A number of lawsuits have been filed against Lyft for failing to investigate sexual assault complaints. According to the lawsuits, Lyft does not investigate complaints, Drivers are not properly vetted, and the company fails to communicate with victims. The company is now being sued by 14 women.
14 women sue lyft over sexual assault allegations
More than a dozen women have sued Lyft over sexual assault allegations. They say that the ridesharing service failed to take basic safety measures and downplayed the severity of the attacks. In response, the company said that it screens all drivers and monitors criminal records. Lyft said that the rate of sexual assaults has declined 19% in the last three years. Lyft also says that 99 percent of rides go without safety incidents.
The lawsuit claims that the ride-sharing company has failed to prevent sexual assaults by its drivers. The lawsuit also says that the company has a financial incentive to hire as many drivers as possible. Despite receiving almost 100 complaints about sexual assault by its drivers in California, Lyft failed to do enough to protect its passengers. In one case, a driver kidnapped a woman and raped her for hours. When she learned that the driver was still working for the company, she filed the lawsuit.
Lyft fails to adequately investigate complaints
While Lyft’s business model is socially conscious, the company has not done enough to protect its customers from sexual harassment. For example, despite announcing in August that it will release transparency reports on reported incidents, the company still does not provide any data about the number of sexual assaults experienced by passengers during rides on the company’s app. This is particularly concerning as Lyft aims to attract female passengers.
Lyft says it prioritizes passenger safety, but in reality, the company fails to investigate complaints alleging sexual harassment and rape. Moreover, it has repeatedly misrepresented its commitment to public safety by not properly screening its drivers. In one case, it hired a driver who was accused of rape and allowed him to continue driving despite his allegations. Lyft’s complaints process is also problematic. It involves a process of “phone tag” with company representatives. As a result, Lyft has made it difficult for victims to receive any meaningful support.
Drivers are not properly vetted
According to recent allegations, Uber and Lyft drivers are not thoroughly vetted. Until last year, the companies only screened applicants using Social Security numbers and the associated addresses. Now they are required to do a more comprehensive background check, going back decades. However, lawmakers have questioned whether these companies are doing enough to protect the public.
The companies are defending their background checks. They claim theirs are industry-leading. And they say they do much more than traditional taxis. However, Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar have been fighting against tougher background checks in statehouses across the country. Uber was involved in helping ease background checks in a Colorado bill that legalized ride-sharing companies, and the governor of Illinois vetoed a similar bill in Illinois.
It does not communicate with victims
According to a new lawsuit, Lyft did not take adequate steps to protect passengers and drivers during the sexual assault crisis. The company did not monitor rides, did not require drivers to carry dash cams, and failed to communicate with victims. One such driver, Stella Grant, was a victim of sexual assault by a passenger on Aug. 30, 2021. The passenger was not the person who had requested the ride, and became angry when the driver asked her to confirm her identity.
As a result, Lyft is now facing a flood of lawsuits filed by women across the country. Those suits stem from Lyft’s failure to prevent the epidemic of sexual assault. Laurel Simes, an attorney for several dozen women suing Lyft, says she has fielded more than 150 calls from victims.
It does not conduct biometric fingerprint scans
If you’re worried that your safety is at risk, don’t fret – Lyft doesn’t conduct biometric fingerprint scans. Instead, it relies on a private background check based on your name, social security number, and motor vehicle records. Moreover, Lyft does not operate in cities that require fingerprinting. In addition, the company points out that biometric fingerprint scanning is not an efficient process, and there is a chance of error.
The taxi industry has led the way in pushing for mandatory fingerprint-based background checks for ride-hailing drivers. Most taxi drivers are required to provide fingerprints before driving, and these drivers have been protesting against state officials who let ride-hailing apps skip fingerprint checks. Recent reports of sexual assaults on passengers have spurred these calls for biometric background checks. For instance, one passenger filed a lawsuit against an Uber driver after she made inappropriate comments to her.