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In the past 90 days, Lyft has seen multiple lawsuits alleging sexual assault by its drivers filed against the ride share company.
The most recent, filed on 03 December represents 20 victims (see complaint below), which followed a filing in September representing 14 women (see complaint below). The lawsuits accuse Lyft with failure to take adequate steps to protect rides, despite Lyft’s repeated claims to the contrary. KPIX provides the following synopsis.
Lyft spokesperson Alexandra LaManna said in a statement to CNN, “What these women describe is something no one should ever have to endure. Everyone deserves the ability to move about the world safely, yet women still face disproportionate risks. We recognize these risks, which is why we are relentless in our work to build safety into every aspect of our work.”
Riders can take some steps to protect themselves when riding Lyft, Uber, a taxi or any ride share, but it boils down to can you trust the individual driving you to take you to your destination safely. A common thread through these lawsuits is the inadequacy of the Lyft background checks being conducted on drivers.
In September 2019 we wrote of the case of Allison Turkos, who was kidnapped and sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver.
Sadly it appears, based on the content of both lawsuits (you may read the complaints below) that Lyft’s policy is to stonewall law enforcement and fails to close the loop with the victim as to what steps were taken with respect to their attackers (the drivers). Lyft noted, they are responsive to law enforcement when presented with a “subpoena or formal legal order.”
Examples
Jane Roe 1 was raped by her Lyft driver in Los Angeles in September. The lawsuit says that Roe 1 was intoxicated, and that her friend ordered Lyft and put her in the car. Her friend then called Roe’s husband and told him that she would be arriving in about 20 minutes. When she did not arrive as scheduled, Roe’s husband went outside, saw a man leave the backseat of a car and get into the driver’s seat before speeding away. That’s when the husband realized that his wife was slumped in the backseat of the Lyft vehicle. He immediately called police. The driver was located by police and arrested with Roe 1 still in the car.
In New York City, Jane Roe 7 claims she was raped in the backseat by her Lyft driver. When she reported the rape via Lyft’s in-app feature, she received an automated email that said someone would contact her once Lyft started the review process. Two days later, Lyft deactivated Jane Roe 7’s account. Despite being raped on June 23, Jane Roe 7 still has not heard from Lyft nor is she aware if any action was taken against her driver.
A Massachusetts rape victim said, “I’m urging all women who have been sexually violated by Lyft drivers to join me and please step forward. Together we can force this company to make the changes that are necessary to keep both passengers and drivers safe.”
