Colorado Lawmaker Sues Lyft Over Alleged Sexual Assault by Driver

Northglenn: A Colorado state lawmaker is taking legal action against Lyft after alleging she was sexually assaulted by her driver last year. Rep. Jenny Willford, a Democrat, shared her experience during a news conference at the state Capitol. She claims the assault happened in February when a man used someone else’s profile to pick her up, not the driver shown in the Lyft app.

Willford’s lawsuit accuses Lyft of not ensuring drivers pass background checks and of allowing profile sharing. She pointed out that Lyft had previously announced safety measures after reports of sexual assaults by drivers but has since rolled them back.

“Every passenger should know that the driver picking them up matches the profile and has passed a background check,” she emphasized. Willford, who was recently re-elected, was supported by her attorneys and allies during the announcement.

The lawsuit, filed in Adams County, targets both Lyft and a local company, Shanu Transportation, owned by Kholmurod Halimov. The driver who picked her up was not the one assigned to her ride, and he made inappropriate comments before the assault occurred.

After the incident, Willford reached out to Lyft, which refunded her ride but did not provide further assistance. She has since been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Willford criticized the lengthy delays in DNA testing related to her case, which are currently over 500 days due to a backlog at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She called for immediate action to address these issues.

The lawsuit also highlights Lyft’s failure to adequately respond to numerous reports of sexual assaults, with over 4,150 incidents reported in three years. Willford insists that Lyft must take these problems seriously and implement necessary changes to protect passengers.