the Phoenix jury found that Uber can still be held to account for the misconduct of drivers even if they pass background checks and safety benchmarks.
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The suit was brought by passenger Jaylynn Dean, who first reported her Uber driver had isolated and raped her in Nov. 2023, and accused Uber of failing to implement safety provisions that could have prevented the assault. Her team presented internal documents that showed Uber flagged the potential for a "serious safety incident" before she was picked up, but she did not receive a warning from the app.
Despite agreeing to liability, the jury didn't find that the company's actions were “outrageous, oppressive, or intolerable” or "created substantial risk or significant harm," reducing the requested $144 million in damages to $8.5 million. The driver was previously banned from the app, but isn't facing criminal charges.
"This verdict affirms that Uber acted responsibly and has invested meaningfully in rider safety. We will continue to put safety at the heart of everything we do," said Uber spokesperson Matt Kallman. The company says it plans to appeal the decision.
Previously sealed court documents, submitted as part of several lawsuits leveled against Uber in recent history, show a pattern of safety failures and a rise of sexual assault reports between 2017 and 2022. A recent investigation found that drivers with violent felony convictions were allowed on the platform in at least 22 states. In response, Uber has added additional safety tools, including gender-specific ride matching. A cohort of male drivers later sued the company for alleged discrimination.
"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," Dean said on the witness stand.
Topics Apps & Software Social Good Uber Cars
On one hand they are being sued by drivers for deactivating accounts and then they're being sued by customers for assaults by the drivers. The legal department must have to deal with a lot of he said she said complaints...
ReplyDeleteRobo taxis are starting to look pretty good
"While the verdict is not binding on the other cases, as the first, it could serve as a bellwether for all court proceedings that follow."
ReplyDeleteUh yeah, this case is a big one that will act as a precedent, even if it is not technical precedent in the sense of having binding effect in the specific court where a case is heard.
Going forward, lawyers will be (re)shaping the narratives to draw out similarities with this case. Uber defense counsel will emphasize the differences with this case.
Importantly, to avoid large damage verdicts, from now on Uber will be settling these cases, so they will have to set up a big in-house legal apparatus to do that, as well as outside counsel. Think PG&E fire claims type thing.
Part of the goal with settlement is to control media exposure. The settlements will be hard ball and all hush hush, so the information about these cases will be shielded more and more as time goes on.
Uber is not shy about flexing politically either, so following this case, I think we should watch, and it is reasonable to expect the company to try and undermine liability and damages laws at the state level as well.
Sounds like Uber is about to get a whole lot more expensive. The article doesn't provide any details, but if Uber did a proper background check on the driver, why should they be liable for this at all? What could they have possibly done to prevent somebody with no criminal history from committing a crime? The insane levels of litigation in modern day America are probably the biggest contributor to how expensive and dysfunctional society is becoming.
DeleteIn several countries around the world Uber is the same as taxi with drivers being actually employed by Uber (which makes the company even more responsible). Maybe it's a sign that not everything could be done as a gig?
DeleteYou can find a more comprehensive story here: https://www.courthousenews.com/uber-liable-for-sexual-assault-by-driver/
DeleteSome notable things:
"Uber asked for no resume, references or proof of previous employment and ignored previous complaints made by other passengers. She added that Uber conducted no background checks outside the U.S., where Turay had spent the majority of his life."
Still, the jury did not think Uber was negligent in hiring the guy and therefore did not award punitive damages. Uber also sent the woman a notification when the ride ended early to ask if she was OK; she just didn't see it, likely because she was very drunk and the driver was assaulting her by then. One relevant quote on that matter:
"Uber attorneys maintained in court that Dean consented, though Turay admitted in his deposition that Dean was probably too drunk to do so."
They also argued that Uber knew it had a massive problem with sexual assaults by drivers over the years and failed to implement reasonable measures like mandatory in-car cameras or stricter background checks, but ultimately the jury rejected the design defect claim which I assume those would fall under.
The reason why they still awarded the plaintiff damages is because the driver is an "apparent agent" of Uber: "jurors found Dean reasonably assumed that Turay worked for Uber and therefore Uber should have been responsible for his actions."
So it's complicated and it seems like Uber did take some reasonable measures here, which the jury agreed with, but ultimately they still have a massive problem with sexual assault by their drivers and are clearly not doing enough to prevent it.
Who is in a position to do background checks on Uber drivers: Uber, or its paying customers?
ReplyDeleteIf Uber doesn't do background checks in order to save money, it should be responsible for its drivers' assaults on its customers. Especially after marketing its service to women who want a safe ride home.
Uber does do background checks, fwiw. Although I also believe in some jurisdictions they marketed themselves as good work for ex felons so who knows.
DeleteDepending on the crime, that's not a bad thing.
DeleteEx felons need legit work, or they'll just be back in the slavehouses soon.
Yep! If prison time is a permanent death sentence to your career, what are you supposed to do to make money when you get out?
DeleteI'd draw the line at violent ex offenders in one on one private settings with unknowingly patrons. Should anything happen, Uber would be liable especially if they knew about the record.
DeleteFelonies come in all shapes and sizes though. Only about 20% of felonies are for violent crimes.
DeleteDrug offenses are about 35% of felonies in the US. A lot of those historically are just like “he had a dime bag”.
Really depends on the crime. I wouldn’t want a driver who had committed a burglary or an SA crime, but a tax fraud? Who cares.
