Uber is facing one of the largest waves of passenger sexual assault lawsuits in U.S. history. Survivors across the country allege that Uber drivers sexually assaulted them and that the company is legally responsible because it failed to screen drivers properly, ignored prior complaints, and did not implement basic safety measures.
These claims are now consolidated in In re: Uber Technologies Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL No. 3084) in the Northern District of California. As of August 2025, more than 2,500 plaintiffs in over 29 states have joined the MDL, with that number expected to continue to rise throughout 2025. The first Uber sex abuse trial is set for December 8, 2025. Uber might seek, if they are smart, a global Uber settlement before that trial.
Our lawyers believe these are exceptionally strong cases. The evidence points to a pattern: repeated warnings about dangerous drivers, no action from Uber, and preventable assaults that followed. In the courtroom, that is the kind of timeline juries understand and respond to. It is also the kind of fact pattern that can lead to substantial Uber sexual assault settlement amounts.
On this page, we track the latest developments in the Uber passenger sexual assault MDL, including bellwether trial updates, key court rulings, and our view of potential Uber settlement values below
How to Determine Settlement Compensation or Jury Awards in Sexual Assault Lawsuits Against Uber
Determining settlement compensation and jury payouts in Uber sexual assault lawsuits involves a variety of variables, and the variables have different weights.
- Severity of the Assault: The nature and severity of the sexual assault play a crucial role. More severe or violent assaults often result in higher settlements or awards. There are Uber rape cases and Uber sexual harassment cases. The settlement compensation for the latter, all things being equal, will be lower.
- Physical Injuries: The extent and nature of any physical injuries sustained by the victim can significantly impact the amount. As you would expect, more severe physical injuries typically lead to higher compensation. That said, some of the most serious rideshare sexual assault lawsuits have no physical injury.
- Emotional and Psychological Trauma: Sexual assault often results in long-lasting emotional and psychological harm. The severity of this trauma and its impact on the victim’s life are critical factors.
- Medical and Therapy Costs: The cost of medical treatment and psychological counseling required as a result of the assault is usually recoverable. This includes both past and future expected costs. Are these costs necessary to bring a viable claim? Of course not.
- Punitive Damages: Our lawyers talk more about this below. In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded to punish egregious conduct and deter similar acts in the future. The likelihood and amount of punitive damages depend on the defendant’s behavior.
- Defendant’s Ability to Pay: In most sex abuse lawsuits, the first question is whether the defendant can pay a settlement or judgment. That is not a problem here. They have, of course, endless money for settlements and verdicts.
- Publicity and Reputational Considerations: Uber goes to great lengths to avoid negative publicity in high-profile cases. Uber does not want to try cases; it wants iron-tight confidentiality clauses when it settles them.
- Age and Vulnerability of the Victim: The victim’s age and any vulnerabilities may be considered, especially in cases involving children or individuals with disabilities. You will see below a rideshare lawsuit involving an 11-year-old girl. Of course, that drives settlement compensation.
- Case Strength and Evidence: You must be able to present a strong case at trial. The strength of the case, including the availability and quality of evidence, will impact not only the likelihood of winning at trial but also the amount of a settlement or award. What makes for strong evidence in a sexual assault lawsuit? A credible plaintiff. That alone is often enough.
Settlement Amounts for Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits
Most mass tort MDLs eventually get resolved in a global settlement deal in which the defendant pays a large sum of money to resolve all pending cases. Individual cases are then ranked into tiers based on a points system based on various factors such as the strength of evidence and the severity of the sexual assault. Cases in the highest tiers get bigger settlement payouts than those in the lower tiers.
Our lawyers think that the settlement tier values for Uber sexual assault cases could be in the range of $300,000 to $800,000. But we also expect settlements that go past $1 million. And cases in the highest tiers will be those involving forcible rape with strong evidence could go into the millions. Lower-tier cases will be those involving lesser degrees of sexual assault. Any eventual Uber misconduct settlement will likely be in the billions in terms of total compensation paid out to victims.
In 2025, a lot of lawyers in this litigation think we are close to the end, and a settlement is on the horizon. If you ask these lawyers for a guess, you will get a wide range of numbers. So if you want to call our estimated average Uber sexual assault settlement a guess, that would not be unfair. But our lawyers are really bullish on this litigation, and we think people want to know what lawyers predict regarding settlement payouts, so we provide that information here.
Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit Settlement Prediction Chart
| Tier | Case Characteristics | Estimated Settlement Range |
| Tier 1 | Forcible rape with strong evidence, minor or vulnerable plaintiff, severe trauma | $1.5M – $3M |
| Tier 2 | Non-consensual sexual assault with corroboration, long-term psychological harm | $800K – $1.5M |
| Tier 3 | Unwanted sexual contact or attempted assault, therapy required | $500K – $800K |
| Tier 4 | Sexual harassment or groping, minimal evidence, or delayed reporting | $300K – $500K |
| Tier 5 | Low-evidence cases or unclear liability, no physical contact | $150K – $300K |
Note: Final values depend on evidence strength, plaintiff credibility, and Uber’s strategic interest in avoiding publicity. A global Uber misconduct settlement may exceed billions in total compensation.
