Uber & Lyft Sexual Assault Lawyer

How Common Are Sexual Assault Cases in Rideshares?

Sexual assaults in rideshares are a serious issue that has garnered significant attention in recent years. While the exact number of cases is difficult to determine due to underreporting and varying definitions of sexual assault, available data suggests that these incidents occur more frequently than many people realize.

Sexual Assault in Ubers and Lyfts

People who ride in Ubers and Lyfts are in danger of experiencing many different types of sexual assault, including:

• Non-consensual kissing of a sexual or non-sexual body part
• Attempted non-consensual penetration
• Non-consensual sexual penetration
• Non-consensual touching of a sexual body part
• Sexually suggestive comments or gestures (often described as sexual harassment)
• Non-consensual exposure to pornographic material
• Non-consensual sexual photos being taken of you (e.g. upskirting)

Sexual Assault Statistics in Ubers and Lyfts

Sexual assault statistics are often reported by rideshare companies long after the dates when the incidents occurred. This is because the companies take a considerable amount of time to investigate each incident before adding it to their statistics.

According to a New York Times article, Uber reported that in 2019 and 2020, there were 3,824 sexual assaults reported in the United States. Despite ridership decline in 2020, the company reported 141 rapes (non-consensual sexual penetration) and 998 sexual assaults (described as types of sexual assault other than non-consensual sexual penetration) in 2020, which was a decrease from previous years.

Uber committed to releasing a report on sexual assault every two years; however, recent reports have been delayed due to the pandemic.

In its first-ever safety report, Lyft disclosed that it received 4,158 reports of sexual assault in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Approximately 360 reports indicated rapes occurred in Lyfts.

How to Report Sexual Assault to Uber & Lyft

If you have been sexually assaulted by an Uber or Lyft driver, it is important to report the incident to the company as soon as possible. Both Uber and Lyft have dedicated reporting procedures in place to handle these types of incidents.

Reporting Sexual Assault to Uber

You can report an incident to Uber by calling their customer support line at 1-800-829-9922. You may also report sexual assault by a driver in the Uber app with the following steps:

1. Open the Uber app.
2. Tap on the “Help” menu.
3. Select “Help with a trip.”
4. Choose the trip during which the assault occurred.
5. Tap on “Report safety issue.”
6. Select “Report a safety incident involving a driver.”
7. Follow the prompts to provide details about the incident.

Reporting to Lyft

You can report an incident to Lyft by calling their customer support line at 1-855-833-5938. You may also report sexual assault by a driver in the Lyft app with the following steps:

1. Open the Lyft app.
2. Tap on the menu icon in the top left corner.
3. Select “Help.”
4. Choose “Ride history.”
5. Select the ride during which the assault occurred.
6. Tap on “Get Help” (iOS) or “Request Review” (Android).
7. Select “Report a safety incident.”
8. Follow the prompts to provide details about the incident.

Reporting to the Police

In addition to reporting the incident to the rideshare company, you should also report it to the police. This will help to ensure that the driver is held accountable for their actions.