"A lot of those historically are just like “he had a dime bag”. "
DeleteOr "he was black and they planted it in his car."
if you have done your time, paid your debt, and are not a violet person...
DeleteThey don't do background checks. They simply collect identifying information in hopes that the drivers stay in line because they can be identified.
DeleteCab drivers in my county (the most densely populated in the US) stopped having to get 'hack' licences with background checks in the 201X's, because it was "unfair competition" with ride-sharing apps. I.E., it was unfair to make cab drivers jump through hoops, when the other guys didn't have to.
Delete“He had no criminal history. None,” Kim Bueno, an attorney for Uber, said of the driver during closing arguments, noting that he had 10,000 trips on the app and a nearly perfect rating from riders. “Was this foreseeable to Uber? And the answer to that has to be no.”
DeleteIf that statement is true, not sure that background check would have prevented this
I agree with them doing background checks, but unfortunately rapists can fly under the radar for quite some time and not have a criminal record.
DeleteHope the survivor feels justice. After incidents like this, people often consider a few different paths. You don’t need to choose one, and many people do none of them. Heartbreaking really and something I've spent a lot of time on
ReplyDeletePresided over by SCOTUS Justice Breyer's brother
ReplyDeleteIf every single "sharing economy" company is dismantled, and all their executives jailed or worse, things might actually start getting better. These companies exist solely to exploit workers in ways the companies they replaced were prevented from doing quite as effectively.
ReplyDeleteThey’ll just keep holding us hostage by killing public transit and competitive ride services so if they get sued they just pass increased costs onto the consumer
DeleteMost vetted rideshare service driver:
ReplyDeletehttps://imgur.com/a/7rESLJ8
Honestly what are his rates if they’re under $20 to get to manhattan from Brooklyn I’m game
DeleteI don’t know if it’s still a thing, but a few years ago I started seeing ads for “Uber Teen Accounts.” It’s for ages 13-17. You prepay and they can call an Uber for themselves and ride alone with “highly rated drivers.”
ReplyDeleteSome executive at this company, with the full knowledge that their drivers rape and assault people at an alarming rate, green-lit an option that encourages teens (13-17) riding alone. I didn’t understand then or now why there isn’t huge backlash to this option.
Good. Uber has been intentionally reckless. Even if you are an investor you should be happy about this, as it might get the company to engage in basic bare-bones risk management.
ReplyDelete"been intentionally reckless"
Delete"disrupting"
Margins are so much better if you can cut basic overhead though, like cab medallions, fleet maintenance and making sure your drivers aren't rapists.
DeleteThere wasn't any indication this person would commit a crime. There was nothing reckless here.
DeleteMs. Dean as well as testimony from Uber executives and thousands of pages of internal company documents, including some showing that Uber had flagged her ride as a higher risk for a serious safety incident moments before she was picked up. Uber never warned her, with an executive testifying that it would have been “impractical” to do so.
DeleteWhere can I read this?
DeleteTheir business model is ‘disruption’, Chad speak for recklessness
ReplyDeleteGood. They can’t get around the fact that they are an employee, or even as an independent contractor, working under direction of the company.
ReplyDeleteI’ve had frightening experiences myself with Uber drivers under the influence, with vehicles unsafe, trying to bully me to pay cash outside the app, on and on.
They need to be held accountable. If we use their app, we rely on them to provide safe service.
Calls on Waymo and robot based unemployment?
ReplyDeleteCalls on waymo
ReplyDeleteDid Jameis Winston touch another driver?
ReplyDeleteThis verdict is a blow to the innovation economy. If platforms are held liable for every individual's actions, it will stifle growth and lead to massive price hikes for consumers. We are moving towards a litigious environment that punishes scalability
ReplyDeleteHow would you feel putting your family on an airplane to Disney World if the airline was part of the "innovation economy"?
DeleteA lot of things are done in this world that are far more important and critical than a phone app.
That’s a fair emotional point, but it’s a false equivalence. Airlines are highly regulated entities with direct employment and rigorous safety mandates. Gig platforms are connective tissues, not traditional service providers. If we treat an app with 5 million independent contractors like a closed-loop airline, the service ceases to exist for everyone. There’s a middle ground between total immunity and crushing liability that we haven't found yet
DeleteRules are built on blood buddy. You want to spill some to “help build the middle ground?” Be our guest. Put your actions where your mouth is and go get assaulted in an uber and then see where your biases lean. I’d happily support your stance then.
DeleteFuck. Off.
DeleteIf gig platforms can't hold their contractors to a minimum degree of decency they don't deserve to exist.
The thing is, uber started with a promise of a "gig platform" / sharing economy. It has become industrialised though. It's a company with de facto employees. And what employees do at a company while working, it's the company's responsibility.
DeleteBesides, liability is just given. It's not shoe-stopper at all. Companies just have to put additional resources to comply.
Employers are liable for the actions of their employees.
Delete"A federal jury this week found Uber to be legally responsible in a 2023 case of sexual assault — ordering the rideshare giant to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said one of its drivers raped her during a trip using the platform."
ReplyDeleteUber should be liable when drivers are assaulted by passengers.
ReplyDeletehttps://tenor.com/view/exactly-dr-fraiser-crane-frasier-bullseye-kelsey-grammer-gif-17408643739674404685
DeleteWhat a ridiculous verdict.
ReplyDeletehttps://media4.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeTA5djR0OGJ5eHUwb293a3BiZDltbnJueHA5dXVweDIyeXVycnJmOSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/hUFJQ1MPeF3a1RSEfv/giphy.gif
DeleteOne of the very few times that I agree with you.