Sexual Assault Verdicts and Settlements
Below are summaries of settlements and verdicts in sexual assault cases involving situations similar to Uber driver sexual assaults. What our lawyers are trying to do here is give you a flavor of how similar sex abuse lawsuits play out.
Obviously, there are limits, and how instructive a scattering of jury payouts and settlement amounts in sexual assault cases is to understanding appropriate compensation. This is one tool of many to better understand how to put a settlement compensation amount on a sexual assault lawsuit against Uber.
- $130,000 Verdict (Oregon): The plaintiff was a front-seat passenger in a taxi cab driven by the defendant’s driver. The plaintiff contended that he driver rubbed her leg, groped her breast, grabbed her hand, placed it on his groin, and tried to kiss her without her consent. The event was captured with black-and-white still images from the taxi cab. The defendant admitted liability, and the only issue at trial was damages. Our Uber sex assault lawyers think the exact same case would get a higher settlement amount in the MDL.
- $9,000,000 Settlement (Pennsylvania): A man – an evil man – orchestrated a meeting with an 11-year-old via Instagram. He used Lyft to transport the girl to a Days Inn hotel, where he sexually assaulted her. The girl’s rideshare sexual assault attorneys sued Lyft and, later, the Days Inn because it did not take sufficient actions to prevent the incident. The lawsuit, filed by the girl and her mother, accused Lyft of failing to enforce its policy against drivers transporting unaccompanied minors, as Lyft drivers transported the girl to meet the assailant. Lyft and two Days Inn hotels agreed to a $9 million settlement payout to settle their sexual assault lawsuit.
- $400,000 Settlement (Virginia): An unemployed singer and actress in her early 30s allegedly was raped by the male co-defendant taxi driver. The plaintiff claimed posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of the alleged assault. The co-defendant offered to drive the plaintiff to a hospital emergency room with an injured friend and subsequently engaged in sexual intercourse in the taxi. The plaintiff contended that the co-defendant raped her. The defendants contended that the intercourse was voluntary, and the cab company contended that the co-defendant was not on duty.
- $620,000 Settlement (California): The plaintiff was a mentally disabled woman in her 30s who relied on cab service to get around. The defendant was her regular cab driver, and he sexually assaulted her numerous times. The plaintiff had repeatedly asked the disability cab service for a different driver, but nothing was done. The driver allegedly fondled her breasts and genitals by means of force and deceit. The plaintiff said she did not consent to the touching. The plaintiff also said that the defendant would force her to sit beside him and would drive to an alley behind her home, lock the doors, restrain her, and sexually assault her.
Punitive Damages May Drive Uber Sexual Assault Settlement Payouts
Every Uber rideshare sexual assault lawsuit will allege that the company has been aware at least since 2014 of ongoing issues with sexual predators among its drivers assaulting passengers. Despite numerous passenger complaints, police investigations, and legal actions related to driver misconduct, Uber failed to take adequate safety measures to protect its passengers. Uber’s executives consciously chose not to enforce stringent background checks for drivers.
Why? These suits allege that the company put women’s safety on the back burner to satisfy its passion for rapid expansion and profit maximization. To expand, you need drivers and lots of them. This decision to prioritize financial growth over passenger safety led to the neglect of implementing crucial safety precautions.
Uber could have done the right thing and put in safety measures, including thorough background checks, biometric fingerprinting, job interviews, electronic monitoring systems, and strict policies against driver misconduct. Why not?
Again, these precautions were allegedly deemed costly and potentially harmful to Uber’s reputation. Consequently, under the direction of its executive officers, Uber opted to disregard these essential safety measures, thereby increasing the risk of assault, rape, kidnapping, and exploitation for passengers. So this lawsuit will continue to push the argument that Uber’s game plan prioritized cost and image over implementing robust safety protocols, demonstrating a reckless disregard for passenger well-being.
Not in every jurisdiction, but in many, these allegations will allow attorneys for sexual assault victims to submit punitive damages to a jury. Punitive damages are financial penalties imposed on a defendant in a lawsuit intended to punish particularly harmful behavior and deter similar misconduct in the future. Unlike compensatory damages, which aim to compensate the victim for their loss, punitive damages are awarded when the defendant’s actions are deemed especially egregious or recklessly negligent.
Our attorneys think juries will be primed to award significant punitive damages in cases where a defendant’s failure to protect women’s safety is found to be egregiously negligent or indicative of a disregard for the well-being of others.
These substantial financial penalties are imposed to punish the defendant for their neglect and serve as a strong deterrent against similar neglectful behavior. Uber knows this, and this risk will increase settlement amounts for every rideshare sexual assault lawsuit.
We are actively accepting new Uber sexual assault cases and talking to survivors nationwide every day. If you were assaulted by an Uber driver, contact us today at justice@federaltortassistance.org or contact us online.