The Associated Press

A federal jury this week found Uber to be legally responsible in a 2023 case of sexual assault — ordering the rideshare giant to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said one of its drivers raped her during a trip using the platform.

The verdict, reached Thursday in Arizona, follows years of criticism against Uber’s safety record, much of which spans from thousands of incidents of sexual assault reported by both passengers and drivers. Because Uber drivers are categorized as gig workers — working as contractors, rather than company employees — the platform has long maintained it’s not liable for their misconduct.

“Uber spends billions of dollars to make all riders feel like they’re (riding) with Uber. And that is what the jury found yesterday,” Ellyn Hurd, one of the attorneys representing plaintiff Jaylynn Dean, told The Associated Press. The verdict determined the driver is an “apparent agent” of the company, she explained, making Uber liable for the assault.

Uber said it plans to appeal.