Uber & Lyft Sexual Assault

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If you were sexually assaulted by an Uber or Lyft driver, you may have the right to pursue financial compensation.

When someone requests an Uber or Lyft, they are placing their trust in a driver and the company connecting them. They expect to reach their destination safely.

Unfortunately, some passengers have experienced sexual assault, unwanted sexual contact, and other serious misconduct during or after rideshare trips.

These experiences can leave lasting emotional, psychological, and physical consequences.

If this happened to you, there are legal options worth understanding. You may be able to pursue a civil claim against the driver, the rideshare company, or other legally responsible parties.

You do not need to have all the answers before speaking with an attorney, and an initial consultation does not obligate you to file a lawsuit.

Call toll-free 1-866-777-2557 or complete our online contact form. A lawyer will respond within 24 hours to answer your questions and help you understand your options.

Uber and Lyft have transformed transportation, making it easier for millions of people to request a ride using a smartphone.

But the convenience of ridesharing also creates an important responsibility: protecting passengers from foreseeable harm.

In recent years, thousands of reports of sexual assault and misconduct have raised serious questions about how rideshare companies screen drivers, respond to complaints, and protect the people using their services.

According to a July 2026 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, Uber and Lyft collectively disclosed 4,469 reports of the five most serious categories of sexual assault during 2021 and 2022.

These figures represent reported incidents, not findings that every allegation was substantiated. They also include reports involving riders and drivers and do not capture every form of sexual misconduct.

Nevertheless, the reports demonstrate why passenger safety and corporate accountability have become significant public concerns.

Thousands of individuals have brought lawsuits alleging that rideshare companies failed to take reasonable precautions to prevent sexual assault.

Sexual assault can take many forms. It is not limited to rape or incidents involving obvious physical violence.

Reported incidents involving rideshare drivers have included:

• Unwanted sexual touching or groping
• Forced or unwanted kissing
• Attempted sexual assault
• Rape or other nonconsensual sexual penetration
• Sexual contact with passengers who were asleep, intoxicated, or otherwise unable to consent
• Sexual assault during a trip or following arrival at a destination

Passengers have also reported inappropriate sexual comments, unwanted advances, and threatening behavior.

Not every form of sexual harassment or misconduct establishes the same legal claim. The facts of the incident and applicable law determine what remedies may be available.

Sexual contact without consent is never an acceptable part of a rideshare trip.

A passenger's clothing, alcohol consumption, decision to travel alone, or choice of destination does not establish consent to sexual activity.

Uber Technologies has faced substantial litigation involving allegations of sexual assault by drivers using its platform.

Plaintiffs have raised questions about whether Uber took adequate steps to identify potentially dangerous drivers, respond to safety complaints, and implement measures to prevent foreseeable assaults.

The lawsuits include allegations involving:

Driver background checks. Whether Uber used reasonable screening procedures to identify drivers who presented unacceptable safety risks.

Prior complaints and warning signs. Whether the company appropriately investigated allegations of misconduct and removed drivers when warranted.

Passenger safety measures. Whether additional precautions could reasonably have reduced the risk of assault.

Corporate responsibility. Whether Uber can be held legally responsible for particular acts committed by drivers using its platform.

These allegations are contested. Uber has disputed claims that its screening and safety practices were inadequate and has challenged its legal responsibility for certain driver conduct.

In October 2023, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidated related federal Uber passenger sexual assault lawsuits in the Northern District of California.

The litigation is known as:

In re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, MDL No. 3084.

The proceedings are overseen by U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer.

The coordinated litigation involves claims that passengers experienced sexual assault or harassment by Uber drivers and that Uber failed to implement appropriate safety precautions.

Multidistrict litigation, commonly called an MDL, allows related lawsuits to proceed through coordinated pretrial proceedings.

It is not the same thing as a class action lawsuit. Individual plaintiffs generally maintain their own claims.

