A group of plaintiffs has filed a lawsuit against a major transportation company, alleging that the company failed to protect its passengers from sexual assaults by its drivers. The complaint was filed in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco, on November 26, 2024, against Lyft, Inc., a Delaware corporation.
The plaintiffs, identified only by their initials to protect their privacy as victims of sexual assault, include individuals from various states across the United States. They accuse Lyft of negligence and failing to ensure passenger safety despite being aware of ongoing sexual misconduct by its drivers since at least 2015. The complaint outlines numerous incidents where plaintiffs were allegedly assaulted or harassed by Lyft drivers in different locations such as Texas, Minnesota, Florida, and others. The plaintiffs argue that Lyft's inadequate background checks and lack of effective safety measures have allowed these incidents to occur.
According to the lawsuit, Lyft has been aware for years that some of its drivers are sexual predators but has done little to address the issue. "Lyft continues to hire drivers without performing adequate background checks," the complaint states. It further alleges that Lyft prioritizes profits over passenger safety and has failed to implement reasonable monitoring procedures or warnings about potential dangers posed by some drivers. The plaintiffs seek damages for the trauma they have suffered and demand changes in how Lyft screens and monitors its drivers.
The legal action is spearheaded by attorneys Rachel B. Abrams and Adam B. Wolf from Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise LLP in San Francisco, along with Roopal P. Luhana from Chaffin Luhana LLP in New York. The case is presided over by judges at the Superior Court of California under Case ID CGC-24-620133.