(RTTNews) - In a recent federal case heard in Arizona, a US jury has ordered ride-hailing company Uber (UBER) to pay $8.5 million in damages to a woman who reported being raped by a driver while using Uber's services in 2023.
The jury found Uber liable under the "apparent agency" doctrine, meaning the company was responsible for the driver's actions while he was working on its behalf.
The jury rejected Uber's claims that it was negligent or that its safety systems were defective, and declined to award punitive damages. However, Uber has stated that it plans to appeal the verdict.
This case is one of several bellwether trials expected to shape outcomes in thousands of similar lawsuits filed against the company over alleged sexual assaults by Uber drivers.
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