Lyft Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Yes. Civil liability is independent of criminal prosecution. Under New York law, you can pursue a civil claim against Lyft for negligent hiring, negligent supervision, or negligent retention regardless of whether the driver faces criminal charges.

This depends on your age at the time of the assault. New York's Adult Survivors Act (CPLR §214-j) temporarily allowed adult survivors to revive time-barred claims, but that one-year window closed on November 23, 2023, and is no longer open. Separately, New York's ongoing civil statute of limitations for many sex offenses is 20 years under CPLR §213-c. If the assault occurred when you were a minor, the Child Victims Act allows claims until age 55 under CPLR §208(b) — a separate, now-closed provision, CPLR §214-g, briefly extended that to survivors of any age through August 14, 2021. Because these rules interact in complex ways, an attorney can quickly confirm which deadline applies to your specific situation.

Absolutely. Attorney-client privilege protects every communication you have with Banville Law — nothing you share can be disclosed without your consent. You can speak freely, at your own pace, with no obligation to proceed.

You decide what to share and when. Banville Law will never pressure you to disclose more than you are comfortable with. If you need immediate emotional support, the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline (800-656-4673) is free, confidential, and available 24/7.

A civil claim can seek compensation for both economic losses — therapy and counseling, medical bills, and lost income — and non-economic harm such as emotional distress, PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of life. Where a company's conduct is especially reckless, punitive damages may also be available. The mix depends on your specific injuries and how Lyft's failures contributed to what happened.

There is no fixed figure. Value turns on the severity and permanence of your trauma, the cost of your treatment, the strength of the evidence tying Lyft's negligence to the assault, and whether the company ignored prior complaints about that driver. Two cases with similar facts can resolve very differently, which is why a case-specific review matters more than any online estimate.

Most civil cases resolve through settlement before trial, often after evidence is exchanged and Lyft's exposure becomes clear. You keep the right to take the case to a jury if the company won't offer a fair resolution. We prepare every case as if it will be tried — including using discovery to compel Lyft to produce internal records about the driver's history — because that groundwork is what drives serious settlement offers.