OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — An Oceanside mom of two says she continues to be traumatized one-year after a visit to get groceries in a ride-hailing automobile.
We are defending her identification as a result of she is an alleged survivor of sexual assault. In November 2020, she says her Lyft driver assaulted her in entrance of her Oceanside house.
“I was going to get out of the car and he climbed in the back and put his hands down my pants and said he wanted sex. It was surreal and I was terrified and I had never been in a situation like that before in my life. I was screaming and told him to stop and I was calling the cops,” she alleges.
She mentioned it did not cease there, the driving force locked her inside his automobile and sped off down the street.
“He was driving toward the beach and I was yelling.”
He slowed down at one level and the girl managed to flee. A warrant for the driving force’s arrest has been issued by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, however he has not but been charged.
A Lyft spokesperson launched this assertion partially to ABC 10News:
As quickly as this incident was reported to us, we reached out to the rider to supply our full assist, completely eliminated the driving force from the Lyft group and made contact with law enforcement to help of their investigation.
The lady’s story is one in every of neary 300 circumstances in opposition to Uber and Lyft San Diego’s Estey and Bomberger say it’s litigating. Trial legal professional Steve Estey, who has quite a few nationwide record-setting verdicts will tackle Lyft in September in what he says is the primary of it is sort trial in opposition to the ride-hailing firm.
He has filed mass tort lawsuits in opposition to each Uber and Lyft.
“The rideshare platform has created a platform for sexual predators,” mentioned Stephen Estey of Estey and Bomberger.
Estey will argue the ride-hail firm was negligent in quite a few methods and failed to guard feminine passengers from a recognized hazard. The lawsuit alleges “Lyft’s response to this sexual predator crisis amongst Lyft drivers has been appalingly inadequate.” Similarly, the criticism in opposition to Uber argues…”Uber induces young, unaccompanied, intoxicated, or vulerable women to use its product with th expectation of safety, all the whle knowing that sexual abuse of Uber’s passengers in prevalent.”
“The background check is very minimal and it’s not fingerprint based… and the lack of supervision, there are no cameras. They won’t do that because they know what it will show,” mentioned Estey.
The California Public Utilities Commission regulates ride-hailing firms. It fined Uber $59 million {dollars} in December 2020 for failing at hand over detailed information about sexual assaults. Ultimately, the case was settled and Uber agreed to pay $9 million {dollars} in fines.
In their Community Safety Report, Uber reported 5,981 sexual assaults in 2017-2018.
Uber claims it accomplished greater than 2.3 billion journeys in 2017-2018. During this time, greater than 3 million journeys occurred every day within the United States. When requested by ABC 10News what number of journeys had been taken by feminine single passengers, Uber mentioned the info didn’t exist. Uber claims it didn’t initially launch information to the CPUC as a result of it contained personal survivor data.
An Uber spokesperson advised ABC 10News in a written assertion:
The CPUC wished the complete names and contacts of the reporting get together…Uber has taken a survivor-centric method and won’t violate a survivor’s proper to privateness.
Lyft reported 4,158 sexual assaults from 2017-2019 in its Community Saftey Report.
The assault numbers within the Community Public Safety report solely account for five out of 21 subcategories of sexual misconduct and sexual assault, with a variety from flirting to rape.
The experiences are voluntarily offered and submitted by the ride-hail firms. Estey says the numbers would doubtless be far larger if all subcategories had been considered. RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence group gave guideance and helped to create the subcatergories, in response to an Uber spokesperson.
The 2021 Department of Justice statistics point out one in three ladies assaulted don’t report, together with one in every of Estey’s shoppers, who claims she was assaulted in San Diego’s gaslamp district in 2015.
She claims she was assaulted by an Uber driver who was giving her a trip to the Hilton lodge after an evening of partying with mates. We are defending her identification as a result of she is a survivor of sexual assault.
“I kind of froze, he took my breast out of my bra and started telling me inappropriate things. Then he took the key to my room and followed me up to the room and tried to have sex with me. I didn’t think anyone would believe me because I am a bigger girl, but I am hoping this will help other women like me who may be bigger by coming forward. I blamed myself for years over what happened and I know it is not my fault,” mentioned the girl.
ABC 10News offered Uber with the girl’s trip receipt and account data with Estey’s permission. A spokesperson for Uber mentioned:
The particulars reported by the rider are disturbing. We take these kind of experiences significantly and commenced our investigation as quickly as we grew to become conscious of the allegations.
Uber confirmed with ABC 10News the driving force not has entry to the platform and hasn’t had entry to the platform for a number of years.
Estey says ladies are being assaulted in ride-hailing autos at an alarming price in response to the Community PUblic Safety Reports, and most riders usually are not conscious of the true threat they take everytime they enter a ride-hailing automobile.
“I have daughters and don’t let them ride in a rideshare alone and if they are I make sure they have a buddy system in place or they don’t ride in the front seat or right rear passenger seat- that tends to be where predators grope so it’s a little safer to place yourself behind them,” mentioned Estey.
Both ride-hailing firms have engineered and deployed an emergency app that passengers can use if they’re at risk.
In May 2022, Uber rolled out a function that permits passengers to decide on feminine drivers. Both firms developed a sequence of in-app security options that permits riders to share their location with household and mates, join instantly with the ride-hail firm or 911 to entry emergency help.
But, Estey says the businesses must do extra, beginning with cameras in all vehicles, finger-print background checks, and letting riders know of the chance.
Both Uber and Lyft say they proceed to prioritize security and stay dedicated to investigating expertise and increasing further security insurance policies. In 2020, sexual assault and misconduct schooling was expanded for drivers. Both firms additionally say drivers are re-screened yearly for offenses on a neighborhood, state and federal stage. Both firms additionally share information on drivers who’re reported for assault or misconduct.
Information on Uber’s security options may be discovered on-line right here and to learn their full response click on right here.
For data on Lyft’s security measures click on right here and their full response may be discovered on-line right here.
Here are the hyperlinks to the complaints lodged in opposition to Uber and Lyft.
For a hyperlink to the Community Safety Reports click on right here.