Jane Doe has filed a significant lawsuit against a major transportation company, accusing it of negligence and failing to protect its passengers from sexual assault. The complaint was filed by attorney Dennis C. Reich on October 10, 2024, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, against Lyft, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
The lawsuit centers around allegations that Lyft has been aware since at least 2015 that some of its drivers have been sexually assaulting female passengers. Despite this knowledge, the plaintiff argues that Lyft has not taken adequate steps to prevent such incidents. The complaint states that "for five years, LYFT has known of the ongoing sexual assaults and rapes by LYFT drivers upon LYFT passengers." Jane Doe claims she was assaulted by a Lyft driver in Monrovia, California, an experience that has caused her severe emotional and physical distress.
The plaintiff accuses Lyft of several counts including general negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, common carrier negligence, and vicarious liability for sexual assault and battery. The lawsuit highlights Lyft's alleged failure to conduct thorough background checks on its drivers or implement effective safety measures such as mandatory in-car cameras or zero-tolerance policies for misconduct. Furthermore, it accuses Lyft of prioritizing profits over passenger safety by continuing to hire drivers without adequate screening processes.
Jane Doe seeks various forms of relief from the court including general damages for pain and suffering, special damages for medical expenses and loss of earnings, punitive damages to deter future misconduct by Lyft, as well as prejudgment interest and costs incurred during the suit. She demands a jury trial for all causes of action listed in her complaint.
Representing Jane Doe is attorney Dennis C. Reich from Reich and Binstock LLP. The case is being heard under Case ID CGC-24-618853 in front of the Superior Court of California in San Francisco County.