When you open an app and request a ride, you’re relying on a system that claims to screen its drivers, track its trips, and keep passengers safe. A sexual assault by an Uber or Lyft driver, therefore, isn’t the result of one “bad apple”—it represents the failure of an organization to keep its customers safe.
These assaults aren’t rare exceptions. They reflect deeper problems inside rideshare companies: incomplete background checks, ignored warnings, and decisions that put expansion ahead of safety.
Holding these companies accountable requires showing how their structure and policies allowed known risks to go unchecked. Our Orlando Uber and Lyft sexual assault attorney at Horowitz Law, we focus solely on representing survivors of sexual abuse. We understand how to investigate corporate negligence, challenge their defenses, and push for meaningful accountability.
If you're trying to understand what happened and what you can do next, call (954) 641-2100 for a confidential, no-cost consultation.
Orlando Uber And Lyft Sexual Assault Guide
Why Choose Horowitz Law?
A Singular Focus on Survivors
Horowitz Law was founded by Adam Horowitz for one reason: to represent survivors of sexual abuse. We do not handle any other type of legal work. This allows us to dedicate 100% of our resources, knowledge, and experience to this specific area of law.
National Recognition for Survivor Advocacy
Our founding attorney, Adam Horowitz, is recognized across the country for his work. His advocacy has earned significant honors, including:
- South Florida’s Most Effective Lawyer in Personal Injury from the Daily Business Review.
- The highest possible AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
- Recognition as a Top Attorney by South Florida Super Lawyer Magazine.
He has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and the Orlando Sentinel, providing legal commentary on cases of corporate and institutional negligence.
Direct Experience with Rideshare Assault Cases
We specifically handle litigation against rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft. We are familiar with the legal tactics they employ to avoid responsibility, and we have built cases designed to dismantle those arguments by exposing failures in their safety processes.
We’re a Part of This Community
Our Orlando office is located at 17 E. Pine Street.
Our Guarantees to You
We provide every client with a clear set of promises so you feel supported and informed every step of the way:
- A Free and Confidential Case Review: Your privacy is paramount. You can tell us what happened without any cost or commitment.
- A No-Win, No-Fee Promise: We operate on a contingency fee basis. Put simply, you do not pay us anything unless we successfully recover money for you.
- Direct and Personalized Attention: You will have a direct line to our team. We pride ourselves on being accessible and responsive, with services also available in Spanish.
What Kind of Compensation Is Available?
A civil lawsuit cannot erase the trauma of an assault, but it can provide the financial stability needed to rebuild your life. It is also one of the most powerful tools available to force a corporation to change its practices.
The compensation we pursue is designed to cover every cost, tangible and intangible, stemming from the assault.
Economic Damages: The Clear, Calculable Costs
Think of these as the bills that pile up. They are the direct financial losses you've sustained.
- Medical and Therapy Expenses: This covers everything from initial hospital visits to the cost of long-term counseling and trauma therapy.
- Lost Income: The wages you lost from being unable to work during your recovery.
- Future Lost Earnings: If the trauma affects your ability to work or advance in your career down the line.
- Other Out-of-Pocket Costs: This might include expenses for things like a home security system if you no longer feel safe.
Non-Economic Damages: The Human Cost
This is compensation for the harm that doesn't come with a price tag. It addresses the personal, human impact of the assault.
- Pain and Suffering: For the physical pain and deep emotional distress the assault caused.
- Emotional Trauma: This can manifest as anxiety, depression, PTSD, persistent fear, and sleep disturbances.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: This acknowledges the inability to engage in hobbies, relationships, and activities that once brought you happiness.
Punitive Damages: A Penalty for Corporate Recklessness
In some cases, Florida law allows for punitive damages. These are not intended to compensate you for a loss. Instead, their purpose is to punish a company like Uber or Lyft for gross negligence or intentional misconduct and to deter them from letting it happen again. To secure these damages, we must show the company's conduct was exceptionally reckless.
Why Is This a Problem in the Orlando Area?
Orlando's status as a global tourist hub and a sprawling metro area creates an enormous demand for rideshare services. With millions of rides happening, the risk of a dangerous driver slipping through the cracks increases. These assaults tend to occur in several key situations.
Tourist and Entertainment Centers
The areas around Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and the Orange County Convention Center attract millions of visitors who may be unfamiliar with their surroundings. Predatory drivers may target tourists, particularly late at night, exploiting their vulnerability.
The Downtown Bar and Club Scene
Like any city, downtown Orlando has a vibrant nightlife that relies heavily on rideshares. Passengers may have been drinking, and some drivers wrongly see an intoxicated person as an easy target, taking advantage of their impaired state.
Suburban Sprawl and Transit Deserts
For residents in neighborhoods from Lake Nona to Winter Park, rideshare services are a necessity, filling the gaps in public transportation. This daily dependence creates millions of individual trips and, consequently, millions of opportunities for an assault to occur.
What the Data Shows
While Orlando-specific data is not often available, the rideshare industry's safety problem is well-documented. Though Uber's public reports disclosed thousands of sexual assault claims, sealed court records reviewed by The New York Times indicated the company actually received 400,181 reports of sexual assault or misconduct between a recent 5-year period. These figures confirm that what happened to you is part of a larger, systemic failure.
How Can Uber or Lyft Be Held Responsible?