DeleteIt’s how it should be. Even if it’s traffic accident, if you use uber for device and something happens regardless of what. Uber steals plenty of money from Drivers to afford these
ReplyDeleteDashcam is even more important now. Do you know how many people would gladly have sex with even the ugliest, fattest, oldest rideshare driver for a million+ payday?
ReplyDeleteThat means they’ll squeeze the money from somewhere else maybe rob more tips or base pay gets even lower
ReplyDelete$3 base pay include $1 boost, exclusive!
DeleteThey just dropped based pay for delivery down to 1.50 in Phx market a few days ago. But this is a pathway to future success in other realms of this 1099 vs employee
DeleteFor years, the cab companies tried to hide behind the "independent contractor" model. Uber would have the riding public and its drivers, especially, believe that it invented the "independent contractor" model but cab companies have been using it since at least the 1920s. Further, Uber and Lyft are only too happy to perpetuate and encourage the common misconception that drivers work for the cab companies. But I stray...............
ReplyDeleteBeginning in the 1980s, the lawyers were unhappy because they only could sue a cab driver who had nothing. The lawyers guessed that the "deep pockets" were really the cab companies. As the lawyers are major political contributors, they "spoke" to the politicians, regulators and judges that they knew regarding this matter. The result was a large volume of rulings, laws and regulations that held the cab companies responsible for their drivers.
in years past, Uber and Lyft paid the politicians, regulators and judges well to accept the myth that they were "technology not transporation" companies. The cab companies tried something similar in the wake of their being held responsible for their drivers by insisting that they "provided services to cab drivers". As most of them did not have Uber's and Lyft's money or even cash flow, they could not buy the appropriate officials.
Despite all this, it was only a matter of time before the TNCs also were held responsible for their drivers. The leap from the cab companies to the TNCs is noot a difficult leap. Further, politicians, regulators and judges can be bought. The problem is that they do not stay bought. The lawyers long past knew that the pockets of both Uber and Lyft were deeper than any big city cab company. They have been salivating for years. They now have their wish.
The victims of assault are just one. In many markets, especially the larger or more important urban markets, the "underserved" (this is the PC/Newspeak term for it, here, at least) neighbourhoods are on perpetual surge. Despite the fact that it is the drivers who are red-lining rather than the TNCs, the TNCs will be held responsible for "discrimination". Despite there being no systematic discrimination on the part of either Uber or Lyft, under the Doctrine of Adverse Impact, they can be held responsible. Further, these types of lawsuits often trigger "burden shifting". Once some entity runs into a court room and starts to holler "DISCRIMINATION!" the burden of proof shifts from the plaintiff to the defendant/respondent; i.e. the defendant/respondent must prove that he did not discriminate on the basis of_____________-.
In cases of serious collisions, again, Uber and Lyft will be on the hook. Consider this: An Uber/Lyft driver runs a red light, T-bones a 500 series BMW, sends it spinning and flying through the chain link fence and into a school playground full of children. In the BMW, you have the husband, who is driving, his wife who is thirty-four weeks along, two mothers-in-law in their eighties in the back seat. The husband and wife survive but are injured. The wife goes into labour and the baby is still born. The mothers-in-law die. Several children are killed and injured. School property is damaged. You are looking at an aggregate judgment of several million dollars. The liability policy that the drivers carry is good for one million of it. The driver does not have any money. Guess who pays up? To be sure, the TNCs will carry a secondary or umbrella policy but even that might not cover everything. To be sure, such a devastating collision is the exception but it does happen.
This is by no means complete. There are other possibilities.
Moral of the story - pay attention and don’t run red lights.
DeleteAnother reason for Dashcams in cars and recording audio.
ReplyDeletePeople not doing at dumb as fuck.
DeleteTheir defense that they are not responsible because the drivers are independent contractors did not stand.
ReplyDeleteThis one case was 8 million.
Do you want Uber to be a software company or a transportation company?
Do you folks realize what this means?
"Their defense that they are not responsible because the drivers are independent contractors did not stand."
DeleteI'm sorry for the victims but this outcome is exactly what lots of us have been saying and other courts have agreed in other cases.
This is a large step forward for how we are seen and designated as well as how we are treated. No doubt this case will be used in future cases about whether we are 1099 or w2.
TLDR : I love that uber (once again) got that argument slapped away. It's a small step but a step forward nonetheless.
Looks like pay for drivers is going to be going substantially lower than a 5x limbo champion….
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ReplyDeleteThey have insurance for this but yes pay cuts incoming
DeleteOnly appellate and supreme court decisions set legal precedents. Trial court rulings do not.
ReplyDeleteMostly correct, unless a trial court decision is upheld when appealed to a higher court. The higher court's agreement with lower court's ruling would create a precedent in other cases— Which I think is what you mean.
DeleteJust wait until they get sued for false deactivations ….
ReplyDeleteQ: How will Uber do damage control?
ReplyDeleteA1: Pay drivers less.
A2: You know that line item for INSURANCE (and other operating fees), my guess is Uber can just pay drivers a little less per trip and suddenly all those legal expenses become "other operating fees."
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/05/uber-liable-sexual-assault
ReplyDeleteThis is horrible for the victims.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Uber stock took a small dive and now back up, only 1.3% down for the day.
So, stock wise, this is insignificant.
Overall stock was 101 in October 2025 and sliding down since then.
