Uber has successfully thrown out two linked lawsuits seeking around £340 million in damages from the ride-hailing company on behalf of thousands of London black cab drivers and two former private hire businesses.
London’s High Court dismissed the claims after finding they had been brought outside the applicable six-year limitation period.
The lawsuits were filed in 2024 over allegations concerning how Uber obtained its private hire vehicle operating licence in London in 2012.
Around 13,000 black cab drivers were seeking nearly £200 million in damages, while a separate claimant acting on behalf of two now-defunct private hire companies, Kabbie and Iride, sought approximately £140 million.
The claimants alleged that Uber provided “misleading and inaccurate information” to Transport for London when applying for its operating licence.
Uber denied the allegations and argued that the lawsuits had been brought too late.
Judge Simon Birt agreed with the company on the limitation issue, finding that the claimants could have discovered the alleged conduct before 2018.
As the lawsuits were not filed until 2024, the judge concluded that they fell outside the six-year period available for bringing the claims.
Crucially, the ruling did not determine whether the allegations against Uber were established.
The claims were dismissed on limitation grounds without the High Court considering their underlying merits.
That distinction means the judgment represents a significant procedural victory for Uber but does not amount to a judicial finding that the allegations made against the company were false.
The dispute centred on Uber’s entry into London’s private hire market and the information it supplied to Transport for London when it first obtained an operating licence in 2012.
The company’s subsequent expansion transformed London’s private hire market and created intense competition for traditional black cab drivers.
Uber welcomed the decision, saying the dismissal had put the legacy matters behind the company.
RGL Management, which managed the lawsuits on behalf of the claimant drivers, said it was disappointed by the ruling and was considering the options available to the claimants and their legal team.
The judgment demonstrates the potentially decisive role of statutory limitation periods in major litigation.
A court can prevent a claim from proceeding where proceedings are brought outside the permitted period, even without determining whether the allegations underlying the case are ultimately established.
For Uber, the decision removes potential exposure to approximately £340 million in damages from these claims without requiring the company to defend the allegations at a full trial on their merits.
The ruling does not, however, end Uber’s significant litigation exposure the UK.
The company is separately fighting HM Revenue & Customs in a tax dispute worth more than £1 billion.
For the black cab drivers, attention now turns to whether the High Court ruling will be challenged.
RGL Management has said it is considering the options available following the decision, meaning the immediate future of the litigation remains unresolved.