\nAllegations of inadequate safety measures by ridesharing provider expected to drive hundreds of claims<\/i><\/p>
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ann Saucer<\/a>, a veteran litigator and partner at Dallas-based Nachawati Law Group<\/a>, has been appointed to the Plaintiffs\u2019 Steering committee in federal multidistrict litigation against Lyft, the second-largest ridesharing provider in the United States.<\/p> \nDozens of lawsuits alleging Lyft failed to protect passengers from sexual assaults by drivers are currently consolidated in the MDL, and the number of filed claims is expected to grow.<\/p> \nPlaintiffs in the MDL allege that Lyft failed to properly screen drivers or act on prior passenger safety complaints, failed to provide in-car surveillance cameras, failed to conduct in-depth background checks on drivers, and failed to enforce the company\u2019s own anti-assault or harassment measures.<\/p> \nIn her position on the committee, Ms. Saucer will support a streamlined discovery process and other pretrial proceedings in advance of bellwether trials or a negotiated resolution acceptable to all parties.<\/p> \n\u201cIt is an honor to go to work every day knowing that I am part of a great team fighting to remedy the scourge of sexual abuse,\u201d said Ms. Saucer, who offers extensive experience in MDLs involving consumer protection, pharmaceuticals and toxic torts. A licensed attorney for more than 30 years, Ms. Saucer has won arguments before the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Mississippi Supreme Court sitting En Banc, the Dallas 5th Court of Appeals sitting En Banc, and state and federal trial courts across the nation.<\/p> \nThe most recent Safety Transparency Report, published in July 2024 by Lyft; reports 2,641 instances of reported sexual assault by Lyft drivers in a two-year period between 2020 and 2022. However, a 2024 analysis from the U.S. Justice Department found that more than 66% of sexual assaults of all types are not reported. In addition to the federal MDL, nearly 2,000 Lyft sexual assault lawsuits are also coordinated in a separate proceeding in the California state court system.<\/p> \nThe case is IN RE: LYFT, Inc. Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation<\/i>, MDL No. 3171 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.<\/p> \nAbout Nachawati Law Group<\/b><\/p> \nNachawati Law Group represents individuals in mass tort litigation, businesses and governmental entities in contingent litigation and individual victims in complex personal injury litigation. For more information, visit https:\/\/ntrial.com<\/a>.<\/p>