Uber and Lyft assault claims in California

Federal Consolidation — Uber MDL 3084 (N.D. Cal.): Uber rideshare sexual assault claims are consolidated in the Northern District of California as MDL No. 3084, In re Uber Technologies, Inc., Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, before Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco. As of Oct. 1, 2026, 4,916 actions were pending in MDL No. 3084 (JPML). California plaintiffs are directly at home in this forum and benefit from close proximity to Uber's San Francisco headquarters for discovery purposes.

Lyft — federal MDL 3171 and state JCCP 5061: Since Feb. 5, 2026, federal Lyft passenger sexual assault cases have been centralized in MDL No. 3171, In re Lyft, Inc. Passenger Sexual Assault Litigation, before Judge Rita F. Lin in the Northern District of California; as of Oct. 1, 2026, 134 actions were pending (JPML). In California state court, Lyft assault cases are coordinated as Judicial Council Coordination Proceeding No. 5061, Lyft Assault Cases, before Judge Jeffrey S. Ross in San Francisco Superior Court. Uber sexual assault cases are coordinated separately as JCCP No. 5188 before Judge Ethan P. Schulman.

California Statute of Limitations: California Code of Civil Procedure § 340.16 provides a 10-year statute of limitations for civil claims arising from sexual assault occurring on or after January 1, 2019. For assaults before that date, a three-year discovery rule applies. California's Adult Survivors Act (eff. Jan. 1, 2023) opened a one-year lookback window that has now closed; claims not filed during that window remain subject to the standard 10-year period for post-2019 assaults.

California Rideshare Safety Regulations: California Public Utilities Commission Decision 13-09-045 and subsequent Transportation Network Company regulations require TNC drivers to undergo national criminal background checks and prohibit drivers with felony convictions, sex offender registration, or DUI within the past seven years. AB 5 and related legislation strengthened driver classification oversight. California law also mandates that TNCs report sexual assault incidents to the CPUC annually, giving plaintiffs a powerful regulatory record for discovery.