A federal jury in Phoenix ordered Uber to pay $8.5m to Jaylynn Dean, who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver when she was 19. The jury found the driver was an agent of Uber, making the company liable, but awarded only compensatory damages and no punitive damages. The case was the first bellwether trial among more than 3,000 similar federal lawsuits and could shape settlement values. Uber said it will appeal and noted the jury rejected claims that it was negligent or that its safety systems were defective, saying the verdict “affirms that Uber acted responsibly.” Dean’s lawyer Sarah London said it “validates the thousands of survivors.”
