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Rideshare Assaults: A Disturbing Epidemic

A woman on her phone looks down a dark street.

This article includes discussion of sexual and physical assault. Skip to the end of the article to find legal resources. 

Most rideshare trips are safe, but the risk of harm still exists. Reports of physical and sexual assault affecting passengers are reported daily.  

A recent Rolling Stone article reported that from 2017 to 2022, the popular rideshare service Uber received over 400,000 reports of sexual assault or misconduct by drivers. This number means that on average, one incident was being reported every eight minutes.  

Uber emphasizes that nearly all of their rides end without a safety complaint, but with millions of trips each day, even a tiny percentage represents a troubling number of assaults. 

How Common is Rideshare Assault? 

It can be hard to determine just how common these incidents are, for a variety of reasons. There are currently no federally mandated requirements for collecting data on assaults by rideshare drivers. Companies may underreport or limit what they disclose, and passengers often choose not to report their assaults.  To make matters worse, some rideshare companies do not track reports made more than 48 hours after a ride. 

Uber proudly reports that 99.9% of their rides end without a safety issue.  Unfortunately, given the company’s massive scale (over 2.5 million trips per day in the U.S.), that remaining 0.1% represents about 2,500 incidents every day, with the majority being perpetrated by drivers. In Uber’s 2022 safety report they disclosed 100 fatalities and nearly 1,600 reports of serious forms of sexual assault. Unfortunately, Uber only counts physical acts in these sexual assault categories, meaning the true scope is much higher. The company’s choice to frame safety issues as percentages rather than raw numbers downplays the human cost. They use phrases like “0.00008% of trips” because this sound negligible, until you realize it represents hundreds of real victims. Similarly, “99.9% safe” feels reassuring, but in raw terms it translates to thousands of serious incidents. If this is the case for Uber, the largest platform, it is true for other rideshare companies as well. 

What Type of Assault Can Happen in a Rideshare? 

Most rideshare companies report assault data in specific categories. For example, Uber only reports motor vehicle fatalities and fatal physical assaults, not instances where a passenger was injured, regardless of the severity. Additionally, rideshare companies generally report only sexual assaults that involve some sort of physical contact.  

However, many assaults by rideshare drivers fall outside these limited categories. They may also include: 

  • Indecent exposure 
  • Stalking 
  • Verbal harassment (suggestive, sexual, or violent) 
  • Physical violence beyond sexual assault  

How Can Rideshare Passengers Stay Safe? 

You shouldn’t have to worry about your safety every time you use a rideshare service. However, due to lax screening policies and a lack of prompt responses to complaints about drivers, you may step into a car with a dangerous driver. Here are some strategies for staying safe:   

  • Verify your driver before getting in: check the license plate and ask the driver to confirm their name. 
  • Share trip details with a friend or family member. 
  • Trust your intuition: if something feels off, cancel the ride. It’s better to seek out alternate transportation than go into a situation which feels dangerous.  
  • Use in-app safety tools: depending on the app, these may including sharing your location during a ride, emergency buttons, etc. Some rideshare apps allow women passengers to request women drivers. 

Who is Liable in a Rideshare Assault Case? 

Liability for assaults may rest with both the individual driver and the rideshare company. Survivors have pursued lawsuits against both, and there is currently a Multi-District Litigation (MDL) pending against Uber. 

A key complication in these cases is how drivers are classified. Rideshare companies generally categorize drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. This has several benefits to rideshare companies, they include:  

  • No benefits for drivers: Companies are not required to offer health insurance, retirement contributions, paid leave, or workers’ compensation. 
  • No payroll taxes: Companies don’t pay Social Security, Medicare, or unemployment insurance. 
  • No wage protections: Contractors aren’t covered by minimum wage or overtime laws. 
  • Limited liability: Companies argue they aren’t responsible for drivers’ conduct the way they would be for employees. 

Even so, companies may still be held liable for negligent hiring, retention, or supervision. Past lawsuits against Uber and Lyft have alleged that the companies failed to properly vet drivers or respond to known safety risks. Finally, in some cases, background check providers and other third parties may also face liability. 

Should Victims Pursue a Criminal or Civil Lawsuit?  

In rideshare assault cases, both lawsuit types might be appropriate. Criminal charges are brought by the state to punish the offender, while a civil lawsuit is filed by the victim to seek financial compensation for harm suffered. These processes can run at the same time or separately. 

  • Criminal case: May result in jail time, probation, and offender registration for the driver. Victims may be called to testify. 
  • Civil case: Can recover damages for medical costs, therapy, lost wages, and pain and suffering, regardless of whether the driver is criminally convicted. Importantly, the burden of proof is lower in civil cases than in criminal cases. 

What Should Victims Do After a Rideshare Assault? 

  • Ensure your safety first, reach a safe location and seek medical care if needed. 
  • Document details of the incident: driver description, vehicle information, trip time and route, and any injuries or property damage. 
  • If possible, report the incident to the rideshare company via the app promptly. 
  • File a police report as soon as possible. This step is important for supporting potential legal claims. 
  • Consult an attorney experienced in rideshare assault cases to learn about potential legal options to pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and emotional suffering. 

What Support Resources Exist for Victims? 

  • Victim Compensation Programs
    Most states offer crime victim compensation, which provides direct reimbursement for certain crime-related expenses. These may include medical treatment, mental health counseling, lost wages, and funeral or burial costs. Eligibility requirements vary by jurisdiction. 
  • Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
    The OVW provides resources for survivors, including hotlines and a directory of state and tribal coalitions focused on domestic violence and sexual assault. 
  • RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)
    RAINN is the nation’s largest anti–sexual violence organization. Its website includes an After Sexual Assault resource page, offering guidance on accessing medical care, finding therapy, and reporting assaults. 
  • National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) 
    The NSVRC provides education, training, and resources for survivors of sexual violence. It also maintains a directory of local programs and hotlines that connect survivors to support services in their communities. 

Our Firm Can Help 

If you have been harmed by a rideshare driver, we are here to guide you through the legal process and secure the justice you deserve. We understand that the aftermath of an assault is overwhelming and reliving those events during a case can be traumatic. Our team works to handle as much of the process as possible on your behalf. 

Contact Schlesinger Law Offices for a confidential, risk-free consultation. We’re here to help you understand your legal rights and options.  

Sources and Further Reading