Lyft Lawsuit Alleges Thousands Sexually Assaulted By Drivers

A lawsuit has been filed against the ride sharing company Lyft alleging that they did not prevent their drivers from assaulting “several thousand” female customers.

The plaintiffs say that Lyft knew of these sexual assaults since 2015 and since that time, Lyft drivers have continued to assault and rape female passengers.

The passengers also allege that complaints to Lyft by female customers, combined by criminal investigations by law enforcement, clearly establish that Lyft has been aware of these continued attacks by Lyft drivers.

The Lyft lawsuit states that the company has not adopted driver monitoring procedures which would protect the safety of their passengers.

“Unfortunately, there have been many sexual assaults much worse than the ones suffered by plaintiffs as alleged herein, where victims have been attacked and traumatized after they simply contracted with Lyft for a ride home,” states the lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs.

In addition, the Lyft lawsuit states that Lyft is also cognizant of the fact that sexual assaults have not only been limited to the company’s customers. The lawsuit states that Lyft is aware that many drivers for the company have also been assaulted.

Also, Lyft is allegedly aware that their drivers have installed cameras on their own vehicles, at their own expense, which would protect them from sexual assault.

The Lyft lawsuit states that Lyft “has chosen to hide and conceal from the United States public the staggering number of reported rapes and sexual assaults that occur within their vehicles.”

In addition, the lawsuit alleges that Lyft has made a planned effort to hide the true nature of the sexual assaults that have occurred in their vehicles.

The Lyft lawsuit states that the company continues to let sexual predators drive and interact with members of the public even after they have gotten reports of sexual assaults by predatory drivers. 

The plaintiffs allege that drivers are hired for Lyft without any screening. They state that prospective drivers just have to fill out a form online and there is no interview process. In addition, the plaintiffs claim that there is no background check or biometric fingerprinting and that almost all applicants become drivers for the company.

“Lyft […] fails to utilize its own technology, including in car cameras and GPS tracking, to ensure that drivers keep the camera running during the entire ride and that the driver remains on course to the passenger’s destination,” the Lyft lawsuit states.

Also, the plaintiffs claim that Lyft doesn’t have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual misconduct and have allowed drivers who have been accused of committing rape and sexual assault to continue to drive for the company.

In addition, the lawsuit states that Lyft does not require non-harassment training and does not do anything to warn its female customers of the very serious and real danger of their drivers.

The Lyft lawsuit states that Lyft “prioritizes profits over passenger safety,” which is why the company has allegedly made decisions to create inadequate screening procedures for its drivers and has failed to warn customers of the potential dangers of getting a ride with the company.

“In short, Lyft fails to follow reasonable safety procedures and intentionally induces customers to use Lyft’s services while in a vulnerable state,” the Lyft lawsuit states.

Do you use Lyft and have experienced sexual assault? Leave a message in the comments section below.

The plaintiffs are represented by Stephen J. Estey, R. Michael Bomberger, and Kristen K. Barton of Estey Bomberger LLP and C. Brooks Cutter and Celene E. Cutter of Cutter Law P.C.

The Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuit is Jane Roe, et al. v. Lyft Inc., et al., Case No. CGC-19-581262, in the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Francisco.

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