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ReplyDeleteJust because they want to hook up with you when they’re drunk doesn’t mean they’re not going to regret it later. I’ve had plenty of women offer me to come into their house or even like a kiss, I’ve taken a hug, but that’s about as far as I go. And I have a dash cam. Don’t poop where you eat. I make too much money to risk it, that’s why there’s role play with the women I do date.
DeleteTaking a hug from a passenger is not a good idea as they could easily claim sexual assault and sue you.
DeleteI didn’t hug her, she leaned over from the backseat and hugged me, kept my hands on the wheel. She asked first and I have a dash cam.
DeleteYou have a link to the original case ?
DeleteThese drivers are stupid and they deserve to be in jail. Anyone will tell you, if you’re sober and you take advantage of a drunk person…. Guess what? You’re going to jail. Freaking creep. Even wives accuse their husbands of abuse…. You think a stranger isn’t going to do the same? Esp when you drive for uber and brag about how much money you make? Stupid idiots.
ReplyDeleteIt’s too easy for someone to regret something like this and change their mind. Sometimes fantasies aren’t that great once they become reality. I’ll get a number and call them back, take them on a date. Never poop where you eat. Jesus, uber is already trigger happy with deactivations. Get you a dash cam and keep it in your pants, dumbasses.
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ReplyDeleteCould’ve worded this a little better but drivers will be fronting the cost. Like we always have.
DeleteWaymo
ReplyDeleteTSLA
DeleteYes Waymo
DeleteDon’t poop where you eat. And if you do record it :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder what is looming on the court docket with Uber. Anything significant I wonder?
ReplyDeleteAll I can say for certain is that drivers will be taking some kind of online training now.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteFinally.
ReplyDeleteThis had to happen. This utter nonsense that Uber and other gig/pimp tech businesses have been hiding behind by declaring that they have no responsibility to or for their workers has got to go. They are your employees not "independent contractors".
DeleteUniversal Healthcare would be nice. Fuck any company that cant take care of your own employees.
DeleteHow does it work with taxis?
DeleteIirc taxis spend more time vetting their employees- they’re a more traditional business than the independent contractor state these ride share apps claim to be
DeleteTaxis require a license to operate.
Delete"They are your employees not "independent contractors". "
DeleteBy what legal metric is this true? Why do you think they are employees?
The rules for distinguishing employees vs contractors are fairly consistent across North America: contractors set their own hours, bring their own tools, and don't have fixed long term exclusive relationships handling insurance, vacation/sick pay, etc. These factors all weigh heavily against Uber/Lyft drivers being employees. The last aspect of the test is behavioral control of the worker, in the form of rules, procedures, and training. Uber drivers do have to follow some rules (who doesn't?), but they don't fit into a traditional reporting hierarchy, or receive significant training. This one is slightly fuzzier but also falls in favor of contractor status.
Yes. That is exactly what Uber, Lyft and all the rest would say in their official statements.
DeleteAll of what the person wrote also is true.
DeleteIt's superficially accurate but not true.
DeleteNo, you see, the buck stops anywhere but here.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteThe insane stories my sister has told me about Uber drivers… Men don’t experience this shit, women need to deal with it constantly.
ReplyDeleteshe was crying in an uber once and the uber driver was telling her to smile and that she is too beautiful to cry and then when he dropped her off he pestered her for her phone number.
Another one tried messaging her on the uber app to ask her on a date.
Years ago, I had a creepy Uber driver. He made comments once we were on the road about my looks - asking personal questions. On the highway, he kept hitting the reflectors between the lanes and swerving, and that's when I noticed him just staring at me in his rearview mirror. He said he wanted to take me back to his home country.
DeleteIt was a terrifying situation. Thankfully, he did take me to my destination, and used my number through the app telling me to just call him if I need a ride anywhere - no need to go through Uber.
I was in an unfamiliar city, traveling for work. I've had some doozies, but that one takes the cake.
I've had two really creepy Uber rides. One was when I was getting a ride back from work and when we hit this stretch that had no cell service he started talking about near death experiences, how all of history was fake, and kept trying to get me to come back to his place to do drugs so I could have a near death experience and have my eyes opened to the truth. I ended up going "Oh, the pin must be wrong, this is my house!" and having him stop at a neighbor's house who I knew. Waited for him to leave before walking home.
DeleteAnother guy went on a political rant and told me "Get ready to get raped" if Biden won the election, and then just started ranting about illegals and how I would be raped to death by Mexicans. He kept telling me to take off my mask (it was during COVID) and after a few minutes the main reason I wouldn't do it was because I didn't want him to see my full face.
Weirdest female Uber drive just started telling me about how she got trench foot trying to rescue stuff from her flooded basement after a hurricane. Don't know how she managed that. It was at least easier to steer the conversation into a more pleasant topic with her.
Not to mention when I would use Uber eats and, somehow, many of the male drivers were incapable of the "leave at door" instructions when my name was still very feminine. Had some weird messages like "I'm here, beautiful." even though I didn't have a profile picture. (They were probably very disappointed when my ugly ass opened the door lol) Weirdly, that stopped when I finally changed my name to something gender neutral.
"Get ready to get raped"
DeleteI have dealt with a lot of weird people and a lot of horror in my life, but I will never understand how someone can't understand that phrases like that should never, EVER come out of your mouth.
A young girl ran into my work place to hide from a creepy Uber driver not that long ago. He kept reaching back toward her and telling her to take a specific piece of gum he was holding, then started screaming at her when she refused.
