Lyft Sued by Riders Claiming Sexual Assault, Rape and or Kidnapping

Passengers Say San Francisco-based Lyft Downplays Seriousness of their Attacks

Lyft Sued by Multiple Riders Claiming Sexual Assault, Rape and or Kidnapping SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Dec. 5, 2019) — Twenty lawsuits were recently filed in San Francisco Superior Court against rideshare company Lyft by customers who say they were sexually assaulted, raped or kidnapped by drivers working for the company.

The claims were made by 19 women and one man, but there are dozens more that together claim the rideshare company has done little to protect them or compensate them for the nightmare they endured after they were picked up by a Lyft driver. Among the complaints made against Lyft, victims say their cases were downplayed by the company or not followed up on. Additionally, the San Francisco-based company is accused of not providing information such as the driver’s name so that police can issue a restraining order against them and prevent the crimes from happening to other women and men.

Many of the women who were assaulted were intoxicated at the time of the incidents, some had disabilities and most were between 20 and 40 years old.

The lawsuits come at a time when Lyft is reportedly taking action to prevent such crimes. The company says it has launched 15 new safety features on its popular app and instituted more background check on its drivers.

These are only the latest alleged victims to accuse Lyft of failing to protect consumers. Indeed, at least 500 allegations for sexual assault, rape, harassment, kidnapping and death were made against both Lyft and its larger competitor, Uber from 2014 to 2018.

One of the plaintiff’s in the recent lawsuit identified as “Jane Roe 1” says she was raped from one of the Lyft drivers. The driver was arrested after her husband called police to report the suspicious driver he witnessed in the back seat with his wife. Another woman identified only as “Ann” says she was drunk and needed help getting to her apartment. That’s when the Lyft driver forced to perform oral sex on him.

As part of the lawsuit, attorneys representing the victims are demanding that Lyft install cameras in all of their cars.

Have you been the victim of a Lyft or Uber-related Crime?

Victims of sexual assault involving a rideshare company such as Lyft or Uber may file a personal injury civil lawsuit against the company.

The victim will need to provide the facts supporting their claim that show the defendant was negligent or intentionally caused harm to them. Next, the victim will need to provide an accounting of the damages they have suffered including financial losses, emotional harm and other negative impacts in their lives. The case may be settled out of court on an agreed amount or a jury may decide the appropriate award for damages.

In these types of cases, the Lyft or Uber driver will also face criminal prosecution.

It’s important that you discuss your potential claim with an experienced personal injury attorney. There may be significant medical expenses and ongoing long-term care or therapy as well as lost income that may be recovered in a lawsuit. It’s also important that these criminals are prosecuted to ensure that others are not harmed.

If you were assaulted by a Lyft or Uber driver or were hurt in a collision in one of these vehicles, contact us at 1 (888) 729-0431.

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James Johnson

James Johnson is passionate about educating the public about the myriad of individuals who are not following the rules of the road.His hope is to bring public awareness in order to change the laws to better protect our communities.