Rideshare Passenger Safety Claims: What the Record Shows

Rideshare passenger safety claims rest on published company data, regulator citations and filed lawsuits rather than on any court finding of liability. Uber’s second U.S. Safety Report, released June 30, 2022, recorded 3,824 reports across the five most severe categories of sexual assault and misconduct for 2019 and 2020. Lyft’s Safety Transparency Report for January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 recorded 111 motor vehicle fatalities and 2,651 reports in the five most serious sexual assault categories. Passenger claims against Uber are consolidated in a federal multidistrict proceeding in California, with 4,916 actions pending as of October 1, 2026. No court finding cited here holds either company liable for a passenger’s injury.

What the companies’ safety reports disclose

Uber’s second U.S. Safety Report, published June 30, 2022, covered 2019 and 2020 and reported 3,824 reports across the five most severe categories of sexual assault and misconduct, which the company described as a 38 percent decrease in the reported rate from its first report. Uber states that more than 99.9 percent of trips generate no safety report and that its motor vehicle fatality rate is about half the national average. Its third report, published in August 2024, covers 2021 and 2022; Uber’s annual report for the year ended December 31, 2024 describes it and warns investors that platform users may engage in criminal or violent activity that results in major safety incidents.

Lyft announced its first Community Safety Report on October 21, 2021, saying the serious incident types it covered occurred on 0.0002 percent of rides. Its Safety Transparency Report covers January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 and reports 111 motor vehicle fatalities, 23 fatal physical assaults and 2,651 instances of the five most serious categories of sexual assault, which Lyft describes as a 21 percent decrease in incident frequency rate.

NHTSA reports 40,901 deaths in traffic crashes in 2023 and publishes rideshare passenger guidance, including checking that the vehicle and plate match the booking.

What regulators have done

California’s Public Utilities Commission regulates transportation network companies, and its Transportation Enforcement Branch issues citations for violations of the Public Utilities Code and general orders, with a maximum citation of $20,000. The CPUC’s 2026 register lists two $20,000 citations served on Uber Technologies, Inc. on March 13, 2026, both marked paid in full, for violations including using a driver who had not completed a criminal background check and failing to obtain Department of Motor Vehicles driving records. The same register lists a $20,000 citation served on Lyft, Inc. on January 22, 2026 for failing to display required trade dress on a vehicle. Citations resolve regulatory violations; they are not findings about a passenger’s injury.

The FTC’s actions against both companies concern privacy, data security and consumer transactions rather than passenger safety: a privacy settlement with Uber given final approval in October 2018, a suit against Uber over billing and cancellation practices in April 2025, and an action against Lyft over driver earnings claims in October 2024.

Two state attorneys general have settled driver pay matters: Massachusetts announced a settlement on June 27, 2024 with a $32.50 hourly minimum pay standard and a $175 million combined payment by Uber and Lyft, and the New York Attorney General announced $328 million in settlements in November 2023. Neither concerns passenger safety.

The passenger claims in federal court

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation consolidates related federal cases for coordinated pretrial proceedings. Its report dated October 1, 2026 lists MDL 3084, In re: Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, in the Northern District of California before Senior District Judge Charles R. Breyer, with 4,916 actions now pending. MDL 3084 consolidates federal claims brought by passengers over alleged sexual assault. Federal civil cases begin with a complaint and then move through discovery, motions and, absent settlement, trial.

What is established vs. what is alleged

Established by these sources: Uber and Lyft publish the safety figures above; the CPUC has cited both companies, including two Uber citations mentioning background checks and driver records; the FTC and two state attorneys general took the actions described; and 4,916 passenger actions are pending in MDL 3084.

Alleged and undecided: whether any company’s screening or safety practices fell below a legal standard, and whether those practices caused any particular incident. A company’s safety report is a voluntary disclosure, not a finding, and a paid citation is an administrative resolution, not a liability determination.

