Uber & Lyft Sexual Assault Survivor Litigation

This sweeping litigation consolidates claims from thousands of survivors who allege they were sexually assaulted, raped, or otherwise harassed by drivers on the Uber and Lyft platforms. Plaintiffs contend that both companies were aware of systemic safety failures — including inadequate background screening that allowed individuals with prior criminal records to drive — yet prioritized rapid driver onboarding and market growth over passenger safety. Uber's own safety report, released in 2019 after years of resistance, acknowledged nearly 6,000 reports of sexual assault across its U.S. rides in 2017–2018 alone, a figure plaintiffs argue dramatically understates the true scope. The Uber cases were centralized into a federal MDL in the Northern District of California in November 2023, now encompassing over 10,000 claimants, making it one of the largest personal injury MDLs in U.S. history.

Lyft, which disclosed it had received roughly 4,158 reports of sexual assault in 2017–2019, faces parallel litigation primarily in California state courts. Plaintiffs in both cases argue the companies could have prevented many assaults by implementing real-time ID verification, audio/video recording of rides, and more rigorous ongoing background checks — measures that have since been partially adopted under litigation pressure. In 2023, Lyft agreed to a $25 million settlement with the State of Massachusetts over safety practices and has allocated a dedicated settlement fund for survivors. Both MDLs are advancing through discovery, with bellwether trials expected in 2025–2026 to gauge jury responses and drive broader resolution.