GOOGLE SCREENED
In early September, a group of women filed a lawsuit against Lyft, claiming that the company did not take action on sexual assault complaints from customers. Termed a sexual predator crisis, the suit alleged that although Lyft was aware of assaults since 2015, they have not attempted to correct the problem. This 40-page lawsuit was filed by 14 unnamed plaintiffs at the Superior Court of San Francisco, and is seeking punitive, general, and special damages, in addition to other reparations.
Victims’ Stories
These alleged incidents took place from January 2018 through June 2019 in states across the country. In some cases, the females set up Lyft rides because they had been drinking and did not want to drive. One victim claimed that her driver stopped the car and tried to get into the backseat with her; after she slapped him, he drove her to the beach and raped her. Another victim claimed that her Lyft driver raped her and afterwards put a $25 tip for the ride onto her account. A third woman, who is blind, hired a Lyft for a ride to the grocery store, but the driver took her home, went into her house, and sexually assaulted her.
A Course of Inaction
The lawsuit described Lyft’s policy of hiring drivers without giving them appropriate background checks. It alleged that the company did not sponsor sexual harassment training and allowed drivers who had complaints lodged against them to remain employed. In addition, it claimed that Lyft would not cooperate with law enforcement when drivers assaulted passengers; their policy allowed them to cooperate only if the police had a formal legal order or subpoena.
Lyft’s Head of Trust & Safety did not describe how Lyft would answer these charges but stated they would be dedicating more resources to ensure safer experiences for their passengers. She said that the incidents had no place in the Lyft community.
Needed Improvements
The lawsuit wants Lyft to have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse and surveillance cameras to record what happens in the vehicles. It also recommended alert systems that would sound off if vehicles drove off route. These simple changes could stop future assaults and protect passengers.
Not the Only One
Lyft is not the only ride-sharing company that has faced assault charges. CNN reported that Uber had similar accusations; from 2014 to 2018, over 100 drivers had also been accused of sexual abuse or assault. Since then, both Uber and Lyft planned to eliminate policies of forcing passengers with sexual assault complaints into forced arbitration and non-disclosure agreements. Both also stated that they would share company safety transparency reports with the public, but so far, neither has happened.
Our Virginia Beach Personal Injury Lawyers Protect Passenger Rights
If you were victimized by a ride-share driver, do not hesitate to contact the Virginia Beach personal injury lawyers today. At East Coast Trial Lawyers, we will fight to obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries. For a free case evaluation, complete an online form or call us at 757-352-2237. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, we serve clients throughout Chesapeake, Eastern Shores, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as North Carolina and nationwide.
