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Two NYC Women Sue Lyft For Permitting A 'Sexual Predator Crisis' Among Drivers
By
Emily Suzanne Lever
Published Sep 27, 2019
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Gene J Puskar/AP/Shutterstock
By
Emily Suzanne Lever
Published Sep 27, 2019
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Two New York City women who say they were sexually preyed upon while using Lyft are suing the ride-hailing company for negligence and failing to keep its riders safe.
One of the women told ABC 7 that a driver began masturbating while driving her to a job interview in September. In another case cited in the same story, a woman said a driver in June allegedly went off-route and turned off the app before trying to rape her.
“They are both emotionally traumatized and they’re getting therapy,” Michael Blomberger, a lawyer retained by both of the women, told Gothamist. “This is something that stays with people permanently.”
The two alleged sexual assaults add to a litany of complaints against Lyft and other ride-sharing app companies for alleged mismanagement of safety and sexual assault policies. Earlier this month, Blomberger brought a mass tort suit against Lyft on behalf of 14 women across the U.S. The two New York women will be joining that suit, he told Gothamist.
The complaint, filed in San Francisco Superior Court, argued that the company was negligent in preventing sexual assaults and in taking action against perpetrators, resulting in a “sexual predator crisis among Lyft drivers.”
Among other issues raised by the complaint is the fact that the Lyft app does not track drivers after they have turned off the app—and does not raise a red flag if a driver turns off the app mid-ride.
Following the lawsuit, the company announced it would require all drivers to complete mandatory safety education and that it would implement new features, including screening drivers daily for criminal convictions and popping up notifications offering help to drivers and riders when a ride is taking abnormally long.
Reached for comment on Friday, a spokesperson for Lyft said, “The safety of our community is fundamental and both incidents described are unacceptable. We have been in touch with the riders involved to offer support and have permanently removed these drivers from the Lyft community."
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Emily Suzanne Lever
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