A woman in New Jersey is suing the ride-hailing company Lyft and one of its drivers after she had a ”traumatic” experience mid-ride. According to New York Post, the unnamed woman was on her way to work when the driver allegedly exposed himself to her and began urinating in a plastic container. The incident happened in March this year, when the woman called the Lyft to get from her Fort Lee, NJ home to her job at Mount Sinai West in Midtown.
”The driver took his p***s out of his pants and began urinating in a plastic container … somewhere on a public road on the westside of Manhattan,” the woman claimed in her Manhattan Supreme Court filing against Lyft and driver.
The woman has alleged that the incident left her shocked, angry, and caused lasting depression along with other psychological and emotional distress. She argued in her complaint that the alleged “public lewdness and exposure of himself” amounts to sexual assault.
She also added that the driver identified as Luis ”had the apparent ability to cause imminent harmful or offensive bodily contact through the lewd act.”
In court documents, she described the behavior as “so outrageous, shocking, abhorrent, and despicable that it exceeded the bounds of decency.”
She alleged that Lyft was negligent in hiring Luis and failed to protect passengers from “sexual predators.” The lawsuit further accused the company of neglecting to recognize “signs that (Luis) was abusing his position to expose himself to passengers.”
The woman said that she wishes to remain anonymous to avoid not only embarrassment but also ”the social stigmatization associated with having been sexually assaulted.” According to court papers, she continues to feel “shame and anxiety” and has asked the court to shield her name to protect her privacy and well-being.
In 2021, the San Francisco-based company released its Community Safety Report detailing 4,158 reports of sexual assault during rides from 2017 through 2019, including 360 involving rape.
These incidents happened despite Lyft screening its drivers for criminal offences and driving infractions prior to being hired. The company also utilizes a third-party firm to conduct further background checks, including a nationwide sex offender registry search.
