I would not have wanted to be the CEO of Uber on Wednesday morning when he woke up and checked the news. On August 6, 2025, The New York Times dropped a bombshell with its roughly 5,000-word exposé about Uber’s massive sexual assault problem and the company’s attempt to hide it.
Investigative reporter for the NYT, Emily Steel, wrote the devastating exposé revealing just how bad Uber's longtime and frankly terrifying sexual assault problem really is.
The author was able to uncover damning internal information, court documents, and interviews with current and former employees that exposed the real number of sexual assaults and sexual harassment that are occurring in Ubers.
For years, Uber has marketed itself as a faster, safer alternative to other forms of transportation. But behind the slick marketing campaigns and carefully curated safety reports (this tactic will be revealed later) was a different reality.
In this reality, Uber’s corporate risk management often took priority over the safety of their passengers and customers (and sometimes their drivers). This has been especially true for women.
The New York Times investigation exposed some really wild stuff, all of which leads back to the almighty dollar.
Uber has developed the tools needed to make rides safer and tested them in select markets. In many cases, they worked. However, Uber often chose not to implement these tools because they were likely going to hurt the bottom line.
If you or someone you love has been sexually assaulted during an Uber ride, you have legal options and potentially a very valuable case. You have every right to hold Uber accountable, and you're not alone. The team of lawyers at Lawsuit Legal News is ready to help you. We have handled hundreds of SA cases against Uber, and we don't plan to stop until women can use the service without fear of harassment, sexual assault, or rape.
Let's break down some of what The New York Times uncovered and what this means for anyone who was sexually assaulted while riding in an Uber.
How Uber Grossly Underreported the Number of Sexual Assaults on Their Watch and What The Numbers Might Really Be
The only way we have any sort of extensive data on the number of unwanted sexual statements, abuse, and assaults that are happening to Uber passengers is based on reports put out by Uber itself. Right now, there’s just no other way to collect all these events independently.
Since Uber is the one reporting the number of sexual harassment and sexual assaults that occur on their watch, do you think they are reporting the numbers accurately? Based on The New York Times article, the answer is a definitive NO.
Between 2017 and 2022, Uber reported the following numbers:
- 2017-2018: 5,981 incidents
- 2019-2020: 3,824 incidents
- 2021-2022: 2,717 incidents
This totals 12,522 incidents from 2017-2022.
(*See page 19 on the above link.)
However, according to court documents that Emily Steel was able to access, the actual number of sexual assaults from 2017 to 2022 was 400,181.
That means that the above numbers really should look something like this:
- 2017-2018: approximately 191,142 incidents
- 2019-2020: approximately 122,208 incidents
- 2021-2022: approximately 86,831 incidents
Keep these three bullet points in mind; I will refer back to them later.
Now that we know that Uber received nearly half a million reports of sexual misconduct or sexual assaults during rides they provided from 2017 to 2022—which is insane—we come to the stat that Emily opened her exposé with:
Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States almost every eight minutes on average, based on the real data.
And what’s even crazier is that there is a 99% chance that these numbers are a severe undercount.
That’s because most sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rapes are never reported in the first place.
According to the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S, RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), for every 1,000 sexual assaults that someone suffers, only 310 are reported to the police. This means that more than 2 out of 3 sexual assaults are unreported.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), the U.S.’s primary source of national crime data, reports very similar figures. The BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) from 2018 estimated that 75.1% of sexual assaults were not reported.
The BJS also found that 65% of rape or sexual assault victimizations were not reported to the police in a report they conducted from 2006-2010.
Finally, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) reports that only about 25% to 40% of rapes and sexual assaults are actually reported to the police. That means that between 60% and 75% of incidents were not reported.
Just as a thought exercise, I took the number of sexual misconduct and sexual assaults that actually occurred in Uber ride shares from 2017 to 2022 and calculated approximately how many incidents likely occurred by adding back the 65% of sexual assaults that are never reported. I used 65% because I felt like that was a fair number between the 60% to 75% figures presented by the three agencies discussed above.