DeleteThis is what I tell people when they shit on Waymo’s. This is without even mentioning the safety statistics of human drivers vs Waymo.
DeleteThis is specifically why I’d rather take a Waymo.
DeleteI had an uber driver once years ago finish my ride and then asked me if I would be willing to do a green card marriage with someone she knew in Russia. She offered me $35k for it! Luckily nothing bad happened but it was wild
DeleteI’ve experienced it as a man.
Delete“Men don’t experience this shit” false, I was a male Uber driver for years and lost track of how many times I was sexually harassed and touched, mostly by drunk middle age women and gay men, but no one cares about the drivers safety I guess
DeleteI really don't get people like you. We can all agree that it happens way more to women than it does men, but when we talk about how it happens to women, people like you pop up to insist that it's...what, not a big deal because it happens to men too?
DeleteI really don't get it. Is it a competition and you feel left out, or something?
DeleteIt happens rarely to men, and certainly never to me. This thread has made me think about how much more difficult it is to navigate transportation as a woman, either in an Uber or on public transportation. I saw some huge homeless looking dude sit next to a really pretty girl on BART who appeared underage to me and started up a really uncomfortable conversation with her. I kept my eye on them, but I wouldn't be able to defend her if the guy got violent.
I've traveled around the world and been to 68 countries and have drank too much a bunch of times, and I've never even been robbed, let alone molested. It's a legit fear for women and I wish things could be safer. I was recently threatened by a homeless dude at the Redwood City CalTrain station where someone got murdered a couple of months ago. I sidestepped him and fortunately he didn't follow me.
I also never once even remotely insinuated it wasn’t a big deal because it happens to men too, that’s your bad faith analysis based on nothing
DeleteYour entire comment is one of the most condescending virtue signaling things I’ve ever read actually
The gender of the victim is irrelevant to me, we need to do everything we can to reduce sexual assault and harassment against everyone
no I just don’t like lies and false statements “men don’t experience this shit” their words, is a blatantly false lie. The most downplayed and under reported crime in the world is sex crimes against boys/men.
Deletewhy does it anger you that I add my anecdote? Do you only care when it happens to women?
L take. Someone respond to an exact quote and you try to strawman it to something different to excuse your own lack of human empathy.
DeleteSo does this now open up every company if their independent contractors commit crime while "on the clock".
ReplyDeleteThis seems like its going to have some widespread effects.
So does this now open up every company if their independent contractors commit crime while "on the clock".
DeleteThis seems like its going to have some widespread effects.
Driver had no criminal history.
DeleteOk. And?
DeleteIf a company whose business model is dependent on connecting random people, they should be liable for the terrible things that happen because they couldn’t be bothered to care.
They should absolutely be liable, but they haven't been up to this point.
DeleteTake a moment to ask yourself why they would suddenly reverse course on years of that shitty precedent. Who else is suing over the actions of a contractor?
They let Uber and all the other Tech and big money businesses get off scott-free all these years, because that's where the power is. Now the power is demanding this change in order to benefit trump's personal lawsuits, so they're setting a new precedent in response to the shifting needs of those in power.
When something the Trump admin does gives us an opportunity to go on offense against the billionaires you take it. You take it and run with it. Any act, no matter how small, that decreases the power of billionaires is a step in the right direction.
DeleteI wonder if this will do anything to the healthcare insurance sector. Thousands of people die every year due to insurance claims being denied and usually they are denied by some pre-approval filter that just auto rejects them.
DeleteIf someone dies in an incident that could have been avoided but was not planned then wouldn't it be considered manslaughter and at best murder if they planned on auto-rejecting everyone and that rejection would result in someone's death.
Maybe we need to try turning the healthcare industry against the private prison industry by convincing them that all those non-violent drug offenders currently serving time could be making them money instead if drugs were decriminalized and they ran all the treatment centers. Let them eat each other.
DeleteI agree completely
DeleteYou're describing a 90/10.
DeleteWe're getting the desired result, which will be more stringent regulations. But you're so hyper focused on a made up scoreboard with Trump (does it indirectly help/hurt him in some capacity) that you're missing the fact we're getting the desired and correct result.
It is a 90/10, and I celebrate the victory in hopes that it will bring better outcomes for many.
DeleteHowever, people should be aware so that they can be prepared for bad actors who will use it to their benefit. If people don't make these connections, corruption will run rampant. Thus, it should be pointed out. Knowledge is the enemy of ignorance, and awareness by the people allows them to stand against corruption. You can't defeat an opponent without understanding their tactics to predict their moves.
"If people don't make these connections, corruption will run rampant."
DeleteMy friend, the corruption has been running rampant for over a century. We, as a collective, don't have the backbone to do what is necessary to stop it. We (collectively) will find any excuse to use antiquated means to buck the (misattributed but otherwise accurate) "definition of insanity".
In other words, it's going to happen and we have a track record of allowing it to happen because fighting it will make us uncomfortable.
Sadly, you're correct.
Delete"Lawyers for Ms. Dean introduced documents suggesting that Uber resisted introducing safety features such as in-car cameras because it believed these measures would slow corporate growth."
DeleteNeed to have a broader conversation about gig workers being "on the clock"
DeleteWe have multi billion dollar companies operating around the clock in every community that... Dont have any employees in any community
They're abusing the idea of "independent contractor"
Companies are regularly liable for the acts of their employees while working. And if someone arranges for an economic relationship and it results in a crime, is it not related?
