Jury Finds Uber Liable in Sexual Assault Case Involving 19‑Year‑Old Passenger; Awards $8.5 Million in Damages

First Bellwether Trial in 3,000+ Case Rideshare Sexual Assault Multidistrict Litigation Results in Verdict for the Plaintiff

PHOENIX, Ariz., Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona found Uber Technologies, Inc. liable for the November 15, 2023, sexual assault of 19-year-old Jaylynn Dean, concluding after a nearly four-week trial that Uber's creation of an apparent agency relationship was a substantial factor in causing her rape. The jurors ordered Uber to pay $8.5 million in compensatory damages to Ms. Dean for the lifelong harm it caused.

According to evidence presented at trial, Uber dispatched driver Hassan Turay to pick up Ms. Dean shortly after midnight while she was alone, intoxicated, and riding back to her hotel. Internal Uber documents made public for the first time at the trial revealed in great detail that Uber's internal Safety Risk Assessed Dispatch (S‑RAD) algorithm rated the trip 0.81 out of 1, indicating an elevated risk of a serious safety incident, yet the company sent the ride without warning Ms. Dean or altering the match.

According to testimony at trial, Mr. Turay stopped the ride, entered the back seat, and raped the passenger while she lay incapacitated. Uber removed him from the platform only after Ms. Dean immediately reported the assault to a hotel employee, the police, and the company.

Corporate presentations, internal messages, and testimony from top corporate, safety, and marketing executives showed that Uber knew based on years of internal analysis, rider reports, law enforcement reports, and public data that women riding alone at night – particularly when intoxicated – faced heightened danger of sexual assault, but chose not to disclose these risks because doing so posed "serious business implications."

Witnesses who testified at this trial in-person or via video deposition included co-founder and former CEO Travis Kalanick, current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Director and Head of U.S. City Operations Chad Dobbs, Director of Communications Andrew Hasbun, Director of Applied Sciences Sunny Wong, former Senior VP of Core Services Gus Fuldner, Head of Central Policy Emilie Boman, Senior VP of Marketing and Public Affairs Jill Hazelbaker, and Chief Product Officer Sachin Kansal.

"This verdict for the plaintiff in the very first bellwether trial is a harbinger of what's to come," said Sarah London, Partner at Girard Sharp, and co-lead trial attorney and co-lead of the national multidistrict litigation (MDL) against Uber. "Today, a jury in federal court found an Uber passenger reasonably relied on Uber's representations about it being safe method of transportation when it actually had placed her in harm's way. We would like to thank the jury for its service, and for bringing justice to Ms. Dean."

"My heroic client, Jaylynn Dean, did what so few survivors feel safe to do: she reported her assault immediately to three people, despite a system that too often blames victims and counts on their silence," said Rachel Abrams, Partner at Peiffer Wolf and MDL co-lead. "Her courage sends a message to survivors everywhere that speaking out matters and can make a difference. Because of Jaylynn's bravery, a corporation valued at more than $150 billion globally will now be held to account for the lifelong harm it caused her."

"Jaylynn Dean's case is not isolated – it reflects a pattern we continue to see nationwide," said Roopal Luhana, Founding Partner of Chaffin Luhana, and MDL co-lead. "Evidence at trial revealed the company poured billions into marketing itself as a "safe ride" while withholding the true scope of sexual violence and leaving riders, especially women, dangerously exposed. We remain committed to ensuring Ms. Dean and the more than 3,000 survivors who came forward achieve justice."

"The significance of holding this trial in the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse was not lost on anyone," said Alexandra Walsh, Shareholder at Anapol Weiss and co-lead trial attorney. "Like Justice O'Connor, Jaylynn Dean grew up in a small Texas town and moved to Phoenix. Ms. Dean's life trajectory was forever altered by a horrific assault by an Uber driver in 2023. Like Justice O'Connor, she is a trailblazer with extraordinary courage, and today's verdict reflects her strength and her truth."

"Twenty‑four minutes changed the course of Jaylynn Dean's life," said Deborah Chang, Founding Partner of Chang Klein and co-lead trial attorney. "What happened to her after her Uber driver turned off his GPS and turned into a dark parking lot left a lifelong impact that no verdict can fully undo. Uber's lawyers poured over her personal life, her past traumas, every single piece of her social media. She stood firm, and the jury saw the truth of that harm and recognized the company's responsibility for creating the conditions that allowed it to occur."

Plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, who chose to proceed publicly under her own name, stated, "I want to make sure this never happens to other women. I came forward for every woman who, like me, thought she was making the safe and smart choice, only to learn there are real risks of being assaulted. I want every woman in America to understand that Uber will not protect them, but I am committed to doing everything in my power to make sure they are warned and protected."

This trial was the first in the federal multidistrict litigation comprising more than 3,000 sexual‑assault cases against Uber. The second bellwether trial will take place in April in the Western District of North Carolina, with others expected around the country in the coming months.

Ms. Dean is represented by Rachel B. Abrams (Peiffer Wolf), who serves a co-lead of In re: Uber Technologies Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL No. 3084) in the Northern District of California, along with co-lead counsel Sarah R. London (Girard Sharp) and Roopal P. Luhana (Chaffin Luhana). Ms. London, Alexandra M. Walsh (Anapol Weiss), and Deborah Chang (Chang Klein) served as lead trial counsel for the plaintiff on Jaylynn Dean v. Uber Technologies Inc., receiving valuable assistance from Andrew Kaufman, Maya Kalonia, Kristen Palumbo, Simon Grille, Zoe Woo, Olivia Danner, and Florencia Cudos from Girard Sharp; William Smith, Holly Dolejsi, Kristen Varallo, Hannah Schaafsma, Rebecca Barnholtz, Alejandra Garcia, and Lisa Qian from Anapol Weiss; Beth Wilkins, Steve Cohn, Reenee Gangopadhyay, Geoffrey Spaulding, and Rebecca Pascarell from Chaffin Luhana; Sara Peters and Khaldoun Baghdadi from Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger; Sommer Luther from Wagstaff Law Firm; Tiffany Ellis, Sara Craig, Cristine Farah, and Brian Perkins from Peiffer Wolf; Ellyn Hurd, An Truong, Jo Anna Pollock, Reilly Dunne, and Aria Brown from Simmons Hanly Conroy; Candice Klein, Keilah Betts, and Cesar Garcia from Chang Klein; Marlene Goldenberg from Nigh Goldenberg Raso & Vaughn; Layne Hilton from Meyer Wilson; as well as Precision Trial Solutions, BlueBear, and Chopra Litigation Consulting.

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SOURCE Co-lead Plaintiffs' Counsel