Riders Accuse Lyft of Hiding Sexual Assault Dangers

A new lawsuit has been filed against popular ride-sharing company Lyft, arguing that the company is attempting to conceal sexual predators and sexual assault from riders. The ride hailing service is accused of knowingly allowing sexual predators with a history of sexual assault to transport passengers and failing to provide passengers with this information up front.

CNN reports that Uber and Lyft have been targeted in other claims filed by women who allege that the ridesharing leaders are turning a blind eye to the potential risk for sexual assault and abuse inside the cars.

This most recent lawsuit was filed in California state court by 14 women who say that Lyft is “in the midst of a sexual predator crisis.” During 2018 and 2019, the 14 women claimed that they were sexually assaulted or raped while riding with Lyft.

They have filed their lawsuit as a mass tort complaint. From 2014 to 2016, Lyft received numerous complaints of sexual assault by California drivers and the company has been accused of failing to report the incidents to law enforcement, according to allegations.

The lawsuit argues that the company has even attempted to silence victims who report their experiences to the police or to the company directly. More than a dozen women have filed “a petition for coordination and a request to keep the actions in California state court.”

All of the women who have filed those lawsuits argue that they were raped or assaulted by Lyft drivers, saying that this is evidence of an ongoing epidemic. Other ride-sharing companies like Uber have also faced sexual assault allegations. One lawsuit recently led to a decision to drop a proposed class action by nine women who argued that Uber drivers had sexually assaulted them.

These women believe that their individual cases are just the tip of the iceberg, according to a report in the Verge, and since sexual assault is one of the least commonly reported crimes, that the numbers are much higher.

A plaintiff in the recently proposed Lyft sexual assault lawsuit is a blind woman who says that she was raped by an Alabama driver after he mocked her disability. Another plaintiff says Lyft was well aware of the sexual assault claims and problems but failed to take appropriate action, including allowing the driver who assaulted her to keep working for the company. That driver was later convicted.

The women have proposed adding an automatic video or audio recordings to rides, arguing that it would help reduce potential future assaults. Many of the women felt that having appropriate evidence to come forward with their claim was a challenge.

Anyone getting into a car with an Uber or Lyft driver expects a safe and uneventful ride. If you or someone you know has been riding with Lyft or another ride-sharing company and has been assaulted in or near the vehicle, you could have grounds for legal action.

The sexual assault lawsuit is case number CGC-19-578975, in the Superior Court of the State of California for the County of San Francisco.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.