Uber and Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits: Where the Cases Stand in November 2026

What an MDL is

A multidistrict litigation, or MDL, groups similar federal lawsuits before one judge for evidence-gathering and pretrial rulings. It isn’t a class action. Each person keeps an individual case, with its own facts and its own outcome.

To test how juries react, the judge picks a few cases for early trials, called bellwethers. Bellwether results don’t bind anyone else’s case, but they shape settlement talks.

The Uber cases: MDL No. 3084

• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• Judge: Charles R. Breyer
• Formed: October 2023
• Size: nearly 5,000 pending federal cases as of October 1, 2026. Hundreds more are coordinated separately in California state court.

The trials so far

The North Carolina appeal could matter well beyond assault cases. If Uber owes riders a common carrier’s duty, that affects how it can be held responsible for drivers generally. We cover the appeal in Does Uber Owe North Carolina Riders the Same Safety Duty as a Taxi Company?

What the judge has said

At a September 8, 2026 hearing, Judge Breyer criticized Uber’s approach of settling small groups of cases and encouraged the company to consider a universal settlement. Uber hasn’t announced one. The next federal bellwether trial is reported for January 2027, and trial dates in MDLs move often.

The Lyft cases: MDL No. 3171

• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
• Judge: Rita F. Lin
• Formed: February 5, 2026, starting with 17 cases from 10 federal districts
• Size: 106 active cases as of September 1, 2026, and growing. Nearly 2,000 more Lyft cases are coordinated separately in California state court.

The Lyft MDL is early. Lawyers are exchanging documents, and on October 14, 2026, Judge Lin heard arguments on Lyft’s motion to dismiss parts of the claims. As of August 2026, no Lyft passenger sexual assault case had reached a jury verdict in either the federal or the California proceeding.

What these cases claim

The claims vary, but common theories include:

• Negligent screening and hiring: background checks that missed warning signs
• Failure to act on complaints: keeping drivers on after reports
• Safety features: cameras, verification and alerts the company didn’t use or delayed
• Misrepresentation: marketing that promised more safety than the company delivered
• Agency and common carrier duty: holding the company responsible for the driver’s conduct

These are allegations. Uber and Lyft dispute liability and say they invest heavily in safety.

You can go to court

Uber and Lyft both ended forced arbitration for individual sexual assault claims in 2018. A federal law passed in 2022, the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, lets survivors choose court regardless of an arbitration clause. See Uber and Lyft Arbitration Clauses: Can You Still Sue After an Accident?

Is there a settlement to sign up for?

No. As of November 2026, there’s no global settlement and no claim form for either company. Any website offering to “sign you up” for a settlement payment is describing something that doesn’t exist yet. To take part, a survivor files an individual lawsuit, usually through a lawyer, and most federal cases are then transferred into the MDL.

Deadlines still apply

Each case is subject to the statute of limitations in the state where the assault happened. Many states have longer deadlines for sexual assault claims, and some have extended or reopened them. But the deadlines vary, and some are short. Check yours early.

What helps a case

• the trip receipt, or a screenshot of the ride in the app
• any report you made to Uber or Lyft, and their response
• any police report
• medical records and any counseling records
• names of anyone you told soon afterward
• messages from the driver

None of this has to be perfect, and many survivors report months or years later. A lawyer can help fill gaps, including getting the company’s own records.

FAQs

Is the Uber sexual assault lawsuit a class action?

No. It’s an MDL, a group of individual lawsuits handled together before trial. Each case has its own facts and outcome.

How much have Uber sexual assault cases paid?

Two federal juries have returned verdicts: $8.5 million in Arizona and $5,000 in North Carolina. A third bellwether case settled on confidential terms. Results depend heavily on the facts.

Can I still file a claim in 2026?

Many survivors can, depending on their state’s deadline. There’s no settlement fund to join. Filing means bringing your own lawsuit.

Do I have to go to arbitration?

No. Uber and Lyft don’t force individual sexual assault claims into arbitration, and federal law lets survivors choose court.

Is the Lyft case the same as the Uber case?

No. They’re separate MDLs before different judges. The Lyft MDL started in February 2026 and is at an earlier stage.

Find your state’s rules

Start from the state index. Our case library also covers driver-assault prosecutions and lawsuits by state.

Sources and limits

Case counts and schedules are as reported on the dates noted. MDL numbers change monthly.

• Bloomberg Law — Uber settles bellwether sexual assault case before third trial (Oct. 5, 2026)
• Co-lead counsel statement — Uber settles Texas bellwether (PR Newswire, Oct. 2, 2026)
• Co-lead counsel statement — North Carolina bellwether verdict (Apr. 22, 2026)
• JPML — MDL No. 3171 transfer order (Feb. 5, 2026) (PDF)
• JPML — Pending MDLs by actions pending (Oct. 1, 2026) (PDF)
• Lieff Cabraser — Lyft passenger sexual assault litigation status
• RideClaim.co — our brief on the Fourth Circuit appeal, No. 26-1640

Some sources above are plaintiffs’ counsel statements and are identified as such. Allegations are not findings. This is general information, not legal advice, and RideClaim.co is not a law firm.