Written by Eric A. Shore, personal injury, disability, and employment law attorney, practicing since 1994, with offices in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida. Eric Shore has helped people across the United States get justice, protect their jobs, and secure disability benefits when serious illness took away their ability to work.
If an Uber or Lyft driver sexually assaulted you, you have legal options, even if you froze, even if you waited, even if you’re not sure it “counts.” In Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida, victims can bring civil claims against the driver and, in many cases, against Uber or Lyft directly. Evidence disappears fast, and legal deadlines apply, so the sooner you get information the better. But you don’t have to figure this out alone.
If you’re in crisis right now, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). For legal questions about your options, call us at 1-800-CANT-WORK.
If you were injured during an Uber or Lyft ride, including assault related incidents, attempted kidnappings, or rideshare crashes, we handle those cases as part of our broader rideshare accident practice.
Key Takeaways
- Sexual assault by a rideshare driver can be the basis for a civil lawsuit even if criminal charges were never filed.
- Uber and Lyft can potentially be held liable under negligent hiring, negligent retention, negligent supervision, and related legal theories.
- Civil deadlines to file a claim are usually around 2 years, but exceptions exist depending on the state and circumstances involved.
- You do not need to have reported to police to pursue a civil case.
- PTSD, panic attacks, dissociation, and inability to work are real damages recognized in these cases.
- Serious trauma cases may involve overlapping disability claims in addition to personal injury litigation.
What Counts as Sexual Assault During an Uber or Lyft Ride?
You do not need to have been raped for this to be a serious legal case.
I’ve spoken with women who spent weeks convincing themselves that what happened “wasn’t that bad,” that because they got home, because they escaped before the worst happened, it didn’t count. That thinking is understandable. It’s also wrong.
Rideshare sexual assault cases we handle include:
- Rape or attempted rape
- Unwanted touching or groping
- Forced kissing or physical contact
- A driver refusing to unlock the doors or let a passenger leave
- Being driven somewhere against your wishes
- Physical restraint inside the vehicle
- Assault against an intoxicated or sleeping passenger
- Threats or coercion
- Conduct that forced a passenger to flee the vehicle
We handle rideshare assault cases involving Uber and Lyft. Some involve women who were not certain their situation “counted” as assault. Others involve survivors who escaped before the worst happened but lived with the fear and trauma for years afterward.
The legal question is not whether something is “serious enough” for you. The question is what happened, and whether it caused harm you are still living with.
Why So Many Victims Freeze, Wait, or Stay Silent
This is one of the first things clients want to explain when they call us:
“I didn’t do anything. I just sat there.”
Trauma specialists have understood for decades that many people do not fight back or scream during an assault. The nervous system can shut down. Some people become unable to process what is happening in real time. Others comply because they are terrified the driver will become violent, abandon them somewhere dangerous, or accelerate the vehicle.
That response is not weakness. It is the body’s normal reaction to extreme fear.
Many victims also delay reporting for days, weeks, or months. They feel ashamed. They’re afraid of not being believed. They don’t want family to find out. Some aren’t certain whether what happened was “serious enough” to report.
All of that is common.
What matters legally is what happened, not how quickly you reacted to it.
What Should You Do After a Rideshare Sexual Assault?
If the assault just happened or happened recently, these steps can significantly strengthen a legal case:
- Call 911 if you are in immediate danger or need emergency medical care.
- Do not change clothes, shower, or wash your hands before seeking medical attention if you want to preserve physical evidence.
- Take screenshots of the Uber or Lyft app immediately, including trip details and driver information.
- Do not delete texts, calls, or app messages related to the ride.
- Write down everything you remember while it is fresh.
- Report the incident through the Uber or Lyft app.
- Seek medical attention and counseling. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center offers information on trauma informed care.
- Speak with a lawyer before giving detailed statements to insurance representatives.
If significant time has passed since the assault, do not assume it is too late.
Can You Still File a Case If You Waited?
Yes, in many situations.
