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Seven years after being sexually assaulted by a Lyft driver in St. Louis, Cristen Giangarra has reached a confidential settlement with the rideshare company. But she isn’t finished speaking out about passenger safety.
Giangarra, a nurse who now lives in California, sued Lyft after the 2019 assault, alleging that the company negligently approved a driver whose criminal history should have raised concerns.
Her lawsuit settled on June 9, 2026, shortly before it was scheduled to go to trial. The financial terms haven’t been disclosed.
Now Giangarra is using her experience to encourage stronger safety measures across the rideshare industry, according to FOX 2 in St. Louis.
She also wants passengers to understand the safeguards available to them when using services such as Lyft and Uber.
On June 22, 2019, Giangarra ordered a Lyft after spending an evening with friends in St. Louis.
She fell asleep in the backseat during what should have been a short ride home.
Instead, driver Larry Ward took her beyond her destination to a secluded location, where he sexually assaulted her.
Ward was subsequently prosecuted and pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping and first-degree rape. He received a prison sentence.
Giangarra also pursued a civil lawsuit against Ward and Lyft, arguing that the company should not have permitted him to drive passengers given his criminal history.
The lawsuit challenged Lyft’s driver-screening practices and its responsibility for protecting passengers from foreseeable risks.
Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits: What Survivors Should Know
Giangarra’s settlement is one of many legal developments involving allegations of sexual assault by rideshare drivers. Lyft also faces federal litigation over its passenger safety practices.
Learn about the ongoing lawsuits, evidence that may support a claim, filing deadlines and potential legal options for survivors.
Civil Lawsuit Settles Shortly Before Trial
Giangarra’s lawsuit against Lyft was approaching trial when the parties reached an agreement in June 2026.
The settlement ended her individual civil case without a jury determining Lyft’s liability. Its financial terms remain confidential.
The legal process had taken years, something Giangarra discussed candidly in a May 2026 interview with The Cut, which was updated after the settlement.
She described the challenges of navigating the criminal prosecution, pursuing the civil claim and dealing with the continuing effects of the assault.
But her experience also demonstrates that criminal and civil proceedings serve different purposes.
Ward’s guilty plea addressed his criminal conduct. The lawsuit against Lyft separately challenged whether the company had taken adequate precautions before allowing him to transport passengers.
Although the settlement didn’t produce a public verdict against Lyft, it brought Giangarra’s civil case to a resolution.
Survivor Calls for Better Rideshare Safety Measures
Giangarra has since continued advocating for changes intended to reduce the risk of passenger sexual assault.
She encourages riders to use available safety features and recommends that people traveling alone consider staying in contact with someone they trust during a trip.
Lyft says it has introduced additional safeguards over the years, including PIN verification, audio recording, location sharing and emergency assistance features.
The company has also defended its broader safety record and says protecting passengers requires ongoing improvements.
Giangarra believes those improvements should have come sooner.
Her concerns extend beyond the actions of the driver who assaulted her to the responsibility rideshare companies have when screening drivers, responding to safety complaints and designing systems that passengers rely on.
Sexual Assault Claims Against Lyft Continue
Giangarra’s individual settlement comes as Lyft faces broader litigation involving allegations of sexual misconduct and assault by drivers.
Giangarra’s individual settlement comes as both Lyft and Uber face federal litigation involving allegations of sexual assault by rideshare drivers.
As of November 2, 2026, Lyft had 150 pending federal lawsuits consolidated in MDL 3171 in the Northern District of California, according to the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML).
By comparison, Uber faced 4,548 pending federal lawsuits in its separate sexual assault litigation, MDL 3084, also in the Northern District of California.
Plaintiffs in both proceedings allege that the companies failed to implement adequate passenger safety measures, including safeguards related to driver screening and responses to reported misconduct.
Although Giangarra’s lawsuit ended in a confidential settlement, that agreement doesn’t establish what other Lyft sexual assault claims might be worth. The federal proceedings remain ongoing, and no global settlement has been announced.
