How an Early Trial Could Impact Thousands of Uber & Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuits
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A key trial over claims that a rideshare company failed to protect its customers from sexual assaults by drivers is now underway.
The trial, which is taking place in California state court, centers on an incident from 2016 where a college student claims she was assaulted by an Uber driver taking her to the airport.
According to Bloomberg Law, the passenger plans to testify that the driver pulled off the road, shut off the Uber app, and groped and kissed her. The passenger ultimately went on to drop out of college after receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder following the incident.
The outcome of this trial could be significant given the scope of the rideshare sexual assault lawsuits. At the start of September, there were more than 2,500 cases pending in federal court alone, with others active in state court as well.
This includes separate grouped litigations in California for Uber and Lyft lawsuits, with the Lyft cases also progressing toward holding a trial.
How these early trials play out could provide insights into the strength of these cases, which cover a wide range of assault-related incidents.
Lawsuits Claim Rideshare Companies’ Protection of Customers ‘Appallingly Inadequate’
The rideshare lawsuits stem from claims that companies like Uber and Lyft have failed to adequately protect their passengers from dangerous situations by not taking necessary safety precautions.
One potential issue has been a lack of transparency. According to lawsuits, Lyft, for example, did not report sexual assault or harassment statistics. Lawsuits also say that it did not disclose what procedures it follows when a driver is accused of sexual assault.
“As a result, passengers who report sexual abuse by a driver have been later matched with the same driver,” one lawsuit filed for an anonymous plaintiff who claims they were raped by a Lyft driver states. “Dangerous drivers continue to drive with LYFT and assault passengers while LYFT profits from their actions.”
Lawsuits also claim that rideshare companies have failed to take advantage of features and technology that could have kept passengers safer, despite having evidence that sexual assaults and other incidents were occurring during rides.
The master complaint for Uber lawsuits grouped together in California state court claims that the company knew of sexual assault and rape by drivers at least since 2015.
Upcoming Rideshare Sexual Assault Trials Could Show Path Forward for Lawsuits
In addition to the Uber trial that is now underway in California state court, several other cases are moving closer to going before a jury.
Thousands of Uber lawsuits have also been filed in federal court, with the first of those trials likely to get underway in the next few months.
More than 100 Lyft cases are grouped together in California state court as well and are progressing toward eventually holding trials.
The outcome of these trials could play a significant role in the direction of the thousands of pending cases. Early trials, sometimes known as bellwether trials, can help both sides better understand the direction of the litigation and the strength of their cases.
Wins for plaintiffs in these early trials could influence potential settlement negotiations. Defendants may be more open to negotiating a settlement instead of risking taking more cases to trial if they suffer early defeats in front of juries.