Some survivors do not recognize the full psychological impact of what happened until months or years later. Some were minors when the assault occurred. Some tried to block it out completely until panic attacks, PTSD, depression, or anxiety started interfering with daily life and work.
We have spoken with women who called us a year or more after an assault after finally telling someone what happened or after a therapist encouraged them to explore their legal options.
Evidence may still exist even after time passes, including:
- GPS records
- Ride history
- App data
- Prior complaints against the driver
- Medical records
- Therapy records
Do not assume you are out of time before speaking with a lawyer.
Can Uber or Lyft Be Held Responsible?
Yes. Courts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Florida have allowed civil claims against rideshare companies for sexual assaults committed by their drivers.
Uber and Lyft routinely argue that their drivers are independent contractors rather than employees. That argument does not automatically end the case.
Legal theories that courts have allowed in rideshare assault cases include:
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent retention
- Negligent supervision
- Failure to warn
In some cases, evidence later reveals prior complaints against the same driver before the assault occurred. That prior notice can become critically important evidence.
We handle rideshare assault cases involving Uber and Lyft as part of our broader rideshare accident practice. Some rideshare cases involve sexual assault. Others involve serious crashes, traumatic brain injuries, pedestrian injuries, or situations where passengers were injured trying to escape dangerous circumstances during a ride.
What Is the Emotional Damage Worth Legally?
In rideshare sexual assault cases, the psychological injuries are often the most significant part of the claim.
Physical injuries heal. The fear of getting into a car again, the nightmares, the inability to be alone in public, the PTSD that shows up at work 6 months later, those can last for years.
Symptoms that courts have recognized as real, compensable harm include:
- PTSD
- Panic attacks and chronic anxiety
- Dissociation
- Depression
- Nightmares and sleep disruption
- Social withdrawal
- Difficulty trusting others
- Fear of traveling alone
- Impaired ability to work
Many survivors try to push through without seeking treatment. That often makes things worse.
If the trauma has reached the point where you cannot maintain your job, there may also be a disability component to your situation. That is part of the DISINJURY™ approach. A rideshare sexual assault that triggers disabling PTSD may involve a personal injury claim, a long term disability claim, and possibly a Social Security Disability claim if the condition becomes severe enough to prevent you from working.
We handle long term disability and Social Security Disability claims nationwide. If you want to know whether your situation might qualify, you can learn more about whether you qualify for disability benefits.
Missing overlapping claims can create serious financial problems for survivors already struggling to work and function normally.
What About Privacy?
Privacy concerns are real in sexual assault cases.
Many survivors fear:
- Family judgment
- Public embarrassment
- Social media exposure
- Employer discovery
- Public court records
Not every case requires a public trial.
We discuss privacy concerns from the very first conversation. Calls to our office are confidential.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a police report to sue Uber or Lyft? No. Civil claims and criminal cases are separate. A lawsuit may still be possible even if no police report was filed.
What if the driver was never arrested? Civil cases use a lower burden of proof than criminal prosecutions. A criminal conviction is not required.
Can I still file a claim if I was intoxicated? Yes. Intoxication does not eliminate your right to safety.
What if I froze during the assault? That is extremely common during traumatic events. Freezing does not make the assault less real.
What if I waited months or years to report it? Delayed reporting is common after trauma. Speak with a lawyer before assuming you no longer have a case.
Taking the Next Step
If you were injured during an Uber or Lyft ride, including sexual assault, attempted assault, kidnapping related conduct, or a serious rideshare crash, you do not have to figure out what to do alone.
Learn more about our rideshare accident practice, or call 1-800-CANT-WORK for a confidential consultation.
If you need immediate crisis support, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline is available 24 hours a day.
The conversation is confidential.
Eric A. Shore
Law Offices of Eric A. Shore
1-800-CANT-WORK | 1800cantwork.com
Philadelphia, PA | Drexel Hill, PA | Cherry Hill, NJ | Atlantic City, NJ | Fort Lauderdale, FL
Free consultation. No fee unless we win.