DeleteIt’s a fact specific test to determine whether it’s an independent contractor or an employee. This case doesn’t rigidly transform every uber-like service into an employee-employer relationship. If anything, this will just change how these companies do business. The argument that did Uber in here is that they exercise so much control over the details of their “contractors’” work.
DeleteIndependent contractors by definition are supposed to be able to control the details and methods of their work. If I hire someone to paint my house, I don’t tell them which tools they’re allowed to paint with or which truck they can drive to get to my house hauling their equipment. But when Uber dictates what car they can drive, the rates they’re allowed to charge, the routes they can drive, and take a cut of their own, that’s an employee-employer relationship.
So I imagine now Uber and its competitors in the market will go talk to their lawyers, have some conferences, and come up with a way to loosen the leash on their drivers a little without sacrificing profit in the hopes that they can regain the protection of an independent contractor relationship. And I bet it’ll work.
Uber literally does not dictate any of those things.
Delete
DeleteI mean, why not
If I go to a McDonalds, a doctor, a supermarket, etc and I get sexually assaulted by one of their employees while visiting their business, yeah, I'm absolutely suing the company.
Just because Uber employees work from their own car does not mean the company shouldn't be responsible for their behavior while working.
It's really easy to not kidnap and sexually assault people, but the opposite is also true when a predator is in the comfort of their own car picking up strangers.
Which is good. Look at corporations and large businesses that use sub contractors to purposefully have plausible deniability. Look at all the large chicken plants that have illegals and when they are busted the super wealthy owners shrug and say “well we use a staffing firm!”. Why would a chicken plant in rural Georgia or Mississippi or Iowa need a staffing firm? For deniability, that’s it. Then these staffing firms declare bankruptcy and dissolve and a new one open up for the sole purpose of staffing one companies plants.
DeleteThis is where Dems should target illegals being exploited. Punish companies and eliminate their ability to say they used a contractor to hire. Your factory/business your responsibility. Rampant in construction too which is heavily MAGA.
Not just large corporations do this. I had a roof replaced a couple years ago by a local family owned business. The roofing company subbed the work out to a crew of immigrants. They could have all been legal, I don’t know, I wasn’t out there checking papers, and honestly I don’t care anyways.
DeleteBut, they didn’t work for the roofing company, they worked for a guy with a van that paid them all in cash. He was legit, but none of his workers were. If they got busted, the roofing company that 100% knew what was going on, had zero culpability.
Yeah. And this is where Dems need to focus energy. Those workers doing your roof have zero workplace protections and their labor is exploited. Either get them legal work status or stop their ability to be employed…. And the easiest way to stop that is go after employers. I don’t understand why no dem is taking up this platform…. Like it or not Trump still polls well on immigration compared to Dems! wtf?!?
DeleteIt should. That's the point.
DeleteThat's if you buy the specious idea that Uber's workforce constitutes "independent contracting".
DeleteWhy do you say it is specious?
DeleteUber's claim that they have "independent contractors" is superficially plausible but not actually true.
Deleteyou say independent contractors to try and create a distinction where we shouldn't assume one. why is an independent contractor meaningfully different from an employee for this question?
DeleteIt's going to have the effect of setting precedence for DJT's $10b lawsuit against the IRS.
DeleteThe person who leaked his tax records was a contractor.
Why else would they suddenly change course? They've already shown a history of not supporting victims of horrible crimes committed by contractors. I see no other reason for them to suddenly start caring unless it's to benefit the USSA's supreme leader.
They can't come out and claim favoritism for him (yet). They still have to pretend there's some sort of fair, lawful conduct. And so, they flip the script as soon as DJT needs them to so they can pretend like his win is fair.
The issue there is around sharing with a contractor, not contractor liability per se.
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ReplyDeleteThey got some fucking weirdos driving then thangs you know what I’m saying???
ReplyDeleteUber is a shit company.
ReplyDeleteBe interesting to know how they came up with that 8.5 million dollar figure. Did they just pull that number out of a hat?
ReplyDeleteI stopped drinking last year and one of the best unintended benefits was never needing to rely on Uber again.
ReplyDeleteUber need to go.
ReplyDeleteIf a man wants to commit a crime, Uber cannot stop him. This sets a unfair and foolish precedent. Punish the actual criminal.
ReplyDeleteLet's say Uber was not involved an it was a typical yellow taxi cab. Are we going to so the agency that gives out the medallions? or we going to sue the city?
Where do we draw the line?
All of the above. Driver is the perpetrator. They have an employer. They get included to determine if they had a part in it(e.g. previous reports they ignored). The issuing agency gets dragged in to see if they did their due diligence per applicable laws(followups, suspensions of medallion,background checks, etc. depending on what the law is).
DeleteAs of early 2026, Uber drivers are generally classified as independent contractors, not employees, allowing Uber to avoid standard employment benefits and liabilities. While some jurisdictions have challenged this status, demanding worker
DeleteUBER gave my Brother all the window stickers BEFORE they did a background check. Nefarious company
ReplyDeleteIf someone commits a crime against you, aren’t you supposed to call the police? Can someone explain the logic of this being something for Uber to deal with and not the police?
ReplyDeleteUber has to provide a safe environment, its up to the company to vet employees and check they are safe and competent to do the job they do. Consider an incompetent doctor that keeps killing people, he operates on you and kills you and the crime is up to the police - no, the hospital that employed him is responsible for providing competent doctors.
