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A Colorado woman has filed a federal lawsuit against Lyft, alleging she was sexually assaulted by one of the company’s drivers after a ride last year. The complaint, filed on October 21, claims Lyft has failed to address what it describes as a “sexual predator crisis” within its driver workforce and argues that the company’s inaction in the face of thousands of reported sexual assaults directly contributed to the plaintiff’s attack, Westword reported today.
According to the lawsuit, “Lyft has been fully aware of the persistent and continuing assaults perpetrated by sexual predators driving for Lyft.” It further alleges that the company continues to hire drivers without adequate background checks, allows drivers accused of misconduct to remain active on the platform, and has failed to implement basic driver monitoring measures necessary to protect passengers.
Safety data cited in the lawsuit shows that nearly 7000 passengers and drivers reported being sexually assaulted while using Lyft between 2017 and 2022. Colorado has seen several high profile incidents during that same period. In March, a Lyft driver was sentenced to 290 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually assaulting multiple women in Denver. Earlier in the year, Colorado State Representative Jenny Willford reported that she was sexually assaulted by her Lyft driver outside her home in Adams County. In another case from 2024, a Lyft driver received a nine year sentence for raping a thirteen year old passenger in Aurora.
The problem extends beyond Lyft. Uber has faced more than 12,500 reports of sexual assault involving drivers and passengers between 2017 and 2022, according to its safety reports. Willford’s experience prompted her to sponsor HB25 1291, legislation designed to improve rideshare safety through increased background checks and stricter rules for account sharing. The measure passed the legislature but was ultimately vetoed by Governor Jared Polis after Uber warned it would leave Colorado if the bill became law. Lyft also opposed the legislation.
Despite the company’s public statements, the lawsuit argues that “Lyft publicly represents that ‘safety is our top priority’ and that its goal is ‘to make every ride safe, comfortable, and reliable.’ In reality, Lyft prioritizes profits over passenger safety.” Lyft did not provide comment regarding the lawsuit.
The plaintiff, whose identity remains anonymous in the court filings, alleges that the assault occurred in July 2024 outside her Colorado home. After ordering a Lyft, she engaged in friendly conversation with the driver and offered him tomatillo plant starts from her yard upon arriving home. When she stepped out of the car to retrieve the plants, the driver allegedly kissed her without consent. According to the lawsuit, she pulled away, but the driver proceeded to pull down the front of her dress, remove her sticky pad bra, expose her breast, and then reach under her dress to grope her vagina while attempting to remove her undergarment and continuing to kiss her.
The plaintiff states she pushed him away with enough force that part of her thumbnail broke. She then ran inside her home to safety. As detailed in the lawsuit, “Plaintiff has developed extreme anxiety and feelings of being unsafe, particularly at night, due to the fact that the driver is aware of Plaintiff’s home address.” The complaint asserts that “Lyft directly contributed to the assault on Plaintiff by breaching and abandoning its highest duty of care owed to its passengers.”
The lawsuit criticizes Lyft for its lack of fingerprint based background checks and the absence of in ride video surveillance. Both measures were included in early drafts of HB25 1291 but were removed after opposition from rideshare companies. The plaintiff is seeking more than seventy five thousand dollars in damages, including compensation for emotional distress, court costs, and punitive damages.
Survivors can learn more about this litigation by visiting our comprehensive Lyft sexual assault resource page. If you are ready to explore your legal options, you can request a free case review by filling out the confidential and secure form below.
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