San Francisco-based car-sharing company Lyft is facing 17 new lawsuits brought by users of its service around the country, who say the company failed to protect passengers. passengers and drivers from being sexually and physically assaulted.
Of the lawsuits, 14 were from people who said they were sexually assaulted while using Lyft, and 3 said they were physically assaulted. At a press conference to announce the lawsuits, five of the plaintiffs shared their stories.
Stella Grant, a former Lyft driver from Chicago, described how a drunk passenger attacked her after Grant attempted to confirm the driver’s identity in August 2020.
“She quickly started abusing me verbally and physically,” Grant said. “She was really violent with me while I was driving. She cursed at me and punched me in the head, face and back.”
Grant said, after being assaulted, she bled a lot and had to go to the emergency room. The doctors suggested she get physical therapy, but she said she couldn’t afford it; After losing her job at the beginning of the pandemic, she relied on Lyft to support her family.
Responding to the allegations made in the lawsuits, a Lyft spokesperson said the company is “committed to helping keep drivers and riders safe.”
“While safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare, we realize that even one incident is too many. Our goal is to make every Lyft ride as safe as possible. possible and we will continue to act and invest in the technology, policies and partnerships to make it happen,” the spokesperson said.
Katherine Rasta, a passenger from Phoenix, said she was sexually assaulted in June 2021. Her driver engaged in unwanted sexual acts during the trip, she said, and when they arrived. her destination, he locked the car door and sexually assaulted her.
“Then he said to me, ‘Here’s our little secret. Don’t tell anyone. Remember, I know where you live and I know where your friends are now. I thought you’d want trouble, didn’t you?'” said.
All drivers and passengers said Lyft did practically nothing to help them after they reported their behaviour, other than telling them they were sorry about their experience and that they would suspend their drivers. account of the driver or passenger who assaulted them. The two drivers said Lyft offered them a few hundred dollars after they reported their assaults, but then they didn’t proceed.
Attorneys and victims have called on Lyft to make its service safer by installing cameras inside all Lyft vehicles, conducting biometric fingerprint scans and background checks on drivers, also removed the policy of allowing users to book Lyft cars for others.
Adam Wolf, one of the attorneys representing Lyft users, said it’s clear the company doesn’t care about its passengers or drivers.
“What Lyft is most interested in defending is its own margins,” says Wolf.
The lawyers also argue that Lyft’s policy of not sharing user information after an attack without a court order creates a major obstacle to even the most basic criminal investigations or warrants. civil protection.
“Lyft is on the side of the perpetrator, not the victim,” Wolf said.
A Lyft spokesperson accused lawyers at the conference of making false and misleading statements about the company’s safety policies. The representative noted that more than 99% of trips happen without a safety report, that the company requires annual background checks on drivers and cooperates with all law enforcement investigations. law when made with a valid claim. The spokesperson also said all drivers must take a community safety education course before driving.
New lawsuits come three years later 14 women filed a lawsuit against Lyft claimed that, after being sexually assaulted or raped by a driver, Lyft failed to act even when it knew the drivers were allegedly assaulting and knowingly ignored the victim’s report.
In 2021, Lyft revealed that they received more than 4,000 reports of sexual assault from users between 2017 and 2019. That report also showed an annual increase in sexual assault cases, including a total of 360 reports of non-consensual sexual penetration and 2,300 reports of “disagreeing touching of a body part sex”.
The plaintiffs in the most recent lawsuits say the physical and psychological damage of their assaults is still fresh. Some said they had been separated from loved ones, and some reported having PTSD.
Amy Collins, a Lyft driver from Napa, California, said she was sexually assaulted in March 2020 and described the outcome she wanted from the lawsuit.
“I hope that sharing my story, and my trauma, will make Lyft interested in the people who use its platform,” Collins said.
