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Uber Technologies Inc.’s first bellwether trial on whether the company can be held liable for a rider’s sexual assault allegation concluded Thursday, Bloomberg Law reported. A San Francisco Superior Court jury begins deliberations today, after three weeks of evidence and testimony.
The case centers on a California rider identified as Jessica C., who says her Uber driver forcibly kissed and groped her during a 2016 ride.
Jurors could award compensatory damages for mental harm and PTSD and may also consider punitive damages meant to punish the company. The result is being closely watched because it is the first to reach trial among thousands of lawsuits filed around the country, mostly by women riders, alleging Uber failed to adopt safety features such as mandatory dashcams and stronger monitoring that they argue could have prevented assaults.
The outcome of this and several upcoming trials is expected to influence hundreds of other suits consolidated in California Superior Court in San Francisco. A separate consolidated federal proceeding in San Francisco includes thousands of additional sexual assault lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country, with the first trials scheduled for early next year.
According to testimony, the 2016 incident occurred when Jessica, then an 18 year old first year student at the University of California Santa Cruz, was heading home for winter break. After drinking in her dorm, she took a bus to downtown San Jose and requested her first Uber to the airport. She said the driver, Farrukh Kazim, pulled over on a side street, ended the trip in the app, and began to forcibly kiss and grope her in the front passenger seat. She said she believed she would be raped or killed. She said a phone call during the incident interrupted it and the driver then took her to the airport. She said she later received treatment for PTSD and withdrew from school the next semester.
In closing arguments, a plaintiff’s attorney said Uber prioritized rapid growth over rider safety and resisted measures such as mandatory dashcams and stronger monitoring. “Your verdict is going to have a bigger impact on what happens to Jessica for the rest of her life any anything else that will happen,” the attorney said, asking the jury for $21.8 million in damages with punitive damages on top and adding that “it’s not enough to fine” such a large company.
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If you are a survivor of sexual misconduct or assault committed by an Uber driver, SurvivorsRights.com may be able to connect you with an attorney who specializes in these types of cases. Learn more about the litigation through our Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuit Guide.
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