Uber and Lyft assault claims in Virginia

Survivors of a rideshare sexual assault in Virginia deserve to be believed and supported, and the courts are open to them. Civil suits are filed in the Circuit Court of the county or independent city where the assault occurred or where the platform conducts business, and survivors may ask to proceed anonymously to protect their identity. Virginia requires driver background screening of transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft — the basis for negligent-hiring and negligent-supervision claims against the company in addition to vicarious liability for the driver's conduct. Because Virginia's pure contributory-negligence rule can bar ordinary negligence claims, framing the driver's assault and the platform's conduct as intentional and reckless — to which contributory negligence is not a defense — matters greatly. Uber and Lyft app terms typically compel arbitration, so early proceedings often address enforceability. Survivors can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) for confidential support.