A harrowing legal battle has emerged as a California resident takes on a major ride-sharing company, alleging severe misconduct by one of its drivers. The plaintiff, identified only as Jane Doe PWP 073, filed a complaint against Lyft, Inc. in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on November 5, 2024. The lawsuit accuses Lyft of negligence and various other charges following an alleged sexual assault by one of its drivers.
The complaint outlines a series of allegations against Lyft, highlighting what the plaintiff describes as a systemic failure to protect passengers from sexual predators within its driver pool. According to the filing, "As early as 2015, LYFT became aware that LYFT drivers were sexually assaulting and raping female passengers." Despite this knowledge, the plaintiff argues that Lyft has not implemented adequate safety measures to prevent such incidents. The plaintiff recounts her own traumatic experience on February 12, 2021, when she claims a Lyft driver sexually assaulted her during a ride in San Francisco. She describes how the driver engaged in inappropriate behavior and physically assaulted her upon reaching her destination.
The lawsuit details numerous causes of action against Lyft, including general negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, vicarious liability for sexual assault and battery, intentional misrepresentation regarding passenger safety, and breach of contract. It asserts that Lyft's business model prioritizes profits over passenger safety by failing to conduct thorough background checks or implement effective monitoring systems for its drivers. "LYFT continues to hire drivers without performing adequate background checks," the complaint states. It further alleges that despite marketing itself as a safe transportation option, Lyft knowingly exposes passengers to potential harm without proper warnings or safeguards.
Jane Doe seeks compensatory damages for economic losses such as medical expenses and lost earnings due to the incident's impact on her life. Additionally, she demands punitive damages aimed at deterring future misconduct by holding Lyft accountable for what she perceives as gross negligence and reckless disregard for passenger safety.
Representing Jane Doe are attorneys Rachel B. Abrams and Adam B. Wolf from Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP along with Adam K. Pulaski and D. Douglas Grubbs from Pulaski Kherkher PLLC. The case is presided over by judges at the Superior Court of California in San Francisco under Case ID CGC-24-619527.