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During a Zoom news conference Wednesday, several victims
detailed attacks on them. Chicago resident Stella Grant said she
was attacked while driving and needed to go to the hospital.
On Aug. 30, 2021, Grant picked up a passenger whose name was
different from the one shown on the ride request. When Grant
attempted to confirm the passenger’s identity during the ride,
she said it became clear that she was intoxicated. Then, the
passenger started cursing at Grant and began punching her in the
head, face, back, and shoulder, Grant said. Grant called 911,
and the passenger lunged forward and grabbed the steering wheel
from the backseat while the vehicle was in motion, causing the
vehicle to crash. The passenger then struck Grant in the face
with a sharp object, cutting a deep gash, she said.
“This whole incident has affected me mentally, financially, and
emotionally,” Grant said. “I’m scared to look at my mirror
because the scar reminds me of being attacked.”
Attorney Tracy Cowan notes that as early as 2015, Lyft became
aware that its drivers and passengers were being sexually
assaulted, physically attacked, raped, and even murdered while
using the app.
“It should be doing much more comprehensive background screening
on its drivers, and if it put dash cams in every car the number,
and the rate, and the severity of violence and sexual assaults
in every car would decrease,” said Cowan.
On Wednesday, Lyft issued a statement regarding the lawsuits.
“We’re committed to helping keep drivers and riders safe. While
safety incidents on our platform are incredibly rare, we realize
that even one is too many. Our goal is to make every Lyft ride
as safe as possible, and we will continue to take action and
invest in technology, policies and partnerships to do so,” the
statement read.
Lyft said the company has instituted processes that will detect
and take action against unsafe rider behavior, including
temporarily or permanently deactivating accounts.
Attorney Adam Wolf said it is about time Lyft addresses this
wave of violence in their cars.
“It is an epidemic, and it needs to stop,” Wolf said. “It is
unconscionable that Lyft has been aware of this ongoing problem
for years and done virtually nothing.”
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in Illinois
for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of experience in radio
news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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