A Tacoma woman is suing Lyft, alleging a driver sexually assaulted her after trapping her inside his vehicle during a ride.
In her lawsuit filed in Seattle federal court in January, the woman – identified in court documents as V.G. – alleges the assault occurred on July 26, 2023, after she ordered a Lyft ride to return home.
According to the complaint, once the vehicle reached her destination, the driver ended the trip in the app but did not unlock the doors. The driver activated the child safety locks, drove away from the drop-off location, and took her to a secluded area, she alleges.
The complaint claims the driver then “climbed into the back seat” and “forced Plaintiff to perform oral copulation,” and that she “lost consciousness” during the assault.
The driver is not named as a defendant in the filing. Instead, the lawsuit targets Lyft, alleging the company failed to implement adequate safety measures to protect passengers.
Allegations Against Lyft
The lawsuit claims Lyft knew for years that drivers had sexually assaulted passengers but failed to adopt stronger safeguards.
The complaint states Lyft has been aware since at least 2015 “that drivers on its platform were sexually assaulting passengers,” and alleges the company continued to rely on name-based background checks rather than fingerprint-based screening.
The filing further alleges Lyft markets its service as safe, particularly to women, while failing to require in-ride video monitoring or stronger real-time oversight of drivers.
The lawsuit describes Lyft as operating as a “common carrier” under Washington law, arguing the company owes passengers the “utmost degree of care.”
V.G. is bringing claims of general negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, intentional misrepresentation, and strict product liability related to the design and safety features of the Lyft app.
She is seeking damages for emotional distress and other losses. Puget Press has reached out to Lyft for comment.
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