A shocking incident involving a popular ride-sharing service has led to a legal battle in California. Adina Juanita Phillips filed a complaint against Lyft, Inc., and Tsehainesh Mebrathu in the Superior Court for the State of California, County of San Francisco, on January 28, 2025. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of negligence following an accident that left Phillips with severe injuries.
The case stems from an incident on July 11, 2023, when Phillips was a passenger in a Lyft vehicle operated by Tsehainesh Mebrathu. After reaching her destination at Turk and Market Street in San Francisco around 6 p.m., Phillips exited the vehicle and walked behind it. At this moment, Mebrathu allegedly reversed the car without warning, striking Phillips and causing significant injuries. The plaintiff claims that Mebrathu failed to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian and did not ensure it was safe to reverse, which directly resulted in the collision.
Phillips's complaint outlines several allegations against both Mebrathu and Lyft. It asserts that Mebrathu was negligent by not operating the vehicle safely or reasonably, failing to check for pedestrians before reversing. Additionally, it accuses Lyft of negligence in hiring and retaining Mebrathu as a driver despite being unfit for such responsibilities. The complaint highlights that these actions violated California Vehicle Code §21804(a), which mandates drivers yield to all traffic when entering or crossing highways.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court due to the alleged negligence. These include compensation for past and future medical expenses, loss of earnings and earning capacity, non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, property damage losses, as well as pre-judgment and post-judgment interest. Phillips is demanding a jury trial to resolve these claims.
Representing Adina Juanita Phillips are attorneys Hazel S. Chang and Hadi Alshekh from Wilshire Law Firm based in Los Angeles. The case is filed under Case ID CGC-25-621898 at the Superior Court for the State of California in San Francisco County.