Uber Brasil ordered to pay damages following Belo Horizonte accident

A Brazilian court has ordered Uber Brasil Tecnologia Ltda. and a partner motorcyclist to jointly pay R$ 3,725 in material damages to a driver involved in a traffic accident in Belo Horizonte.

The incident occurred in May 2025 when a motorcyclist failed to obey a stop sign, colliding with a vehicle. The collision caused a passenger to be thrown from the motorcycle, leading to a secondary impact when a car braked suddenly to avoid the victim.

Judge Flávia de Vasconcellos Lanari rejected Uber's defense that the company acted merely as a technology intermediary. The ruling established that the platform is part of the service supply chain and bears responsibility under the theory of enterprise risk, as it actively manages drivers, sets prices, and facilitates payments.