A frequent question is, "How is the company liable for a driver's criminal act?" The law provides a framework for holding corporations accountable when their failures cause harm. The lawsuit focuses on the company's responsibilities, not just the driver's actions.
Negligent Hiring, Retention, and Supervision
This legal concept is often the foundation of a lawsuit against a rideshare company. It means the company failed in its duty to protect its passengers from foreseeable harm. We investigate critical questions:
- Did the company perform a legitimate background check? Some rideshare companies have been accused of using checks that are not thorough enough to catch criminal records.
- Were there prior complaints against the driver? If Uber or Lyft knew, or should have known, that a driver was a potential danger and continued to let them drive, that is negligent retention.
- Did the company's own technology or policies enable a dangerous situation? For instance, if the app had tracking failures or if the internal system for reporting driver misconduct was ineffective.
The "Independent Contractor" Defense
Rideshare companies almost always argue they are not responsible because their drivers are independent contractors, not employees. This is a legal shield they use to create distance between themselves and the driver's conduct.
However, we argue that because Uber and Lyft exert significant control over their drivers—setting fares, dictating performance standards, and enforcing rules—they function like employers and should bear a similar level of responsibility.
The Florida Statute of Limitations
In Florida, the standard deadline to file most negligence‑based personal injury lawsuits is 2 years from the date of the incident.
However, when the claim involves sexual abuse or assault, special rules apply:
- For intentional torts based on abuse (such as sexual assault by a driver) the lawsuit must be filed within the later of:
- 7 years after the injured person turns 18, or
- 4 years after the injured person leaves the dependency of the abuser, or
4 years from the date the injured person discovers both the injury and its cause.
- If the victim was under 16 years old when the sexual battery occurred, there is no time limit for beginning a civil action.
- For claims against institutions (such as a rideshare company) based on negligence (for example, negligent hiring or supervision), the 2‑year general rule may apply unless a different limitation is specified.
Because of these variations and the importance of timing when building a strong case, it is wise to consult a lawyer promptly.
What to Expect When Reporting an Assault to Uber or Lyft
Many survivors first report the assault directly to the rideshare company. It is important to understand that their internal investigation teams are not neutral parties. They are part of a corporate structure designed to manage the company's liability.
Their Investigation Protects Their Business
When you make a report, a corporate representative will contact you. They will sound helpful and concerned, but their job is to protect the company's bottom line.
What to Watch For:
- Requests for a Recorded Statement: They will likely ask to record a call where you describe what happened. You are not obligated to agree to this. Their legal team can analyze your words and use them out of context against you later. It is always better to speak with a lawyer first.
- A Quick, Lowball Settlement Offer: In some instances, the company might offer a trip refund or a small payment. This offer is almost always tied to signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that prevents you from taking any further legal action. It is made before the full extent of your trauma and expenses is known.
- A Slow and Confusing Process: The claims process is long, tedious, and filled with paperwork. It’s easy to get frustrated and feel pressured to accept a lower offer as your medical bills start to climb.
Practical Steps to Protect Your Case Now
While our team manages the legal work, there are things you can do to preserve information that will be helpful for your case.
- Preserve All Digital Records: Do not delete the rideshare app. Take screenshots of the trip receipt, the driver's profile, the route map, and any communication you had with the company.
- Keep a Private Journal: As soon as you feel able, write down everything you remember about the assault. In the following weeks, also document how the trauma is affecting your daily life—your sleep, your work, your mood. This journal can become a powerful record of your suffering.
- Follow Your Treatment Plan: If you are seeing a doctor or therapist, continue to attend your appointments. This not only aids in your recovery but also creates a formal medical record of the harm you have suffered.
- Stay Off Social Media: Do not post about the assault or your emotional state on public social media accounts. Corporate defense lawyers will scrutinize your profiles, looking for any posts they can twist to argue you are not as injured as you claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I don’t remember every detail of the assault clearly?
Memory gaps are a normal and common response to a traumatic event. You are not expected to have a perfect recollection. We can use other sources of information, like GPS data from the app, trip logs, and the driver's history, to piece together the facts.
What if I didn’t file a police report?
A police report is not a requirement for filing a civil lawsuit against Uber or Lyft. Many survivors have valid personal reasons for not wanting to involve law enforcement immediately. Your right to pursue financial compensation through a civil claim is entirely separate.
Can I file a lawsuit if I had been drinking?
Yes. Consuming alcohol does not give anyone the right to assault you. It is never a defense for sexual violence. In fact, predatory drivers sometimes specifically target individuals they perceive as vulnerable, which makes the company's failure to remove them from the platform even more serious.
Will my name be made public if I file a lawsuit?
We understand that privacy is a major concern. In sexual assault cases, we can file the lawsuit using a "Jane Doe" pseudonym to protect your identity throughout the legal process.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
We handle all sexual assault cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing upfront. Our fee is a percentage of the compensation we successfully recover for you. If we don't win your case, you owe us nothing.
Your Voice Demands to Be Heard
You may feel that confronting a massive company is an impossible task or that no one will believe you. That is not true. Your story matters. Holding these companies financially accountable is one of the strongest ways to force them to change their safety practices and protect other riders in the future.
If a sexual assault by an Uber or Lyft driver in Orlando has left you with questions, we are here to provide clear answers in a completely confidential setting.
Call our Orlando sexual abuse lawyers at Horowitz Law today at (954) 641-2100 to discuss your options.