US Judge Dismisses Key Claims in 2,300+ Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits

A federal judge in San Francisco has dismissed several key claims in a major lawsuit involving more than 2,300 cases accusing Uber of liability for sexual assaults and harassment by its drivers. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer rejected fraud claims related to Uber's 'Don't drink and drive' advertisements, ruling that reasonable consumers would see these ads as encouragement to avoid drunk driving rather than a safety guarantee. However, the court allowed claims to proceed regarding Uber's app notifications, which passengers argued concealed drivers' prior misconduct and criminal histories, potentially misleading riders about safety risks. Claims that Uber's app was defective for not preventing high-risk driver-passenger pairings were also dismissed, but product liability claims concerning the absence of a feature to better match passengers with drivers were allowed to move forward. The judge's 37-page decision addressing 20 bellwether cases could set a precedent for the larger nationwide litigation, with a trial scheduled for December 8. Uber has denied any intent to withhold information fraudulently, and no passengers claimed to have relied on the disputed app notifications.