Since its launch in 2009, Uber has quickly built its reputation as one of the most well-known rideshare companies. As passengers and drivers have embraced the convenience offered by the platform, Uber has also navigated through its fair share of legal challenges from governments, drivers, passengers, and competitors alike. Uber faces four types of lawsuits frequently, including:
- Car accidents
- Sexual assault
- Wage theft
- Misclassification of Drivers
Uber Lawsuits for Car Accident Liability
Uber and other rideshare companies, like Lyft, are often sued for car accidents caused by their drivers. According to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the total number of motor vehicle accidents and fatalities has increased by roughly three percent in the United States because of ridesharing companies. These lawsuits often involve:
- Pedestrians who were struck and injured by Uber drivers
- Motorists in car accidents caused by Uber drivers
- Uber passengers who got hurt in a crash
Uber Car Accident Statistics
Uber released their latest safety report for 2019-2020, which indicated that Uber crashes have resulted in a total of 107 fatalities:
- 38% were Uber drivers
- 21% were Uber passengers
- 4% were third parties (pedestrians, cyclists)
- 37% were other vehicle occupants
Uber Insurance Settlements
Uber provides insurance coverage on the driver’s behalf if an Uber driver is available and awaiting a ride request but is not actively picking up or transporting a passenger. This coverage includes:
- $50,000 per person
- $100,000 per accident for bodily injury liability
- $25,000 in property damage coverage per accident
In the event of an accident while an Uber driver is picking up a passenger or actively transporting one, Uber maintains up to $1,000,000 in third-party liability coverage, along with uninsured or underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage. This covers:
- Injuries and medical care
- Damage to your vehicle and personal property
Talk to an experienced rideshare attorney at Farah & Farah to discuss insurance settlement options for your case.
Uber Lawsuits for Sexual Assault
Uber is also facing lawsuits for sexual assaults committed by the drivers. Uber’s U.S. Safety Report shared that they get about 3,000 to 7,000 reports of possible sexual assault from Uber passengers every year. The situations mentioned in the legal cases range from reported touching to kidnapping to rape. These lawsuits claim that the rideshare company should be held accountable for hiring drivers negligently and failing to screen them thoroughly for possible criminal histories.
On October 4, 2023, 22 active Uber lawsuits and 79 pending cases were transferred to multidistrict litigation and assigned to the U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in the Northern District of California. Lawsuits can be transferred to an MDL when multiple plaintiffs file lawsuits with similar facts against the same defendant. This process allows the plaintiffs to share case discovery, and the judge issues rulings about case discovery, admissibility of evidence, and other issues that apply to all cases.
Although the cases are consolidated into one court, they remain separate. The court will hear a few test cases in what is known as bellwether trials. The outcome of these trials guides how to resolve the remaining cases.
The Cases Against Uber
As of January 2, 2025, there were 1,487 cases in the Uber MDL, and that number is growing. The plaintiffs allege they suffered sexual assault or harassment because Uber committed the following breaches of duty:
- It failed to implement and enforce safety requirements to protect passengers.
- It knew a large number of its drivers were sexually assaulting passengers.
- It failed to conduct adequate background checks on its drivers.
- It failed to require driver training on sexual assault and harassment.
- It failed to respond to rider complaints about sexual assault and harassment.
As of January 2, 2025, there were 1,487 cases in the Uber MDL, and that number is growing. The plaintiffs allege they suffered sexual assault or harassment because Uber committed the following breaches of duty:
Uber Sexual Assault Statistics
According to Uber’s most recent safety report, 12,522 people reported sexual assault in connection with Uber rides from 2017 through 2021. The highest number of reported assaults occurred from 2017 to 2018, with nearly 6,000 reports. That number dropped to 2,717 from 2020-2021—a decrease of 44 percent. While these lower numbers are encouraging, it is apparent that Uber hasn’t done enough to prevent these horrific incidents.
Although riders were the perpetrators in 51 percent of assaults that involved non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part, drivers were the perpetrators in the vast majority of all four of the other forms of sexual assault Uber reported, as follows:
- Attempted non-consensual sexual penetration – 87 percent
- Non-consensual touching of a sexual body part – 59 percent
- Non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part – 84 percent
- Non-consensual sexual penetration – 90 percent
Approximately 89 percent of survivors of non-consensual sexual penetration during Uber rides were women.
Uber’s Duty of Care to Its Passengers
Uber’s duty of care to its passengers involves taking reasonable measures to ensure their safety and well-being. Uber’s safety measures for their passengers include:
- Driver screening
- In-app emergency assistance
- Ride tracking
- Anonymous feedback
- Fair treatment policy
- Insurance coverage
- Timely communication
- Prompt response to incidents
Uber Lawsuits for Wage-Theft Claims
Uber drivers are also suing the rideshare company for withholding money from their drivers. Uber’s competitor, Lyft, is also facing the same claims. Uber has agreed to pay its drivers a total of $290 million in wage-theft settlements so far, and Lyft a total of $38 million. Cheated drivers will receive back pay, mandatory paid sick leave, other benefits. Qualifying drivers can submit a claim with these rideshare companies to receive the owed funds.
Uber Lawsuits for Misclassification of Drivers
In 2014, Uber drivers who thought they were labeled incorrectly as independent contractors filed a class action lawsuit. The case was resolved outside of court in 2019 for $20 million, but Uber still denies negligence and that they labeled the workers incorrectly. Another class action lawsuit was filed and approved in Northern California, where Uber paid $8.4 million to its drivers who claimed they were misclassified as independent contractors.
Do You Need an Uber Car Accident Lawyer?
Our experienced Uber car accident lawyers can help you get justice and hold Uber accountable if you’ve been injured in an accident or sexually assaulted or are a driver who has been treated unfairly. We’ve been protecting you and your family since 1979—that experience makes all the difference.
Contact us online now or call 1(877) 245-6707, and let us put our experience to work for you.