Remember when I asked you to keep those three bullet points in mind? Well, if there were approximately 191,142 incidents, 122,208 incidents, and 86,831 incidents in the years from 2017 to 2022, and we now know these numbers only represent 35% of the total, what would it look like if all 100% were reported?
The estimated number of incidents for each time period, if 100% were reported, would be:
- 2017-2018: 546,120 incidents
- 2019-2020: 349,166 incidents
- 2021-2022: 248,089 incidents
So theoretically, if we take the number of actual sexual assaults and sexual misconduct that occurred in Uber rides, and factor in the 65% of incidents that are never reported, we would get the numbers above.
When we add up these numbers, we get a total of 1,143,375 incidents over six years, or about 200,000 incidents per year.
Of course, these numbers are just a thought exercise, but if you think about it, they're likely accurate. Extensive data from the three most prominent collectors of statistics about sexual assaults in America are all pretty unanimous on the fact that about 65% of unwanted sexual incidents are never reported. So, it's really not that big of a leap to factor in those unreported incidents.
So we started with Uber claiming that from 2017 to 2022, there were only 12,522 sexual misconduct or sexual assault incidents that occurred in their ride shares, and we ended at an educated calculation of more like 1,140,000 incidents.
What Else Did The New York Times Report Reveal
The statistics and data of sexual assault and misconduct that occur in Ubers in the United States alone are a staggering revelation.
The 400,181 figure the investigative reporter pulled from sealed court records includes both serious and less severe forms of misconduct. But even if you exclude verbal harassment or inappropriate comments, Uber still admitted to 12,522 serious sexual assaults during that same time window. And as we’ve seen, this figure only scratches the surface.
But the big shocker here is that Uber knew exactly what was going wrong, worked to find solutions, and often chose not to act. Then they chose to just cover up the real numbers
Technology and Programs Uber Invented to Keep Women Safe That They Never Implemented
- Uber had technology to match safer drivers with vulnerable passengers (for instance, someone leaving a bar late at night), but they still decided not to use this algorithm and instead just dispatched the high-risk drivers anyway.
- They tested in-car camera systems that reduced misconduct, but chose not to require them because it might blur the legal line between contractor and employee, and therefore they might actually have to pay their drivers a living wage and give them benefits. The horror!
- They piloted a "Women Driving Women" program in which women could select to only have a woman driver pick them up. This program showed clear safety benefits, but they stopped the rollout of Women Driving Women in the U.S. due to fears of discrimination lawsuits, aka money.
- Uber has also released a multitude of other safety features, some of which they kept and others they got rid of because they affected Uber's profits.
The article also exposed the internal culture at Uber. According to the article, Uber’s own safety leader questioned whether the company's "lack of actions" in a 2023 rape case were defensible.
In another example, an Uber spokesperson admitted in internal messages to “trashing” rape victims in a media interview. He later said he regretted it, but the damage was done.
Uber Isn’t Alone, But They Are One of the Worst Offenders
Sexual assault isn’t unique to Uber. The transportation industry as a whole—taxis, rideshare, buses, and beyond—has a problem. But what makes Uber particularly dangerous is the scale, the anonymity, and the lack of real accountability.
Patterns of Assault within Uber
These patterns in no way are meant to victim-blame or place any fault on the female victims of sexual assault or misconduct; that fault belongs to the dirtbags who harmed you. This section is meant to merely show a pattern and to help women and men understand why Uber assaults and abuse happen.
- Victims: Mostly female passengers and drivers have been assaulted or harassed.
- Perpetrators: Male drivers are almost always the perpetrators, often with prior complaints and low ratings.
- Timing: Late-night, weekend rides are the most common times for these incidents.
- Pickup spots: Passengers picked up near bars were the most frequently harassed or attacked.
- Risk factor: Intoxicated passengers are especially vulnerable.
- Repeat offenders: Some drivers with multiple prior complaints stayed active on the Uber app until enough assaults occurred that they were banned.