Where the claims stand procedurally

As of that report, MDL 3084 is active with 4,916 actions pending before Judge Breyer. Consolidation coordinates pretrial proceedings; it does not merge the passenger claims into a class, and each case remains an individual claim unless the parties resolve it. MDL 3084 is not a certified class action, a distinction explained in the guides to MDLs and class actions and how mass tort litigation works. Related coverage includes commercial truck collision claims and Roblox child safety claims in this site’s class action section. On the state side, the first passenger case to reach a jury ended in a defense verdict: in In re Uber Rideshare Cases, JCCP No. 5188, in San Francisco County Superior Court, a jury on 30 September 2025 found that Uber was negligent in the safety measures it had in place but that the negligence was not a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s harm, so no damages were awarded. That verdict is reported by the trade press (labelled secondary in the source list); the case number and court come from that reporting. No primary source cited here records a court-approved settlement of the passenger claims, and no verdict has been reported in MDL 3084 itself.

Key dates

• October 21, 2021: Lyft publishes its first Community Safety Report.
• November 2023: the New York Attorney General announces $328 million in settlements with Uber and Lyft.
• June 27, 2024: the Massachusetts Attorney General announces a settlement including a $32.50 hourly minimum pay standard.
• August 2024: Uber publishes its third U.S. Safety Report, covering 2021 and 2022.
• January 22, 2026: the CPUC issues a $20,000 citation to Lyft for failing to display required trade dress.
• March 13, 2026: the CPUC issues two $20,000 citations to Uber mentioning background checks and driver records.
• October 1, 2026: the JPML reports 4,916 actions pending in MDL 3084.

What this does not establish

Nothing here determines that any company caused any passenger’s injury. The safety figures are each company’s own account of reports made to it. The CPUC citations and the FTC and attorney general matters resolve regulatory or statutory claims, not a passenger’s tort claim. The pending action count measures how many cases are before the court, not how strong they are.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a nationwide class action over rideshare passenger safety?

The sources cited here identify no certified nationwide class action on this subject. The federal passenger claims are consolidated in MDL 3084, which coordinates pretrial proceedings across individual cases rather than certifying a class. The guide to MDLs and class actions explains the difference.

How often do Uber and Lyft publish safety data?

Uber has published three U.S. Safety Reports, covering 2017 to 2018, 2019 to 2020 and 2021 to 2022. Lyft published a Community Safety Report in October 2021 and a Safety Transparency Report covering 2020 to 2022.

Does this article tell me whether I have a claim?

No. This article explains what the public record shows and does not assess any individual situation. Deadlines and legal standards depend on the state, the defendant and the facts, so anyone weighing action should consult a licensed attorney or a legal aid service.

How people are named here. Court records in this proceeding identify complainants by pseudonym or initials, and this article follows the court's own designations rather than attempting to identify anyone. People accused of wrongdoing are named where an indictment, court filing, regulator's report or an institution's published disclosure list names them. The rule is set out in full in our editorial policy.

Sources

1. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: “Ways to Get Home Safely” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
2. NHTSA National Center for Statistics and Analysis: “Summary of Motor Vehicle Traffic Crashes: 2023 Data” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
3. Uber Technologies, Inc.: “Uber Delivers Second U.S. Safety Report” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
4. Uber Technologies, Inc.: “Uber’s US Safety Report” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
5. Lyft, Inc.: “Lyft’s Community Safety Report” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
6. Lyft, Inc.: “Safety Transparency Report (2020-2022)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
7. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission: “Uber Technologies, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
8. California Public Utilities Commission: “Safety Assurance (Transportation Enforcement Branch citations)” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
9. U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation: “Pending MDL Dockets by Actions Pending, Report Date 10/1/2026” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
10. U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation: “Pending MDL Dockets by District, Report Date 10/1/2026” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
11. Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts: “Civil Cases” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
12. Federal Trade Commission: “Federal Trade Commission Gives Final Approval to Settlement with Uber” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
13. Federal Trade Commission: “FTC Takes Action Against Uber for Deceptive Billing and Cancellation Practices” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
14. Federal Trade Commission: “FTC Takes Action to Stop Lyft from Deceiving Drivers with Misleading Earnings Claims” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
15. Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General: “AG Campbell Reaches Nation-Leading Settlement with Uber and Lyft” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
16. Office of the New York State Attorney General: “Attorney General James Joins New York City Uber and Lyft Drivers to Celebrate Historic $328 Million Settlement” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)
17. Claims Journal (secondary reporting on the JCCP 5188 verdict): “Uber Found Not Liable in First US Trial Over Driver Sexual Assault Claims” (link, accessed 2026-10-13)

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