Lyft Driver Sexual Assault Attorney
As America’s second largest rideshare company, Lyft is fondly referred to by its passengers as “the Uber alternative.” But the company came under fire in 2021 for increasing numbers of sexual attacks by Lyft drivers. A recent Lyft safety report revealed more than 4,000 passengers reported claims of being sexually attacked by their driver. These complaints range from sexual harassment to incidents of passengers being sexually assaulted, killed, or kidnapped.
If you are one of the thousands of victims who were sexually attacked by a Lyft driver, please call the Kenmore Law Group to speak about a lawsuit against Lyft.
Steps to Take if You Were Sexually Assaulted by a Lyft Driver
Before you do anything else, make sure to call the police, or call 911 if you need medical attention. Either way, you’ll be given the option to file a police report. This can be very stressful right after an assault. Some victims assume that the police will not believe their story, or mistreat them in some other way.
However, having an official record of your attack gives you the best chance of winning a Lyft lawsuit for sexual assault. You can, by the way, sue for monetary compensation even if you don’t obtain a criminal conviction against your attacker. Once your injuries are treated and you receive a copy of the police report, please seek guidance from a Lyft sexual assault lawyer. A lawyer can advise you of your legal rights, including the statute of limitations for filing sexual assault cases in California. While California gives you 10 years to file a claim for sexual abuse, the timeline isn’t so generous if you’re fighting for criminal charges at the same time. To ensure you receive the full protections you deserve, call us to speak with a Lyft Driver Sexual Harassment lawyer.
Filing an Incident Report with Lyft
In addition to calling the police, make sure to report the incident to Lyft. According to their website, Lyft advises customers to “submit complaints through the Lyft app or by phone” and promises to suspend offending drivers and cooperate with law enforcement. This sounds good in theory, but we know from experience that many sexual assaults and harassments involving Lyft are not taken seriously or handled in a timely manner. After weeks or even months of vague answers or no communication at all, many victims simply give up.
If you find yourself in this situation, seek help from a lawyer specializing in Lyft sexual assault lawsuits. The Kenmore Law Group has years of experience handling Lyft sexual abuse lawsuits and look forward to winning the compensation you deserve.
Understanding Sexual Assault
There’s a lot of debate over what constitutes as sexual assault. Most people would agree that someone was sexually assaulted if they said, “I was raped by my Lyft driver.” But what about other types of sexual contact that doesn’t involve intercourse?
Fortunately, the law is very clear on this issue. Sexual assault is any and all forms of unwelcome sexual contact. These include:
- Non-consensual groping or fondling
- Oral sex and other forms of forced, non-intercourse sex acts.
- Penetration of the vagina or anus with an object.
Such acts are recognized as violent and sexual crimes, and you have every right to pursue legal action against the perpetrator. You have this right even if you were intoxicated and not sure as to whether or not you consented. In California, consent has to occur between two non-intoxicated adults. So if you were drunk at the time and the Lyft driver groped you, that is sexual assault regardless of what you said or didn’t say. The law is also clear on your right to compensation, no matter the type of crime. Whether you were raped by the Lyft driver or the Lyft driver touched you inappropriately, both are considered sex crimes and subject to legal action. To learn more about your rights as a sex abuse victim, please speak with one of our Lyft sexual harassment lawyers.
$52 Million
Sexual Assault
$1.5 Million
Uber Driver – Disputed Liability
$900,000
Rideshare Leg Injury To Passenger
$3 Million
Truck Accident
$1.5 Million
Auto Accident
$900,000
Auto v. Ridheshare Accident
Should I File a Police Report Against a Lyft Driver for Sexual Harassment?
Yes, you should file a police report for a Lyft driver sexually harassing you. Some passengers are reluctant to do this because they feel that cases of sexual harassment are not taken as seriously as sexual assault. But filing a report while things are fresh in your mind and getting across the full impact of your trauma can serve as valuable evidence in your lawsuit.
We would also like to stress that sexual harassment is no joke, as many of our clients can attest. Some of them have told us “I felt like I was in danger of my life” while locked in a car with a driver who flashed them or subjected them to sexually explicit material. If you’re looking for compassion and understanding from a lawyer that can help with Lyft sexual harassment cases, please call us today.
What Counts as Sexual Harassment?
We’ve all seen those TV ads or workplace training videos that talk about sexual harassment. But most people are still confused about this issue and how it affects the victims. As always, we rely on the legal definition, which defines sexual harassment as sexual forms of physical or verbal harassment, offers for sex, or sexual advances of a non-consensual nature. Here are some of the most common types of sexual harassment by Lyft drivers:
- The Lyft driver showed you his penis
- The Lyft driver showed you porno
- The Lyft driver was masturbating in the car while he was driving
- The Lyft driver was talking dirty
That last statement is important because we’ve had enough clients over the years say to us, “The Lyft driver was talking dirty to me…” and don’t realize that it’s a form of sexual harassment. Think about it: would the average person feel comfortable talking about explicit topics with a random stranger? Even worse, imagine if that conversation included disturbingly graphic and violent details.
Whether you felt like your life is in danger or you were just uncomfortable with the topic, you should not be forced to endure any form of sexual harassment. Call the Kenmore Law Group and speak to one of our knowledgeable attorneys who can sue Lyft in a Lyft sexual harassment lawsuit to get you compensation.
What are My Rights if a Lyft Driver Sexually Harassed Me?
It’s sad that in this day and age, sexual harassment is still seen as the “lesser crime” compared to sexual assault. For example, the average person wouldn’t be as upset from hearing that a Lyft driver sexually harassed a woman compared to hearing that a Lyft driver sexually assaulted a woman. So we’re here to insist once and for all: Victims of either offense have the right to seek criminal prosecution and/or financial compensation from their attacker.
