California lawyers are in the process of filing up to 1,000 lawsuits against popular ride-hailing apps.
The suits against Uber and Lyft are in response to claims that drivers allegedly sexually assaulted and harassed passengers, often when they were asleep or intoxicated, lawyers at San Francisco-based firm Levin Simes Abrams said.
Eighty-five lawsuits have been filed against Uber with 321 cases pending, and 20 have been filed against Lyft with 517 cases pending, KPIX reported.
A Levin Simes Abrams attorney explained to the station that some drivers are accused of ending rides early to appear "as if they did exactly what they are supposed to do." Then, she said, they allegedly drive the passenger "to a deserted place."
The attorney was confident that if there was a camera in the car, 99% of assaults would be prevented.
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In a statement to Insider, an Uber spokesperson responded to the claims saying, "We remain steadfast in our commitment to support victims and help stop sexual violence by collaborating with experts, pioneering safety tech solutions, and setting the standard on transparency and accountability."
Lyft seconded that stating, "Everyone deserves the ability to move about the world safely, yet women still face disproportionate risks. We recognize these risks, which is why we are relentless in building safety into every aspect of our work. That means continually investing in new features and policies to protect our riders and drivers."
Uber and Lyft are both based in San Francisco.
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