The litigation has included bellwether trials, which are individual cases selected to help the parties evaluate recurring legal and factual issues. Their outcomes do not determine the value or result of every other claim.

Lyft has also faced lawsuits brought by passengers who allege they were sexually assaulted or harassed by drivers.

Like the Uber litigation, these lawsuits raise questions about driver screening, complaints of misconduct, passenger safety measures, and the legal responsibilities of rideshare companies.

Some passengers allege that reasonable preventive measures were not taken or that warning signs of dangerous conduct were inadequately addressed.

Lyft disputes allegations of wrongdoing and maintains that it has invested in safety measures and reporting procedures.

On February 5, 2026, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation established coordinated federal proceedings for Lyft passenger sexual assault lawsuits.

The litigation is known as:

In re: Lyft, Inc. Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, MDL No. 3171.

The cases are assigned to U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin in the Northern District of California.

The federal proceedings address common allegations that Lyft failed to implement appropriate safety precautions to protect passengers.

Separate Lyft sexual assault litigation has also proceeded in California state court.

As with the Uber litigation, each person's potential claim must be evaluated based on the circumstances and applicable law.

This is one of the central legal questions in rideshare sexual assault litigation.

Uber and Lyft generally classify their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. The companies have relied on that distinction, among other arguments, when disputing responsibility for certain driver conduct.

But a driver's employment classification does not necessarily resolve every question of corporate liability.

Depending on the jurisdiction and circumstances, potential legal claims may involve:

Negligent hiring or screening. Whether a company failed to exercise reasonable care when evaluating a driver's qualifications or background.

Negligent retention. Whether a company allowed a driver to continue using its platform despite information suggesting a foreseeable safety risk.

Failure to implement reasonable safety precautions. Whether the company failed to take legally required or otherwise reasonable steps to protect passengers.

Agency or other responsibility for driver conduct. Whether the legal relationship between the company and driver supports liability under applicable law.

A person may also have a direct claim against the individual who committed the assault.

Not every assault results in a viable claim against a rideshare company. Establishing responsibility requires an investigation of the facts, available evidence, and governing law.

Your immediate safety and well-being come first.

You do not need to make every decision about reporting, medical care, or legal action at once.

Depending on your circumstances, the following steps may be helpful.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or seek help from someone you trust.

A healthcare professional can evaluate injuries, discuss preventive treatment, and address other health concerns.

A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) or other trained professional may be available to provide a sexual assault forensic examination.

A forensic exam can help preserve evidence even if you are not ready to report the incident to law enforcement, subject to applicable reporting laws.

If the assault occurred recently, prompt medical attention may be especially helpful. Even if you have already bathed, changed clothing, or some time has passed, you can still seek medical care and ask about available options.

Uber and Lyft maintain electronic trip information that may be relevant to understanding what happened.

Consider saving:

• Trip receipts, dates, and times
• Driver names, photographs, and vehicle information
• Screenshots of the trip route and pickup or drop-off locations
• Communications with the driver or rideshare company
• Safety complaints or reports submitted through the app
• Relevant photographs, messages, or other records

An attorney may be able to help obtain additional company records, including information that is not visible in your account.

You may choose to report the assault to law enforcement, the rideshare company, or both.

Reporting can create records that may assist an investigation, but survivors have different reasons for deciding whether and when to report.

A police report is not automatically required to discuss a potential civil lawsuit with an attorney.

An attorney or victim advocate can help explain your options.

You may have the option to pursue a civil claim seeking compensation for the harm you experienced.

Consulting an attorney can help you understand potential claims, important deadlines, and the legal process without committing to litigation.

Many survivors do not immediately report sexual assault.

Some are concerned about privacy, retaliation, or whether anyone will take their experience seriously. Others need time to process what happened.

Not having filed a police report does not automatically prevent you from pursuing a civil claim.

Civil lawsuits and criminal prosecutions are separate legal proceedings. A civil case does not necessarily require a criminal conviction, although the available evidence and applicable law still matter.