DeleteSeems like something that could shut the industry down. Which isn't a bad thing if they are only viable by skimping on passenger safety related expenses.
ReplyDeletenot much different than the taxi industry.
DeleteTaxis sucked. Took forever. Drivers gaming the meter. Locking you in if they feel you didn’t tip them enough.
DeleteYup, exactly this. Refused fares if the distance or location "wasn't worth it", magical card readers that don't work until you tell em you're not paying if its broken, etc.
Delete"Which isn't a bad thing if they are only viable by skimping on passenger safety related expenses."
DeleteOh, they're only viable by skimping on EVERY kind of expense and regulation. The tech industry is like one big terrible sitcom skit.
Delete your apps. Unsubscribe. Economic strike. Fuck the billionaire PayPal Mafia. Fuck these psychotic billionaires. They have nothing without their money. We have everything with our resistance and humanity and connection
ReplyDeleteThe flood of lawsuits will hopefully bankrupt them.
ReplyDeleteWhy is it so damn hard to ever find info and images of the perpetrators? I could move and tell no-one, yet within a day my address will magically be available in some public website. Yet whenever it comes to criminals and suspects, you can almost never find their ass - anywhere.
ReplyDeleteIt's to protect prosecution from jury bias and limit risk and harm to legal proceeding and likelihood of verdict
DeletePeople argue with me public transportation isn't safe.
ReplyDeleteYet they use Uber/Lyft all the time...
It's felt like a reckoning has been coming for Uber for a long time.
ReplyDeleteLink: https://youtu.be/tSGth1CRSQk?si=wjse5ORnm22nft59
a several week old video with only 140 views? is this entire post an ad for your youtube channel
DeleteAnother loser billionaire psycho
DeleteThis is AMAZING news. Uber has gotten away with so much immoral business practice and has never been held accountable. I hope all the victims get the same or higher judgement.
ReplyDeleteAs someone not from the US, can someone explain how the man who did this is not in prison? From where I live — this person would be immediately arrested by the police. While i understand this is specifically a civil case and why is there not a criminal case ?
ReplyDeleteA criminal case would be prosecuted by the Arizona [county] DA, and there are often very specific criteria that can be hard to prove - and if it’s anything like my state and county, DA’s offices wont prosecute (at least, not all the way to trial) unless they feel exceptionally confident they will win.
DeletePardon the word vomit but this should help. Wonder if that allows the most recent Indiana case of an illegal hired for driving a semi killed 3 or 4 and 1 in critical. I know the amish will never sue but the driver could.
DeleteThere was no criminal case brought against the driver, Hassan Turay, following the November 2023 incident in Tempe, Arizona. While the civil jury in Phoenix found Uber liable for the assault and awarded Jaylynn Dean $8.5 million in February 2026, the legal situation for the driver was different: Lack of Criminal Charges: During the civil trial, it was explicitly stated that Turay was not criminally charged for the alleged rape. Conflicting Testimony: Turay testified via video deposition, maintaining that the encounter was consensual. However, he admitted in his deposition that Dean was likely too drunk to consent. Police Investigation: Following the incident, the Tempe Police Department investigated the report, but prosecutors ultimately did not move forward with a criminal case. Civil vs. Criminal Standard: The civil trial focused on Uber's liability under the theory of "apparent agency"—whether a passenger would reasonably believe the driver was an employee of Uber—which has a lower burden of proof than a criminal conviction.
Do we know he's not and that there was no criminal case against him?
DeleteIt would be her choice, I believe
This is the end if your an Uber driver. If the driver becomes an even bigger liability then uber will be dumping even more money into self driving cars. Sad for me since I drive for Uber. They have already been giving the best rides to Waymo cars, and once they are fully allowed on the freeway with passengers they will phase drivers out.
ReplyDeleteOr just...don't rape your passengers and always have a dashcam facing in and out of the car?
DeleteUber has a responsibility to its riders AND drivers to make sure everyone is safe. If they can't do that, they should go out of business.
I completely agree. I hope in the short term uber is aggressive in blocking drivers that assault passengers.I also hope they force every driver to have recording on at all times, instead of having it be a opt in service as it is now. In the long term though drivers, even the ones that did nothing wrong, are cooked. I bet over the next 2-3 years 50% of uber cars will be self driving in cities across America.
DeleteAs someone who lives in an area that has Waymo, I will take them 100% of the time over an Uber or Lyft, due to the terrible and creepy drivers I've had in the past. Waymo is so much safer in almost every capacity. Sure this affects you as an Uber driver, but the fault is not mine for choosing Waymo, but your employer for not better vetting and handling of misconduct and assaults by your fellow drivers.
DeleteIn late November of 2024 I was solicited for prostitution, sexually harassed, and nearly abducted by my driver, on just a short Uber ride home from a counseling appointment, located perhaps about 5 minutes away from where I live.
ReplyDeleteDon't recommend.. at least they deplatformed him, but based on the evidence I have, he deserves to be prosecuted.
Probably won't happen unfortunately.
At least this Settlement is a good start for other victims.
So the evidence you have, which you took to the police, what was the outcome?
DeleteSorry to pry, but did you file a police report?
DeleteUber needs to be held accountable. I LOVE this
ReplyDeleteThis verdict feels significant not just for the damages, but because it sets a precedent. If systemic failures are proven, the ripple effects for platform accountability could be huge.
ReplyDeleteNext, dating apps.
