H.R. 1082, also known as “Sami’s Law”, was signed into law on January 5 by President Biden. The new law requires the Government Accountability Office to study and submit a biennial report to Congress regarding incidents of assaults involving passengers and drivers for rideshare companies such as Lyft and Uber. Additionally, the law requires rideshare company drivers to prominently display illuminated signs and scannable QR codes. Sami’s Law also criminalizes the misrepresentation of being a rideshare driver nationwide.
The law is named after Samantha Josephson, a University of South Carolina student, who on March 29, 2021 ordered an Uber after a night on the town. Rather than get in a the rideshare vehicle she ordered, Josephson mistakenly got into a vehicle driven by Nathaniel Rowland who abducted and murdered her.
Josephson’s parents then established the What’s My Name Foundation to advocate for policies to enhance rideshare user safety. In South Carolina, The Samantha Josephson Ridesharing Safety Act was signed into law in June, 2019. Sami’s Law was also signed into effect in New Jersey, Josephson’s home state. The bill was introducedin Washington in May 2019 by New Jersey United States Representative Chris Smith, where it lingered in Congress until late 2022 before finally being signed into law by President Biden.
Helping Protect the Rights of Rideshare Users
At Estey & Bomberger, we champion for the rights of rideshare users by holding companies like Uber and Lyft accountable for the actions of their drivers. We applaud the passing of Sami’s Law, but there is still much work to be done to ensure the safety of rideshare users. Our trauma-informed law firm will continue to advocate on behalf of survivors of rideshare driver sexual assaults until Uber and Lyft implement better safety measures to ensure their customers are protected from the predators that use their platforms to target the innocent.
If you or a loved one is a survivor of an Uber or Lyft driver sexual assault, we believe you and and can help you achieve the justice you deserve. We offer free and confidential consultations where you can speak to a lawyer about your case. This allows you to make an informed decision before choosing to move forward.
To best support our clients, our team includes certified sexual assault victim advocates who can support you at every step of the way. Our ultimate goal is to help our clients move forward from these troubled times so that they can live a better life. To learn more, or to schedule a free and confidential consultation, contact us today.