In a significant legal development, a mass tort lawsuit has been filed against a major ridesharing company, accusing it of failing to protect its passengers from sexual assaults by its drivers. The complaint was lodged by multiple plaintiffs, including Hannah Grady Harrington and Alecia Woods, in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on January 23, 2025. The lawsuit targets Lyft, Inc., alleging that the company has been aware of ongoing sexual assaults by its drivers since at least 2015 but has failed to take adequate measures to prevent these incidents.
The plaintiffs in this case include individuals from various states across the United States who have reportedly suffered sexual assaults while using Lyft's services. They claim that Lyft's inadequate background checks and lack of effective safety measures have allowed sexual predators to operate as drivers within their platform. "Lyft continues to hire drivers without performing adequate background checks," the complaint states, further alleging that the company prioritizes profits over passenger safety.
The lawsuit details numerous alleged incidents where plaintiffs were sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers. For instance, plaintiff Hannah Grady Harrington recounts an incident on June 6, 2023, where she was allegedly assaulted by a driver after being picked up from a concert. Similarly, Alecia Woods describes an encounter on June 16, 2024, where a driver reportedly locked her in his vehicle and made unwanted advances.
According to the complaint, Lyft has failed to implement necessary safety precautions such as biometric fingerprinting for background checks or real-time monitoring systems that could deter potential assaults. The plaintiffs argue that despite being aware of these issues through customer complaints and criminal investigations, Lyft has not taken sufficient action to address them.
The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory damages for pain and suffering caused by these incidents. They also demand punitive damages due to what they describe as Lyft's conscious disregard for passenger safety. Additionally, they seek injunctive relief requiring Lyft to adopt more stringent safety measures and reporting protocols for sexual assault allegations.
Representing the plaintiffs are attorneys Stephen J. Estey and R. Michael Bomberger from Estey Bomberger LLP based in San Diego, along with C. Brooks Cutter from Cutter Law P.C., Sacramento. The case is presided over by judges at the Superior Court of California under Case ID CGC-25-621729.