News & Press

“Ride-hailing company refuses to accept responsibility for drivers’ criminal behavior” – attorney Steve Estey Lyft’s first ever safety report covers 2017-2019, when 4,158 sexual assault incidents were reported. The figure includes 360 rapes. In addition, there were 10 fatal physical assaults reported. Despite Lyft’s so-called commitment to safety, the company continues to

WKYT in Lexington reports that a Louisville, KY, Uber driver, Raudel Veloz Cruz, has been arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment and sexual abuse. According to the arrest report, around 9 p.m. on Sunday, October 17th, 2021, Veloz Cruz picked up a woman who had requested an Uber ride. Once they arrived at the

The team at Estey & Bomberger have been following the story of Jorge Tapiacastro, who was convicted in early August, 2021, of a string of felonies including rape, sexual battery and false imprisonment raping a passenger while driving for Lyft. The OC Register reports that on Friday, October 1st, Tapiacastro was sentenced to

Yahoo! News recently published an AFP article about the California voter-approved referendum that lets many “gig workers” be treated as independent contractors was ruled unconstitutional on Friday, August 21st, 2021, setting up more legal fights over the controversial measure. Known as Proposition 22, the labor legislation was heavily backed by Uber, Lyft and

An article published by the Omaha World-Herald reveals that Douglas County District Judge Timothy Burns sentenced Komlanvi Avitso, a Lyft driver convicted of raping an intoxicated woman in his car, to 10 to 12 years in prison. We reported on Avitso’s conviction back in just of 2021. Under Nebraska state law, which cuts most

An article published by Reuters reports that Uber Technologies Inc. has reached a preliminary agreement with a California regulator for sharing data on sexual assault and harassment claims on its platform while protecting victims’ privacy and avoiding a $59 million fine. Under the proposal outlined in a regulatory filing with the California

In an article recently published by PEOPLE, singer/songwriter Clare Dunn recounts that in the early morning of June 26, 2021, she was violently assaulted by her Lyft driver. Dunn recounts that that she had gone out for the night with friends and ordered a Lyft with one friend around midnight, requesting that the

An article published by the Los Angeles Times reports that former Lyft driver, Jorge Tapiacastro, is scheduled to be sentenced in October for raping a woman he was driving home in 2019, according to court records. Tapiacastro was convicted on July 28, 2021 of rape by use of drugs, rape, sexual battery and

Founding partner at Estey & Bomberger, Michael Bomberger, was featured discussing the growing number of lawsuits facing ridesharing giant Uber in article by Bloomberg Law titled, “Uber Sexual Assault Suits Mount as It tries to Calm Safety Fears“. In the article that outlines the massive problem Uber has regarding drivers on the

A news story recently published by WRAL in Raleigh, NC, reports that on Thursday, July 22, 2021, Uber driver Muhammed Arslan Afzal was charged by the Wake County Sheriff with sexually assaulting a female passenger. Afzal faces charges of first-degree kidnapping, attempted second-degree forcible sex offense, indecent exposure and sexual assault. The victim