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Torts/Personal Injury

Feb. 4, 2026

Plaintiff seeks $144M as Uber denies liability for alleged assault

Closing arguments ended in the Phoenix bellwether trial, with the plaintiff's counsel urging a $144 million verdict against Uber for alleged rape, while the defense argued unforeseeable alleged conduct by an independent contractor driver does not make the company liable.

Trial wrapped up Tuesday in the first bellwether case of the massive multidistrict litigation against Uber over allegations of sexual assault against its drivers, with plaintiffs urging the jury to find Uber liable for the alleged rape of a passenger and award the plaintiff $144 million.

The defense, meanwhile, argued that Uber's actions didn't cause the alleged sexual assault and that the alleged perpetrator, an Uber driver who says the act was consensual, was a contracto...

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