Uber and Lyft assault claims in Washington

Survivors of a rideshare sexual assault in Washington are believed, and state law gives them meaningful paths to justice. Civil claims are filed in the Superior Court of the county where the assault occurred or where the platform operates, and survivors may seek to proceed under a pseudonym to guard their privacy. Washington requires driver background checks and safety standards of transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft, which grounds negligent-hiring, negligent-vetting and negligent-supervision claims against the platform in addition to vicarious liability. Washington's three-year statute of limitations (RCW 4.16.080) and pure comparative-negligence rule (RCW 4.22.005) — under which a survivor's recovery is reduced by any assigned fault but never barred — provide a comparatively favorable framework. Because Uber and Lyft app terms generally compel arbitration, early litigation often contests whether a sexual-assault claim is covered. Survivors can reach the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) for confidential, around-the-clock support. Preserving trip and in-app records helps establish the driver's identity.