Lyft ordered to produce driver records in Uber sexual assault MDL

Uber sexual assault lawsuit overview:

• Who: A California federal judge has ordered Lyft to produce sexual misconduct records for four drivers who allegedly assaulted Uber passengers.
• Why: The judge ruled the records could show Uber knew of the Lyft drivers’ past misconduct.
• Where: The Uber sexual assault MDL is pending in California federal court.
• How to get help: Did you experience sexual misconduct, harassment or an assault involving an Uber or Lyft driver? You may qualify to take legal action.

A California federal judge has ordered Lyft to hand over sexual misconduct records it has on four men who allegedly assaulted passengers while driving for Uber.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa J. Cisneros ordered Lyft to largely comply with a subpoena issued by four women who are plaintiffs in upcoming bellwether trials against Uber.

Although Lyft is not a defendant in the case, the company must produce certain documents it may have concerning four men who drove for both ride-hailing companies, according to the order.

The documents include background checks, reports of sexual misconduct and records it shared with the Industry Sharing Safety Program, a database run by a separate entity that collects passenger grievances about drivers that Uber and Lyft voluntarily submit.

The four passengers have a “legitimate interest” in what these documents could show as it relates to what Uber could or should have discovered about the four Lyft drivers who allegedly assaulted the plaintiffs, Judge Cisneros said, as reported by Law360.

“Those documents generally could be relevant to show what information Uber could have learned if it had conducted more thorough background checks before allowing drivers to use its platform, or if Uber (in conjunction with Lyft) had structured or implemented their [industry Sharing Safety Program] data sharing partnership differently, or perhaps also if Uber had conducted more thorough investigations in response to riders’ complaints,” the judge said. “Such information, if found, would likely be admissible and relevant at trial.”

Uber sexual assault MDL consolidates hundreds of lawsuits

Lyft has three weeks to produce the requested documents for a bellwether trial against Uber scheduled to begin in April. The company has two months to comply with the remaining three subpoenas.

The Uber sexual assault MDL consolidates hundreds of federal lawsuits filed by passengers who allege they were sexually assaulted or harassed by Uber drivers.

Plaintiffs contend Uber was negligent in its screening and hiring practices, alleging the company failed to conduct adequate background checks that would have uncovered red flags. They further claim Uber did not properly investigate complaints about drivers or share relevant safety information with Lyft.

In a separate Uber sexual assault lawsuit, a federal jury in Arizona awarded an Uber passenger $8.5 million after finding the ride-share company liable for the actions of a driver who allegedly sexually assaulted her.

What do you think of the judge’s order for Lyft to produce sexual misconduct records for the four drivers? Let us know in the comments.

The Uber sexual assault MDL is In re: Uber Technologies Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, Case No. 3:23-md-03084, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

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