Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuits Involving Minors
If you or your child has been sexually assaulted as a minor during or after a rideshare trip, Helping Survivors can connect you with an experienced attorney to confidentially evaluate your case and potentially file a civil lawsuit.
- Rideshare sexual assault can occur to minors when they use the apps without guardians’ permission, or rides are ordered for them by predatory adults.
- Multiple families across the country have filed lawsuits against Uber and Lyft for the sexual assault of their children during or after a ride.
- Survivors of rideshare sexual assault as minors have legal rights and options for holding the responsible parties accountable and seeking compensation.
Understanding Sexual Assault Risks for Minors in Rideshare Services
Recent lawsuits by families across the country have asserted that some alleged sexual predators used rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft to transport unaccompanied minors to their homes or hotel rooms.
NBC News reviewed court records and identified at least 10 instances since 2017 where adults allegedly planning sexual abuse hired rideshare drivers to take children to homes or hotel rooms. In six instances, records indicate that a minor took an unaccompanied ride, in violation of the rideshare apps’ terms of service.
Why Minors Are Particularly Vulnerable
Minors are particularly vulnerable to rideshare sexual assault for multiple reasons, including:
- Lack of supervision
- Dependence on drivers
- Limited ability to recognize grooming behaviors
- Fear of reporting
- Physical size and strength differences
Why Rideshare Sexual Assault Cases Involving Minors Are Different
Under the safety policies of rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft, minors are not allowed to ride alone without supervision or guardians’ permission. However, these policies are regularly ignored. Drivers are not required to verify the ages of people they suspect may be minors.
In 2022, the FBI issued an alert about rideshare services being used to facilitate child abduction, offering more privacy from potential witnesses than other modes of transportation. In response, rideshare companies introduced training materials for drivers on how to spot abusive situations, and Uber introduced a teen rides program with guardians’ approval. Still, there is no mandatory, comprehensive age verification on the platform, and minors regularly ride alone anyway.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Sexual Assault Risks for Minors in Rideshare Services
- Who Can File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit For a Minor?
- Notable Rideshare Lawsuits and Allegations Involving Minors
- Who May Be Liable in a Rideshare Sexual Assault Case Involving a Minor?
- What Compensation May Be Available to Minor Survivors?
- Do You Need a Police Report to File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving a Minor?
- How Long Do You Have to File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit?
- How a Rideshare Sexual Assault Attorney Can Help
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Who Can File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit For a Minor?
Notable Rideshare Lawsuits and Allegations Involving Minors
May 2026: Uber Sued After Orthodox Jewish Teen Was Raped Because Uber Driver Violated Minor Policy
In May 2026, the family of a 16-year-old from New York filed a lawsuit against Uber. The suit alleges one of its drivers picked up the minor alone and transported her to another location where she was raped by a man she met on Snapchat.
February 2026: Michigan Lawsuit Alleging Lyft Transported a 14-Year-Old to an Adult Predator
In February 2026, a Michigan mother filed a lawsuit against Lyft, alleging that one of its drivers transported her 14-year-old daughter to a sexual predator who assaulted her.
November 2025: North Texas Mom Files Lawsuit Against Uber After Driver's Conviction for Assaulting 12-year-old
In November 2025, a Texas Uber driver was convicted of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl who used Uber Health to get home from a pediatric mental health facility, which had arranged the transportation. The driver pulled over twice to assault her. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.
The mother has since filed suit against Uber for failing to enforce their policy disallowing unaccompanied minors and allowing the assault to occur.
November 2023: Lyft and Days Inn $9 Million Settlement Involving an 11-Year-Old
In November 2023, Lyft and two Days Inn hotels agreed to pay $9 million to resolve claims that they enabled the rape of an 11-year-old girl. The perpetrator ordered a Lyft for the girl to transport her to the hotel, where she was assaulted. Lyft was accused of not enforcing policies to prevent the transportation of unaccompanied minors.
Who May Be Liable in a Rideshare Sexual Assault Case Involving a Minor?
Several parties may be liable for a rideshare sexual assault of a minor, depending on the circumstances of the case. Possible defendants may include the perpetrator, the rideshare driver, the rideshare company, the person who ordered the ride, hotels, property owners, social media or messaging platforms, and more.
What Compensation May Be Available to Minor Survivors?
In a successful rideshare sexual assault lawsuit involving a minor, survivors and their families may be able to recover compensation for a range of damages, depending on the severity of the abuse, the liable parties, and the long-term effects of the abuse.
The recoverable damages may include the following:
- Economic Damages: Cover medical bills, therapy costs, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and more
- Non-Economic Damages: Compensate for the harder-to-quantify impacts, such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and PTSD
- Punitive Damages: Awarded in some states to punish the defendant for egregious behavior and deter future misconduct
Do You Need a Police Report to File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit Involving a Minor?
Though filing a police report for rideshare sexual assault involving a minor can help in a civil rideshare sexual assault lawsuit, it is not necessarily required. Civil lawsuits are separate from criminal cases. However, reporting the assault may initiate a criminal investigation against the perpetrator, potentially leading to criminal charges and jail time.
How Long Do You Have to File a Rideshare Sexual Assault Lawsuit?
The amount of time you may have to file a rideshare sexual assault lawsuit depends on the state where you reside or where the assault occurred.
Each state has its own statute of limitations, or filing deadline, for child sexual abuse cases. Some have abolished the deadline or extended it significantly. Consult an attorney as soon as possible to learn how your state’s statute of limitations affects your eligibility to file a lawsuit.
How a Rideshare Sexual Assault Attorney Can Help
If you or your child has been the victim of an assault, a rideshare sexual assault attorney can do the following for you:
- Investigate the incident.
- Preserve and subpoena app records.
- Identify the account holder and driver.
- Review whether the trip violated Uber’s or Lyft’s policies.
- Investigate prior complaints against the driver.
- Determine whether trafficking laws may apply.
- File a civil lawsuit before the deadline.
- Protect the child’s privacy as much as possible.
If you or a loved one was sexually assaulted as a minor during or after a rideshare ride on Uber, Lyft, or another platform, contact Helping Survivors to get connected with trauma-informed attorneys who understand rideshare sexual assault and child sexual abuse cases.
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