We recently reported on the $25 million settlement Lyft agreed to pay shareholders in order to resolve claims that Lyft was not transparent about systemic “safety problems” in the run up to the company’s IPO. A recently published Jezebel article promptly gives voice to the hypocrisy shown by Lyft shareholders. The “safety problems” that were the focus of shareholders concerns happen to coincide with our 2019 lawsuit against Lyft on the behalf of 14 women who say they were sexually assaulted by Lyft drivers. The article reports that shareholders celebrated the “excellent” result and expressed that the payout was a welcome. result when considering the long-shot prospects of recovering the $777 million of potential damages if the case had gone to trial.
Jezebel recounts the story of Alison Turks, who in 2017 was held at gun-point and kidnapped by a Lyft driver. She was then taken to an abandoned park and gang-raped by the driver and serval men. Turkos says the only correspondence she’s received from Lyft was a statement where the company, “apologized for the inconvenience that I’d been through” and informed me they “appreciated the voice of their customers and were committed to doing their best in giving me the support that I needed.” Turkos was also informed that she was still expected to pay for the original cost of her ride. She later learned that the driver remained active within the Lyft platform.
The overarching theme present in the Jezebel article illustrates why our team of lawyers and compassionate advocates will continue to fight for justice on behalf of those who have suffered a sexual assault by Uber and Lyft drivers. Not only do the companies value their profits over the people who use their services, but they prioritize the pocketbooks of shareholders over the wellbeing of those who have had their lives changed forever due to “safety problems”. Until these companies make the necessary changes they need to make to better protect their customers, we will hold them accountable for their drivers actions.