Lyft is facing another round of assault-related lawsuits, this time from more than a dozen drivers and riders accusing the company of failing to protect them from physical or sexual assault.
Seventeen drivers and passengers working with law firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise filed lawsuits Wednesday, according to a news release. Five of the drivers and passengers shared their stories in a virtual news conference, including:
Stella Grant, a Chicago-based Lyft driver who said she was physically assaulted by an intoxicated passenger in 2021. Grant said the passenger punched her and grabbed the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to crash. Grant said she has anxiety and back pain after the incident.
Stuart Berman, a Connecticut-based driver who said he had to have surgery and undergo physical therapy after a passenger punched him in the head last year. According to a news release from Peiffer Wolf, Berman was left scarred and is unable to walk or climb stairs at a normal speed.
Amy Collins, a California-based driver who said she was groped and choked by an intoxicated passenger in 2020.
Erika Garcia-Galicia, a California-based driver who said she suffered a panic attack after she was groped by a passenger in February.
Katherine Rasta, a passenger based in Phoenix who said a Lyft driver last year sexually assaulted her.
The law firm accuses Lyft of hiring without adequate background checks and says the company should step up safety measures with “more comprehensive” screenings and install dashboard cameras in every vehicle.
A Lyft spokesperson emphasized that every driver goes through “rigorous screening” with an annual background check and continuous criminal monitoring.
"We’re committed to helping keep drivers and riders safe," the statement reads. "While safety incidents on our platform are incredibly rare, we realize that even one is too many. Our goal is to make every Lyft ride as safe as possible, and we will continue to take action and invest in technology, policies and partnerships to do so."
Lyft has received multiple lawsuits from dozens of women who said they were sexually assaulted by drivers.
A September 2019 lawsuit was filed on behalf of 14 women who say they were sexually assaulted by their drivers in 2018 and 2019. Three months later, a similar lawsuit was filed on behalf of 19 women.
Competitor Uber also faces lawsuits from passengers alleging sexual assault, kidnapping and other attacks from drivers.
Rideshare drivers demonstrate against Uber and Lyft during a car caravan protest in Los Angeles in 2020.
Is assault common in Ubers and Lyfts?
Lyft in October said more than 4,000 cases of sexual assault were reported on its platform between 2017 and 2019. More than half involved "non-consensual touching of a sexual body part" and 360 involved non-consensual sexual penetration.
It's unclear how accurate these figures are since not all cases of assault are reported.
The company also reported 10 fatal physical assaults. Lyft did not share the total number of physical assaults.
“We have no way of knowing how many complaints have been filed against Lyft for physical assaults because Lyft requires both passengers and drivers to file those actions in arbitration,” Tracey Cowan, partner at Peiffer Wolf, said Wednesday.
Lyft's report says over 99% of trips occurred without any reported safety incident in the three-year time span.
Uber’s latest safety report, which looked at incidents related to the company in 2019 and 2020, found 20 fatalities from physical assault incidents. The company received 3,824 reports of sexual assault and misconduct in the two-year time frame.
Is Lyft safe?
Lyft has responded to assault reports by adding a "smart trip" notification system for rides with unexplained delays, mandating community safety education for drivers and partnering with RAINN, the country’s largest anti-sexual violence organization. The company also lets riders share their location and estimated time of arrival with others.
Additionally, drivers and riders have access to “Emergency Help,” a feature that connects them to an ADT security professional who can text or call the rider or contact 911 on their behalf. Leah Page, ADT’s vice president of emerging business and mobile security, joined Lyft’s Safety Advisory Council in August.
Uber has offered a Safety Toolkit since 2018, featuring an in-app emergency button and the ability to share your trip status. The company on Tuesday announced a redesigned toolkit that connects riders to an ADT safety agent. The ability to text 911 on a trip is also being expanded to nearly 60% of the U.S.
Lyft receives sexual or physical assault reports through:
In-app safety features like Smart Trip Check-in and Emergency Help that are supported by ADT
Post-trip, in-app support allows riders and drivers to be contacted by phone or email
A 24/7 critical response line
Two-way rating and mandatory secondary feedback
Lyft.com’s Help Center contact form
Lyft also tracks assault reports through third parties including law enforcement outreach, regulator inquiries, insurance claims, news and social media tracking.
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