If you never reported the incident, an attorney can evaluate other available records and explain what options may exist.

A person who is incapacitated by alcohol, drugs, sleep, or another condition may be unable to provide legally valid consent.

Being intoxicated does not give another person permission to engage in sexual activity.

In rideshare assault cases, the circumstances surrounding a passenger's ability to consent may be especially important.

An attorney can evaluate the facts under the laws that apply to your situation.

Sexual assault can affect nearly every aspect of a person's life.

Some survivors experience physical injuries. Others face anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, trauma-related symptoms, or difficulty returning to everyday activities.

The impact can persist long after the incident.

Depending on the facts of the case and applicable law, compensation may be available for:

• Medical treatment and related expenses
• Counseling, therapy, and psychological care
• Lost wages or reduced earning capacity
• Physical pain and emotional suffering
• Other legally recoverable losses resulting from the assault

In certain circumstances, punitive damages may also be available.

The availability and amount of compensation depend on the evidence and governing law. No financial recovery can be guaranteed.

Not necessarily.

Some civil claims are resolved through settlements without a trial. Others proceed through litigation, including discovery, depositions, and potentially courtroom testimony.

An experienced attorney can explain what participation may be required and what privacy protections may be available.

No attorney can guarantee that a case will remain confidential or that a survivor will never need to testify.

But you should be able to understand the legal process before deciding whether to pursue a claim.

Potentially, yes.

In 2022, Congress enacted the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act.

The federal law generally allows people bringing qualifying sexual assault or sexual harassment disputes to elect to pursue their claims in court despite certain pre-dispute arbitration agreements.

The law applies to qualifying disputes or claims arising or accruing on or after March 3, 2022.

Its application to any particular rideshare claim depends on the facts and legal circumstances.

An attorney can help determine whether an arbitration provision affects your options.

You may have a civil claim against the driver, Uber, or other responsible parties. Whether Uber can be held liable depends on the circumstances and applicable law.

Potentially. Passengers have filed lawsuits alleging that Lyft failed to take reasonable measures to protect riders. The viability of an individual claim depends on its facts.

Not necessarily. A police report may provide useful evidence, but its absence does not automatically eliminate a civil claim.

You may still have legal options. The relationship between the trip and the assault, including how the driver gained access to the passenger, may be important to determining potential responsibility.

Depending on what occurred, you may have reporting options or legal remedies. Sexual harassment, unwanted touching, and sexual assault can involve different legal standards and claims.

Yes. Sexual assault can affect people of any gender. Legal rights are not limited to women.

Possibly. Criminal charges or a conviction are not always necessary to pursue civil legal remedies.

Privacy is an important concern in sexual assault litigation.

An attorney can discuss confidentiality obligations, court procedures, and possible protective measures, including requests to use a pseudonym where permitted.

However, complete anonymity cannot be guaranteed.

Statutes of limitations vary by state and depend on the nature of the claim, the survivor's age, and other circumstances.

Some jurisdictions provide special filing rules for survivors of sexual assault, but those protections are not uniform.

Because deadlines can affect your rights, consider obtaining legal advice promptly.

People use Uber and Lyft because they need a safe way to get from one place to another.

No passenger should have to fear sexual assault during that journey.

If you experienced sexual assault involving an Uber or Lyft driver, you may have questions about what happened, whether it could have been prevented, and who may be legally responsible.

You deserve an opportunity to have those questions answered.

Speaking with an attorney is simply a way to learn about your options. The decision about whether to pursue a civil claim is yours.

Call toll-free 1-866-777-2557 or complete our online contact form.

A lawyer will respond within 24 hours to answer your questions.

Your experience matters. Your safety matters. And your rights matter.

If you or someone you love needs emotional support, medical resources, or help understanding reporting options, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) provides a free, confidential National Sexual Assault Hotline.

Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit RAINN.org/hotline.

Support is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You do not need to pursue a lawsuit to seek support or medical care.