- Predictability: Uber identified 43 risk predictors for matching drivers and riders, but failed to use that information to match drivers and riders in a way that would make them safer.
- Underreporting: Fear, intimidation, shame, and the chilling fact that drivers often know where passengers live often keep women from reporting SA to Uber or police.
As they say, the system isn't broken. It’s working exactly how it was built: to grow Uber’s market share and cut costs, even if that means passengers are harmed in the process.
Survivors Can Hold Uber Legally Accountable
If you were sexually assaulted in an Uber, the law is on your side. You have the right to file a personal injury claim and, in many cases, to sue Uber directly. These cases can provide real compensation, so you should never hesitate to at least speak to an attorney for free to get their opinion.
How Uber Sexual Assault Cases Work
- Even though Uber drivers are labeled as "independent contractors," courts are increasingly willing to hold Uber liable for the actions of its drivers, especially when the company failed to act on known risks.
- You don’t need a criminal conviction to bring a civil case. Civil claims operate on a lower burden of proof. If Uber was negligent in screening, supervising, or retaining the driver who hurt you, that’s grounds for a lawsuit.
- You may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, therapy, lost wages, emotional trauma, and punitive damages.
The lawyers behind Lawsuit Legal News have handled hundreds of Uber sexual assault claims. We’ve gone up against some of the biggest corporations in the country and won. Filing lawsuits against corporate giants who put profits over safety isn’t new for us. It’s kinda our thing.
We believe every survivor deserves justice, real accountability, and proper compensation. Contact us today.
What Makes Lawsuit Legal News Different
You won’t find use with empty slogans or flashy TV commercials. What you’ll find is a team of knowledgeable, trial-ready attorneys who’ve spent years standing up to corporate negligence.
We’ve recovered millions of dollars for sexual assault survivors. We take the time to understand your story, your trauma, and your goals, and we help you to get what you need out of your lawsuit. After all, this is about you and your justice!
Here’s what you can expect from us:
- Confidential, compassionate representation
- Experience with rideshare assault litigation
- No upfront costs. We don’t get paid unless you win
- A knowledgeable team that takes your safety and dignity seriously
You’ve already been through enough. Let us help with the next part.
The Bottom Line: This Is Bigger Than Just One Company
The New York Times article made one thing painfully clear: Uber has known about this problem for years and chose, again and again, to protect itself over its passengers. That’s not just negligent, it’s unconscionable.
The article ends with a story that really hits you hard. An 18-year-old college student was assaulted by her Uber driver while getting a ride to the airport. The driver went down a dark street, ended the trip in the app, and attacked her. He climbed on top of her, kissing her, groping her, and trying to pull off her pants.
When she fought back and her phone kept buzzing over and over, the would-be rapist decided to take her to the airport. On the way, he taunted her, saying that he knew where she lived. Before letting her get out of the car, he forcibly kissed her again and threatened, “I’ll find you. I’m going to message you.”
If this story has any positive, it’s that it makes it super clear that it’s time for these companies to feel the consequences of failing to protect people. That starts with lawsuits. That starts with survivors coming forward. That starts with knowing your rights and having the right legal team by your side.
Currently, there are over 3,000 Uber Sexual Assault Lawsuits pending in what is called an MDL, a multidistrict litigation. This will help speed things up and prevent redundancies across these many cases.
This specific MDL is called "Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation," and it's being overseen by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The litigation involves claims against Uber for failing to implement adequate safety measures to protect passengers from sexual assault and harassment by Uber drivers.
Ready to Talk? We’re Ready to Listen.
If you or someone you care about was assaulted by an Uber (or assaulted by a Lyft driver), you are not alone. Thousands of survivors have already come forward. You can too.
At Lawsuit Legal News, our Uber Sexual Assault Attorneys are ready to help you take the next step with no pressure, no judgment, and total confidentiality.
You deserve to feel safe and to be safe while using a service provided by a multibillion-dollar corporation. And if someone took that sense of safety from you, we’ll fight to make sure you get the justice you deserve.