BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2026 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A South Carolina woman is suing Lyft and one of its drivers following an alleged sexual assault in Palm Beach County. The complaint reviewed by BocaNewsNow.com claims that a driver using the Lyft platform targeted the woman late at night on May 12, 2024, after she used the app to request a ride. According to the filing, the driver touched the woman inappropriately and attempted to unzip her clothing without her consent while she was a passenger in his vehicle.
The lawsuit alleges that Lyft’s business model provides a platform for “sexual-predator drivers” to target vulnerable women who have been drinking. The plaintiff argues that Lyft has been aware of repeated instances of sexual assault by its drivers since at least 2015 but has failed to provide adequate warnings to its riders. Instead, the complaint alleges that Lyft continues to market itself as a safe transportation option, specifically encouraging those who have been drinking to use the service rather than driving themselves.
Legal counsel for the victim claims that Lyft’s internal data reflects a significant safety issue, noting that the company’s own reports showed over 1,800 reported sexual assaults in 2019 alone. The suit claims that Lyft intentionally obscures this data by hiding it deep within its website and diluting the statistics within general safety information. The complaint also claims that the Lyft app itself is a “defective product” because it lacks necessary safety features, such as hardware to record events within the vehicle or systems to monitor irregular driving patterns.
The multi-count lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages for negligence, strict product liability, and sexual battery. The plaintiff’s attorneys state that their client has suffered permanent bodily injury, mental anguish, and loss of income as a result of the encounter.
