A federal jury in Phoenix is now deep into a negligence trial that could reshape how courts handle sexual assault claims against Uber and other rideshare giants. At the center of the case is Tempe resident Jaylynn Dean, who says Uber’s safety systems failed her when a driver raped her in the back of a car after she hailed a ride to her hotel in November 2023. The verdict could set the tone for dozens of similar claims already consolidated in federal court and help define when a rideshare company can be held civilly liable for attacks by drivers it labels as independent contractors.
According to Arizona's Family, Dean’s federal complaint alleges an Uber driver raped her while she was intoxicated after ordering a ride back to her Tempe hotel. Her legal team argues the company relied on “fast and shallow background checks,” failed to require video cameras in vehicles, and improperly marketed the service to women as a safe way to get home, including after drinking, the complaint says. Dean is asking jurors to find Uber negligent for allowing a driver with alleged risk factors to access riders through the app.
Court records identify the case as Dean v. Uber Technologies, No. 2:2025cv04276, and show jury selection and trial proceedings underway in early January 2026, according to docket entries on Justia. Minute entries filed on Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 reflect multiple trial days, confirming that the lawsuit has moved out of the pretrial phase and squarely into the hands of a jury.
Data from Uber show the company recorded 2,717 incidents across five of its most serious sexual assault categories in 2021–2022. The safety report notes that those figures include reports from both riders and drivers and that Uber does not determine whether each reported incident actually occurred. Plaintiffs’ attorneys frequently cite those disclosures as evidence of broader, platform-wide risk that goes beyond any single driver.
What’s at Stake in Court
To win, Dean and other plaintiffs have to convince jurors that Uber’s corporate policies and safety choices rise to the level of negligence, not just isolated misconduct by individual drivers. Uber is expected to argue that because drivers are independent contractors and not employees, the company does not exercise the direct control over them that is typically required for vicarious liability, according to analysis of the consolidated federal litigation. MDL Update reports that a federal multidistrict litigation has centralized thousands of sexual assault claims against Uber, with bellwether trials like Dean’s used to test the strength of the overarching allegations.
Criminal defense attorney Brenna Fisher told Arizona's Family that “negligence is always an uphill battle” when plaintiffs go up against large corporations. That dynamic helps explain why juries in early test cases carry so much weight in charting the future of the litigation.
Company Response and Safety Steps
Uber says safety is baked into its platform design and points in its public materials to tools such as in-app reporting, RideCheck, driver screening and other features intended to prevent harm and support riders and drivers. The company’s safety reporting highlights ongoing investments in technology and partnerships aimed at reducing risk and assisting survivors when incidents are reported.
Plaintiffs counter that the real story lies in what internal records show. They argue that discovery and documents Uber has not yet produced will be essential to proving any systemic failures. Attorneys have moved to compel records detailing how drivers are screened and monitored, according to reporting on the litigation by Helpingsurvivors.
If jurors find Uber negligent in Dean’s case, legal experts and plaintiffs’ lawyers say the decision could spur more trials and settlements across the multidistrict litigation. If Uber prevails, the company is likely to treat the outcome as a public affirmation of its screening and safety protocols. As MDL Update notes, early bellwether verdicts often shape settlement talks and can either accelerate or slow down waves of consolidated lawsuits. For victims’ advocates, courts and the rideshare industry that moves millions of late-night riders, the Phoenix jury’s decision will be watched closely.
