AboutLawsuits reported on Oct. 6 that Uber Technologies settled a Texas passenger sexual assault lawsuit before opening statements in what would have been the third federal bellwether trial in the Uber passenger sexual assault litigation. The report said the confidential settlement was reached on Oct. 2, after jury selection on Sept. 30 and before an Oct. 5 trial start in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
What the court filing says
The short-form complaint filed in the federal MDL identifies the plaintiff as Jane Doe QLF 001 and says she alleged she was sexually assaulted, harassed, battered, or otherwise attacked by an Uber driver during a June 9, 2020 ride in Tarrant County, Texas. The complaint says the ride began at 902 West Division Street in Arlington and listed a requested destination in Cresson, Texas.
California connection
AboutLawsuits reported that the case was part of MDL No. 3084, which is centralized before U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer in the Northern District of California for coordinated pretrial proceedings. The same report said nearly 5,000 federal lawsuits were pending in the MDL as of Oct. 1, with additional related claims in state court proceedings, including California state court litigation.
The report also summarized two earlier federal bellwether outcomes: an $8.5 million Arizona verdict in February and a $5,000 North Carolina award in April. AboutLawsuits said a separate California state court trial produced a negligence finding against Uber but no damages after jurors found causation was not proven.
For Southern California readers following rideshare injury issues, Lederer & Nojima maintains a related Uber and Lyft accident page.
Sources
- AboutLawsuits.com: Uber Sexual Assault Settlement Reached Before Bellwether Trial Begins
- Short-form complaint in MDL No. 3084
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Results may vary. Contact our office for a case evaluation.