# Uber Avoids £340M London Taxi Lawsuit Due to Missed Legal Deadlines High Court judge dismisses massive compensation claims against Uber over expired statute of limitations. - **Source:** [www.theregister.com - Articles](https://brifing.si/source/2c34ea50-d341-4a10-925d-12c012a9ad10) - **Published:** 2026-10-19 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/4e69b96e-5611-4818-82d6-d6c600b04021 ## High Court Dismisses Claims A High Court judge has officially dismissed a £340 million lawsuit brought against Uber by thousands of London black cab drivers. The ruling effectively terminates claims involving approximately 13,000 cabbies and private hire companies Kabbee and Iride. The court decided the case based on procedural grounds rather than the merits of the allegations. ## Statute of Limitations Breach Mr. Justice Simon Birt ruled that the claimants failed to file their lawsuits within the mandatory six-year time limit. Although the plaintiffs argued they lacked sufficient evidence of fraud until June 2018, the judge determined that enough information was available significantly earlier to initiate legal proceedings against the ride-hailing giant. ## Evidence of Prior Knowledge The judgment highlighted that individual cabbies filed separate claims as early as September 2017. Furthermore, litigation funder Harbour engaged Mishcon de Reya regarding a larger lawsuit in December 2017. By February 2018, the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association was already informing its members about the planned legal action against the company's operations. ## Allegations of Regulatory Deception Claimants accused Uber of misleading Transport for London regarding its booking system functionality to secure an operating license. The dispute traces back to Uber's 2012 entry into the London market. While Uber previously admitted to providing false information to regulators in 2018, the court did not address these specific claims of dishonesty. ## Controversial Software Tools Mentioned The judgment revisited Uber's use of Greyball, software designed to identify regulators, and Ripley, a tool used to remotely lock computers during regulatory visits. Uber maintained that Ripley was not utilized for such purposes within the UK. The court ultimately found these details insufficient to justify the delay in filing the lawsuit. ## Funding and Communication Gaps Mishcon de Reya sent a letter before action in July 2019, but Harbour withdrew its financial backing that November. Following this, the claimants did not contact Uber regarding the potential lawsuit for four and a half years. By the time proceedings finally commenced in 2024, the legal deadline had already long passed. ## Outcome Without Merits Ruling This ruling represents a significant victory for Uber, yet it does not exonerate the company from the underlying fraud allegations. The judge dismissed the case solely because it was filed too late, explicitly avoiding any decision on whether the claims of misleading regulators were true. Uber continues to deny all allegations. ## Future of London Transport The conflict between traditional taxi drivers and Uber persists as new tensions emerge regarding robotaxis. Drivers are currently opposing plans to introduce driverless vehicles in London, citing potential job losses. Uber is now collaborating with the startup Wayve, shifting its focus from driver-based disputes to the development of autonomous vehicle technology. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.theregister.com/offbeat/2026/10/19/uber-dodges-340m-cabbie-lawsuit-after-drivers-miss-legal-deadline/5303872 — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._