Judge guidelines lots of Lyft sexual attack cases can possibly be collaborated

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At least 56 suits have actually been submitted versus Lyft over declared sexual attack by its chauffeurs.


Angela Lang/CNET

Dozens of ladies have submitted suits versus Lyft over the last couple of months declaring the business hasn’t done enough to secure guests from sexual attack. On Friday, a California state judge ruled these suits can possibly be integrated together into one case. The judgment was validated on Tuesday.

The ladies in these matches state they have actually been attacked by Lyft chauffeurs, in circumstances that vary from searching to kidnapping to rape. At least 56 suits including these sorts of claims have actually now been submitted versus the ride-hailing business because August.

“Each of these plaintiffs’ experiences are horrifyingly unique,” stated lawyer Rachel Abrams of Levin Simes Abrams, which has actually brought 19 suits versus Lyft and asked for collaborating the matches into one case. “But what has not been unique is Lyft’s appallingly inadequate response to their trauma.”

The suits declare criminals are drawn to Lyft to victimize susceptible ladies. They claim Lyft does subpar background examine chauffeurs and frequently does not deactivate them from the platform after sexual attack claims. The suits likewise declare that Lyft tends to stonewall victims, overlooking, dismissing or minimizing their claims.

For its part, Lyft states it’s concentrating on security. The business states it’s presented a number of brand-new security functions over the in 2015, consisting of constant background checks and an emergency situation 911 button in the app. Lyft has actually likewise simply started a compulsory “community safety education” course for all chauffeurs. 

“Today’s ruling was on a preliminary, procedural issue on coordination of the cases only,” a Lyft spokesperson stated in an e-mail. “Each of these women raises highly individualized claims, and what they describe is something no one should ever have to endure. We will continue working to make Lyft an even safer platform for our community.”

Initially, Judge Kenneth R. Freeman, of the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles County, ruled that the very first 15 cases submitted by Levin Simes Abrams can be collaborated, or signed up with, together. Once a collaborating judge is appointed to the case other matches can be included on, even those brought by other law practice. The matches simply require to have comparable claims.

Dozens of suits might possibly be consisted of in the collaborated case — suggesting that if it goes to trial, one jury would take a look at all the cases together. This is something Lyft was attempting to prevent. In a 104-page court filing opposing coordination, Lyft composed that each accusation is various and much of the grievances originate from outdoors California and for that reason should not be collaborated together.

Freeman didn’t concur with those arguments, nevertheless.

“In the Court’s view, the issues in the coordinated case will not center on the liability of the criminal defendants in the individual cases,” he composed in his judgment. “To the contrary, the predominating legal and factual issues will examine Lyft’s liability for allegedly failing to institute a system to have prevented the assaults in these cases and potential future assaults.”

Freeman likewise altered the location for the collaborated case to be heard to San Francisco County.

Correction, Jan. 22 at 7: 46 a.m. PT: Fixes spelling of Rachel Abrams’s surname.