DeleteIf you’re desperate enough to use them you must deal with the consequences
DeleteI'm sure your mom would be proud.
DeleteSaid the grown ass man that plays video games all day sir take a walk
DeleteYou're a fragile little thing, huh?
DeleteMe big burly ape man. Me play video games like little monkey.
DeleteDon't victim blame. Predator blame. Same psychos use Roblox
DeleteThat is the language of abusers. "If you didn't want to get raped then you shouldn't have dressed like that." Glad you're outing yourself so everyone can stay away.
DeleteWhat do you want changed about dating apps?
DeleteFor starters, they could ban the people that have been reported by multiple victims of sexual assault, backed up with police reports. That’s why they’re getting sued now, because they didn’t bother to respond to their own reporting system.
DeleteThanks for expanding on your comment. I wasn’t aware of these lawsuits against dating apps, but have since read about them.
DeleteDating apps are basically ground zero for predators. It’s absurd that these platforms keep pretending they have no responsibility when the tools they built are routinely used by dirtbags to harm women.
DeleteCan you imagine someone trying to report something as serious as sexual assault to one of these companies - only to be routed to an underpaid, script-reading rep who can barely help you reset a password, let alone handle a crime?
These companies make resolving basic issues painful. When it’s something serious? Forget about it.
Here’s how it would play out:
Victim: Tries to report sexual assault. Spends 45 minutes clicking through "Help" pages that aggressively avoid telling you how to contact a human. Finally finds chat.
Chat: "Hello 🙂 My name is Scott. May I have your name? Your email? Your username?" [10 minutes pass] "So how is your day going?"
Victim: Explains the assault.
Chat: “One moment please.” [10 minutes pass] "Unfortunately, this cannot be handled via chat. Please call 1-888-555-XXXX. Is there anything else I can’t help you with today? Thank you for being a valued customer."
[end chat]
Victim calls. Gets stuck in the automated system. Hangs up. Calls again. Repeats this 15 times, finally getting through to a rep
Rep #1: “Thank you for calling, this is Peter. How may I help you?”
Victim: Explains the assault. Again.
Rep #1: “One moment please.” [10 minutes] “May I have your name, email, username, shoe size, and blood type?”
Victim: Provides everything. Again.
Rep #1: “One moment please.” [10 minutes] “How has your day been going?” [10 minutes] “I’m sorry, I can’t access your account. I’ll transfer you to a department who can.”
Rep #2: “Thank you for calling Billing. How may I help you?”
Victim: Explains the assault. Again. Mentions this is now the third person.
Rep #2: “No problem. I will help you sort this out ma'am. May I have your name, username, email, blood type, DNA sample, and mother’s maiden name?”
[10 minutes]
“Unfortunately, we can’t handle sexual assault cases. I’ll open a ticket.” [10 minutes]
“Here’s your ticket number. Please wait 27 weeks for a callback. Anything else I can’t help you with, ma’am?”
29 weeks later: No call.
[Victim calls again and painstakingly explains the situation in microscopic detail, slowly enough that even a five-year-old could follow along.]
Rep #3: “No problem, I can help you. May I have your email, username, GPS coordinates, and time of birth?” [10 minutes] “Oh, you’re actually in Tech Support. Let me transfer you to the right department.”
[Call disconnects.]
…
Rep #9: “Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling the app?” taps forehead
...
In the meantime
Executive: Gets a bonus for "operational excellence".
C-Suite: Gives a keynote about how seriously the company takes user safety.
...
Last but not least.
Perpetrator: Still working. Eventually receives the capital punishment of being "kicked off the platform"; but only after media attention picks up the case.
Inversely, get reported for false/arbitrary reasons and you're shadow or permabanned. No dispute. No recourse.
DeleteYeah I reported a dude with fucking receipts for literally giving me death threats and writing me a manifesto because I told him I was uncomfortable getting a naked massage with him. He said I was the sole reason men int heir entirety were being dragged down, and if I die it would make the world a better place.
DeleteLike holy fuck
I’m so sorry you went through that and your concerns were ignored. Most women have been traumatized one way or another on dating apps. Mine is much more tame but it made me swear off dating apps after trying them for a week only.
DeleteYeah it's ridiculous. I'm a victim of a cult and torture, and it's like these guys can smell it out.
DeleteI used to think it was only me, now I go out of my way to report people and make it annoying for them
You must be a really important person.
DeleteThat's an inappropriate attempt at humor that came to mind when I read your story. I hope it doesn't offend you, that's extremely not cool of that guy to do. You deserve better.
Yeah I was really surprised to be the sole cause of men's problems.
DeleteIt was super scary though, because the way he worded it was that I should die for men to finally be free and okay. And anyone who believes I'm the one thing standing in the way and all they have to do is just kill me, that's pretty damn scary.
He also used pseudo intellectual garbage. Like, he literally could not even explain it in plain terms.
He got super missed when I started just pointing out what he was doing and sending messages as if he would be showing it other people and warning them, he really went off on me. (He initially tried to show me messages of a 'crazy woman' so I now know she wasnt)
Dang yeah, that's not a good experience at all.
DeleteThere are many many pending class action lawsuits against dating app parent companies regarding sexual assault and unchecked predatory hunting activities on the apps.
DeleteThis is gonna cause a chain reaction. This is what happens when you barely vet your drivers. Theyre supposed to do background checks from time to time but many steal accounts or rent their accounts out to people who can't pass a background check.
ReplyDeleteIt's a mess. More regulation will be the result and higher prices.