Pittsburgh Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawyer

Rideshare Sexual Assault Attorney in Pittsburgh, PA

It may shock you to learn that a sexual predator can use a rideshare service like Lyft to have a child picked up and deposited at the abuser’s location. However, this has happened on multiple occasions. The predator grooms the child over social media and then convinces them to go outside and get into a Lyft vehicle.

If this has happened to your child, you have the right to hold the perpetrators liable for the harm they inflicted. You may not know this, but you can also hold Lyft liable for allowing it to happen. By not creating safety policies that prevent underage riders from using its service, Lyft is partly responsible for the misuse of the app by sexual predators.

Ainsman Levine, LLC, is a personal injury law firm serving Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding communities. We are widely recognized as a pre-eminent firm in western and central Pennsylvania dedicated to getting results that matter for our clients.

Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America and Super Lawyers, we are proud of the trust our clients place in us and determined to aggressively fight for your rights. If you have been affected by human trafficking in a Lyft vehicle in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, contact Ainsman Levine, LLC, today for a free consultation.

Minors Trafficked Through Rideshare Services

Rideshare services like Lyft can sometimes be used as a convenient tool by sex offenders, especially when drivers do not check a rider’s age or respond to red flags that can indicate human trafficking.

A recent report by NBC News found multiple incidents in which alleged sexual predators had used Lyft or Uber to have a minor picked up and brought to their home or hotel. In one incident in 2018, a sexual predator called Lyft to pick up an 11-year-old girl and bring her to his hotel. Discovering that he had entered the wrong address for the hotel, the predator then called a second Lyft.

After sexually assaulting the girl, the predator then called a third Lyft to send her home. None of the three Lyft drivers questioned the child’s age or raised any concerns about picking up an unaccompanied minor. However, she was easily identifiable as a minor, as she was wearing a child’s backpack. Lyft and Days Inn together paid a $9 million settlement in that case.

Lyft’s Policy on Age Verification

Lyft does have a policy against rides by unaccompanied minors. However, the policy provides insufficient safeguards to protect minors from being victimized. According to Lyft’s safety standards, minors cannot ride without an adult. However, Lyft’s terms of service deny any responsibility for the use of the service by unaccompanied minors in violation of company policy.

In practice, riders are only asked to verify their age if there are multiple reports expressing concern that the rider is a minor. Lyft’s policies put the burden of enforcement on the driver to verify the age of a rider who appears to be under 18. Meanwhile, other Lyft policies actively discourage drivers from doing so.

Motivation for Drivers Not to Verify Age

According to the NBC News report, drivers often don’t ask for age verification because they are worried about retaliation. If a driver asks for proof of age and gets a bad review from the account holder, the company can suspend their privileges as a Lyft driver.

Lyft warns drivers that “consistently low ratings can put you at risk of deactivation” and encourages drivers to maintain a rating no lower than 4.8 out of 5. In effect, Lyft’s policy encourages drivers not to ask so as not to risk getting a bad rating from the account holder. Considering that some Lyft drivers support their families solely through the rideshare app, this is a powerful motivation for them not to raise any issue that can cause a problem with an account holder.

Other Allegations Against Lyft

Facilitating human trafficking is not the only allegation against Lyft. According to a report by
National Public Radio, Lyft is the defendant in multiple lawsuits alleging that the company did nothing to protect riders from sexual assault. Victims have requested several policy changes to make using the ride-sharing service safer for both passengers and drivers, including:

• Installing cameras in Lyft cars
• More background checks for drivers
• Using biometric fingerprint scans for drivers
• Banning the practice of ordering a Lyft ride for a third party

Some of these policies, such as banning third-party rides, would make it difficult or impossible for sexual predators to use rideshare apps to transport their victims. Installing cameras in Lyft cars would also make it easier to prove that a child had traveled by Lyft to a particular location.

According to NPR, passengers and drivers who reported an assault in a Lyft vehicle were dissatisfied with the company’s response, which often amounted to little more than suspending the account of the accused person. Lyft has a policy against sharing any user information without a court order, even after an assault. This policy makes it difficult to pursue a criminal investigation in a child trafficking case or after an assault in a Lyft rideshare vehicle.

Filing a Personal Injury Claim Against Lyft

If your child has been trafficked using a Lyft rideshare vehicle, you may be able to collect compensation from Lyft for negligent policies and negligent training and supervision of their drivers. Damages you may be able to collect include:

• Emotional distress
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium if your relationship with your child was damaged by Lyft’s actions

Lyft’s liability in this situation depends on the concept of “vicarious liability,” under which employers are liable for the actions of their employees during working hours. As Lyft’s drivers are not employees but independent contractors, Lyft is not always vicariously liable for their actions. A court must determine whether Lyft is vicariously liable in any specific case.

Lyft may attempt to deny liability. However, a skilled personal injury lawyer can make the case that the driver was acting on behalf of and in the interests of the company and that Lyft is vicariously liable for the driver’s failure to question your child’s age or intervene to protect your child. Don’t let Lyft get away with not having stronger child safety policies. Contact a Pittsburgh personal injury lawyer to hold the company accountable.

Contact a Pittsburgh Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Sexual assault is a criminal matter, but exploitation by sexual predators is also a matter of personal injury. If human traffickers have exploited someone you love, you can hold the responsible parties accountable by seeking compensation.

While no lawyer can guarantee specific results in any particular case, this type of personal injury claim can sometimes result in a large settlement or jury award. You don’t want to negotiate with an insurance company on your own, as they may pressure you to accept a lowball offer. An experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to gather evidence and present a strong case for maximum compensation.

Ainsman Levine, LLC, is a personal injury firm serving Pittsburgh and other central and western Pennsylvania communities. We handle all cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t have to pay us unless we collect compensation for you. For knowledgeable advice and effective legal representation, contact Ainsman Levine, LLC, today.