Survivors' Rights

Survivors from across the country have filed lawsuits alleging that Lyft drivers sexually assaulted, raped, or harassed them. Many of these cases are now being handled together in a federal multidistrict litigation, or “MDL.” In an MDL, similar lawsuits filed in different federal courts are sent to a single judge so that pretrial matters such as evidence gathering can be handled efficiently. Each survivor still keeps an individual case.

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation created the Lyft MDL on February 5, 2026, sending 17 lawsuits from 10 federal districts to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco. The Panel assigned the cases to U.S. District Judge Rita F. Lin. The litigation has grown quickly since then and the current number of pending cases is over 100 as of October, 2026.

The survivors allege that Lyft knew its drivers posed a risk of sexual assault but failed to adequately screen and background-check drivers, train and supervise them, respond to passenger complaints, and build stronger safety features into its app. They also allege that Lyft misled riders into believing its rides were safe. Their legal claims include negligence, misrepresentation, failure to warn, and product liability. The product liability claims rest on the theory that the Lyft app itself is a product. The plaintiffs also argue that Lyft should be held responsible for its drivers’ conduct, a theory known as vicarious liability.

The case is now in discovery. The Court has approved a streamlined procedure that lets new survivors file directly in the MDL. It has also set a schedule leading toward bellwether trials. On October 14, 2026, Judge Lin heard arguments on Lyft’s motion to dismiss parts of the survivors’ claims, and the motion remains pending.

Lieff Cabraser is proud to play a leadership role in this litigation. Judge Lin appointed the firm to the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee. She also appointed Lieff Cabraser partner Tiseme Zegeye as Plaintiffs’ Federal/State Liaison Counsel. In that role, Ms. Zegeye helps coordinate the federal MDL with a parallel group of cases in California state court (JCCP No. 5061). The state proceeding has been underway in San Francisco since 2020 and includes more than 2,000 cases. Its first bellwether trials are currently scheduled for 2027.

Reports about sexual assault and harassment in connection with Lyft rides have appeared in all major news outlets across the U.S., and the count of rideshare-related sexual abuse incidents keeps growing. Almost 2,000 individuals have chosen to hold Lyft accountable by filing suit against the company.

In February 2026, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order centralizing In re: Lyft, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation (MDL No. 3171) before Judge Lin in the Northern District of California. Plaintiffs allege that Lyft failed to implement appropriate safety precautions to protect passengers and misled plaintiffs into believing Lyft provided safe rides, and that plaintiffs suffered sexual assault or harassment at the hands of Lyft drivers as a result. Plaintiffs bring various claims against Lyft, including vicarious liability, negligence, misrepresentation, failure to warn, and product liability claims. Subsequently, Judge Rita Lin of the Northern District of California appointed Lieff Cabraser to serve on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the litigation, and appointed Lieff Cabraser partner Tiseme Zegeye to serve as Plaintiffs’ Federal/State Liaison Counsel.

Similar passenger sexual assault litigation is pending against Uber in a MDL also in the Northern District of California. In February 2026, the first bellwether trial resulted in the jury finding Uber liable for the actions of a driver and awarded the courageous plaintiff $8.5 million in damages.

No one should suffer unwanted sexual advances, especially not in the restricted and remote space of a rideshare vehicle. If you or a family member have had this kind of experience, we can work together to advocate for change. This litigation seeks to force improvements to rideshare practices to safely protect all passengers from sexual assault and harassment.

Lieff Cabraser represents survivors across the U.S. who have been victimized by sexual violence and sexual abuse. We treat every client with care, respect, and compassion as we bring our comprehensive legal skills forward on each case. We have a dedicated team of lawyers, nurse consultants, and paralegals experienced in working with and listening to survivors who work individually with every client in every case to see that justice is won.

Our firm’s survivor’s rights cases include those on behalf of dozens of Uber passengers who have suffered sexual assault or harassment at the hands of Uber drivers, students abused by the university gynecologist at USC ($215 million settlement and sweeping university reforms) as well as cases against the NCAA, the University of Michigan, the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut and the Branson School in California, as well as work in J.B. v. G6 Hospitality LLC, Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California, and Doe v. Twitter (now “X”) representing anti-trafficking non-profit amici parties. We are also involved in numerous non-public school, church, and institutional student and teen abuse cases, including investigations regarding conversion therapy providers and numerous teen residential institutions.