Uber loses two federal bellwethers and appeals the second

Legal accuracy check

Chris Schroeder, Esq.

Florida Bar #520381 · D.C. Bar

First published October 5, 2026 · Last checked October 5, 2026

How pages are checked

What changed

In Dean v. Uber Technologies, No. 2:25-cv-04276 (D. Ariz.), tried in Phoenix by Judge Charles R. Breyer as an MDL bellwether, the jury returned its verdict on February 5, 2026, and the court entered judgment for $8.5 million the next day. According to news reports, the jury found Uber liable on an apparent-agency theory and rejected the negligence and design-defect claims. Enforcement is stayed pending appeal, and Uber’s motion for judgment as a matter of law or a new trial was fully briefed in May 2026.

In WHB 823 v. Uber Technologies, No. 3:25-cv-00737 (W.D.N.C.), tried in Charlotte, the jury found for the plaintiff on April 20, 2026. News reports put the award at $5,000. Before trial, Pretrial Order No. 43 resolved the plaintiff’s motion on whether Uber is a common carrier.

Uber filed its notice of appeal from the North Carolina judgment on May 19, 2026. The appeal is in the Fourth Circuit, No. 26-1640. Uber has said the jury was incorrectly instructed on liability.

What it means

Bellwether verdicts do not bind the other cases, but they show both sides how juries respond to the evidence. The two results here were far apart.

After the North Carolina verdict, Uber said the award “should further bring these cases back to reality” (Fortune).