This is something we’re happy to clear up for our clients, who assume an offense is less severe because of the circumstances. But that’s not the case with our Lyft sexual abuse attorneys. If you tell us the Lyft driver showed you porn pictures and did nothing else, we would take that as seriously as if you told us the Lyft driver showed you pornography videos while masturbating.
These rights extend to male victims as well. It’s sad fact, but male victims are often disregarded when they accuse someone of sexual assault or harassment. Perhaps national statistics are to blame, which indicates that female passengers in rideshare vehicles are at greater risk of being sexually assaulted, harassed, or kidnapped by a Lyft driver. Even Lyft’s own safety report clearly indicates that in cases where a Lyft driver sexually abuses a passenger, the victim is likely to be a woman.
The Kenmore Law Group believes that all victims deserve the same level of compassion and qualified legal representation. We also take all sex crimes seriously, so your claim that the Lyft driver asked you for nude photos will be taken as seriously as an accusation of a Lyft driver raping and sexually assaulting female passengers. If you tell us “The Lyft driver showed me his penis,” we will treat you with the same level of care regardless of your gender identity.
Remember: it is your legal right to demand action from the police and seek representation for a civil suit. Even if a criminal case is not in your best interest, or you fail to obtain a conviction, you can proceed with a lawsuit for compensation. Please speak with a Lyft driver sexual harassment lawsuit attorney to learn more about your rights and legal options.
Is Lyft Liable for Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault?
Yes, Lyft is liable for sexual harassment and sexual assault by drivers and passengers. They may try to tell you differently, citing the rules concerning independent contractors being responsible for their own actions. This is enough to discourage most victims, who believe they can only go after the driver in a Lyft sexual abuse lawsuit.
But Lyft has a legal duty to ensure their passengers are safe during their ride. That’s why they conduct background checks on their drivers and have detailed driver profiles so you can get the name of the driver, license plate number, and other vital information. Additionally, they must immediately dismiss any drivers that sexually assault, harass, kidnap, or rape Lyft’s passengers. If they fall short on these measures and you are sexually assaulted, you may have grounds for a Lyft driver rape lawsuit. To ensure you get the full monetary award you’re entitled to, call the Lyft driver rape attorneys of Kenmore Law Group.
Can I Sue Lyft If a Lyft Driver Sexually Harassed Me?
Yes, you can sue Lyft if the Lyft driver sexually harassed you. Aside from what sexual harassment is, there’s also great confusion over whether a victim can sue ride share services for sexual harassment. But as we’ve mentioned before, Lyft is responsible for taking measures to ensure the safety of their passengers. This includes driver profiles and quick, decisive action regarding drivers who assault or harass Lyft passengers.
If we go by the annual safety reports, Lyft is doing a better job on passenger safety than Uber. But that’s small comfort for the thousands of victims, who often feel that Lyft failed to take their claims seriously. In our practice, we’ve heard stories from victims who bravely called Lyft and told them, “I’ve been sexually assaulted by my Lyft driver,” only to be met with apathy and skepticism. This is particularly true for sexual harassment victims due to the social stigma regarding harassment versus assault that we mentioned before.
Lyft also has an obligation to act if you were attacked by a fellow passenger. That means if a Lyft passenger sexually abuses another Lyft passenger in Lyft carpool situations, Lyft may be liable for the victim’s injuries.
We know it’s easy to get swayed by the opinions of others, but let us assure you: if a passenger was sexually assaulted or sexually harassed by a Lyft driver, the passenger can sue Lyft. To work with an attorney that specializes in Lyft sexual assault cases, contact the Kenmore Law Group.
Can I Press Charges?
Yes, you can press charges. A Lyft driver sexual harassment lawyer can help you press charges against Lyft for sexual harassment.
Lawyers are not just there for you when you’re under arrest. Lyft sexual assault attorneys in Los Angeles are a source of strength for victims, who are often mistreated by the very organizations that are supposed to help them. Far too many times, victims have signed away their rights or misunderstood the policies, thereby missing out on compensation they desperately need.
Many victims are also misinformed about the length of time they have to file their claim. In California, the statute of limitations for a case of sexual assault or sexual harassment is three to 10 years. That’s a pretty big range, so let us explain. Basically, all cases occurring on or after 1/1/2019 can be filed up to 10 years after the date of the incident. If your case was before 1/1/2019, you have 3 years from the date of the incident to seek legal action. But if you did not become aware of your sexual assault or harassment until 10 years after the fact, you still have 3 years after the 10 year mark to file suit.
This is a lot to process, which is why legal counsel is so important for victims of sexual abuse. Our California Lyft sexual assault attorneys look forward to fighting for you and making sure you are not just another statistic. Please call the Kenmore Law Group without delay.male
How We Can Help
As a victim of sexual assault as the passenger of a Lyft vehicle, you may be wondering if a lawsuit is worth it. Would money really make up for what I went through? What if people don’t believe me or think all I care about is money?
We at the Kenmore Law Group know this is not the case. For most victims, finding a lawyer to sue Lyft for passenger being sexually assaulted was never their intention. But lack of transparency, empathy, and justice motivated them to find attorneys who can sue Lyft for sexual harassment or sexual assault.. We also know that working through your trauma is a long process, one that may involve help from doctors and a licensed therapist. These professionals don’t come cheap, which is why financial compensation is so important.
As for our services, you won’t pay anything to come in for an initial, free consultation. If you decide to proceed with a claim, you still owe us nothing until your case is resolved. And if we don’t win your case, we eat the costs and you owe us nothing. We can promise you this under our contingency fee structure, so there’s never any loss to you. Take advantage of our Zero fee guarantee, and call our Los Angeles attorneys specializing in Lyft sexual assault lawsuits.