A Rider Said She Was Assaulted in an Uber in Colombia. A Delaware Court Said the Case Belongs Elsewhere.

What happened. A rider from New York used the Uber app she had downloaded in the United States to book a ride in Cartagena, Colombia, at 1:26 a.m. on January 23, 2025. She alleges the driver sexually assaulted her during the ride. She first sued in federal court in New York, then withdrew and refiled in Delaware, where Uber is incorporated.

What Uber argued. Uber moved to dismiss on forum non conveniens grounds, meaning Delaware is the wrong place for the case. It pointed to witnesses and evidence in Colombia that a Delaware court couldn’t reach. The rider argued that Uber’s corporate decisions, not just the events in Colombia, caused her injuries.

The ruling. On October 13, 2026, Judge Monica A. Horton granted Uber’s motion and dismissed the case from Delaware. She weighed Delaware’s standard factors and found the key evidence and witnesses were in Colombia, and Uber’s corporate records in California.

Why it matters. Using a U.S. Uber account abroad doesn’t guarantee a U.S. courtroom if something goes wrong. Where the incident happened, where the witnesses are and where the company keeps its records all shape where the case can be heard. This was a ruling about the forum, not a finding about what happened.

Related: Alexander v. Lyft · Uber and Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits: Where the Cases Stand

Source: Delaware Superior Court — memorandum opinion (Oct. 13, 2026)

Allegations in the complaint are claims, not findings.