NC woman sues Lyft after she says driver raped her in Charlotte
This story describes an alleged sexual assault and its impact.
An anonymous woman has sued the ride-sharing company Lyft and said that one of its drivers raped her in Charlotte.
The company’s policies failed to prevent the rape, according to the suit filed in the Western District of North Carolina on behalf of a woman identified as K.S.
The rape happened in February 2024, according to the suit.
K.S. had been drinking at her boyfriend’s apartment, so he ordered a Lyft for her to get home safely, it said. A Jeep Compass for her arrived soon after, according to the lawsuit, and she and her boyfriend confirmed the driver was with Lyft.
“Upon getting in the car, Plaintiff blacked out from intoxication,” it said. “When she awoke, Plaintiff was being raped from behind by the Lyft driver. She attempted to resist and force him away from her, and a physical struggle ensued.”
The lawsuit said that she escaped and fled to her apartment about a quarter-mile away.
Today, she suffers from severe depression, anxiety, nightmares and persistent fear that can all be attributed to the rape, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleged that it was all part of a systemic failure on Lyft’s part.
“By failing to take reasonable steps to confront the problem of multiple rapes and sexual assaults of Lyft passengers by Lyft drivers, Lyft has acted and continues to act in conscious disregard of the safety of its passengers, including Plaintiff; has breached its duty of reasonable care; and has breached the implied and express covenants arising from its contract with its passengers,” it said.
Lyft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Security of ride-share companies has been a topic of concern in the United States. The New York Times reported in early August that Uber received a report of sexual assault or sexual misconduct in the United States almost every eight minutes on average between 2017 and 2022.
Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.