Colorado Uber & Lyft Sexual Assault Lawyer

What To Do If You Have Been Sexually Assaulted By an Uber or Lyft Driver

The period after an assault leaves many survivors unsure where to turn. You don't need to make immediate decisions, but knowing what resources exist can help when you're ready.

• Medical care. Emergency rooms and sexual assault nurse examiner programs provide treatment for physical injuries and documentation if needed. Denver Health operates a specialized SANE program. You can receive care without filing police reports.
• Law enforcement. Reporting to the police is your choice. Criminal reports operate separately from civil lawsuits. You can pursue legal action against Uber, Lyft, or the driver whether or not you file a police report.
• Legal consultation. Speaking with a Colorado Lyft sexual assault attorney gives you information about your rights and options. These conversations are confidential, cost nothing, and don't obligate you to take any legal action.

Whatever path you choose, the timeline is yours. There is no deadline for seeking support or getting information about what happened to you.

In a Survivor's Words

"Fighting big fights for individuals. Before I reached out, I thought there was no hope for me. I felt so outnumbered, but I was treated with the utmost respect and made to feel like I mattered in the big scheme of things. It was a very timely process, and I would recommend this law firm to anyone who feels this way. You're not alone, and there are people who can fight for you. These are those people. Thank you."

— P.A., Client

Understanding Rideshare Sexual Assault

Survivors often question whether what they experienced qualifies as assault. The confusion is understandable when the violation doesn't match what media or common perception portrays as sexual violence.

Assault is not always violent. It is not always physical. What defines it is the violation of your boundaries and autonomy by someone who exploited their position of power.

Colorado passengers have described drivers who:

• Touched them without consent. Hands on legs, backs, shoulders, or arms. Contact that felt wrong and was never invited.
• Trapped them in vehicles. Locking doors, refusing to stop, ignoring requests to pull over or end the ride.
• Asked intrusive questions. Pressing for details about relationships, where you live alone, sexual history, or plans for the evening.
• Deviated from agreed routes. Taking unfamiliar roads, driving to isolated areas, or passing your destination without explanation.
• Made sexual propositions. Comments about your appearance, suggestions about meeting later, or explicit statements about what they wanted to do.
• Attempted to follow you inside. Asking to use your bathroom, requesting to come in for water, or creating excuses to enter your home.
• Contacted you after the ride. Messages through the app, requests for your phone number, or attempts to connect on social media.
• Watched or followed you. Parking near your building, waiting to see where you entered, or driving slowly past after you exited.

Colorado law recognizes that sexual assault occurs when someone uses position, power, or circumstance to violate another person's right to control what happens to their own body. 

If you felt violated, threatened, or unsafe because of something a driver did, that feeling reflects a real harm. Your instinct that something was wrong is valid.

Reports of Uber and Lyft Assaults in Colorado

Colorado's major cities rely heavily on rideshare services. Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, and Fort Collins see substantial Uber and Lyft usage for commuting, airport transportation, and late-night travel.

National data reveals the scope of the problem. Uber's Safety Report documented 2,717 incidents of the five most serious sexual assault categories in a single year. Lyft recorded 2,651 such incidents over two years.

Investigative reporting shows actual numbers far exceed what companies acknowledge. Violence Against Women's 2025 article found that between 2017 and 2022, Uber received a sexual assault or misconduct report approximately every eight minutes. That totals over 400,000 reports across five years.

Colorado passengers are part of these statistics.

Can Uber and Lyft Be Held Liable for Sexual Assault?

Yes. While the driver who committed the assault bears direct responsibility, Uber and Lyft can be held liable for systemic failures that allowed the assault to occur.

• Inadequate driver screening. Both companies use background check systems that miss criminal records from other states and approve applicants with disqualifying histories.
• Ignored complaints. Internal documents show both companies received multiple complaints about specific drivers yet allowed them to remain active while additional passengers were assaulted.
• Failed safety features. Emergency buttons fail to connect properly to 911, and GPS tracking records inaccurate locations during incidents.
• Prioritizing growth over safety. Court records reveal both companies developed technology to identify high-risk rides years ago but chose not to implement adequate safeguards.

Colorado law permits survivors to pursue claims against both the driver and the companies whose negligence enabled the assault.

If you experienced sexual assault during an Uber or Lyft ride in Colorado, you have legal options. Levin Simes provides confidential consultations to discuss what happened and explain the paths available to you.

Call (415) 426-3000 or contact us online to speak with a Colorado Lyft sexual assault lawyer.

Laurel Simes: Leading the Fight for Rideshare Safety

Laurel and her team have exposed internal company documents revealing that Uber and Lyft knew about safety risks for years but prioritized growth over passenger protection. Through depositions of corporate executives and detailed policy analysis, Levin Simes has built cases that reveal systemic failures behind rideshare assaults.

Our attorneys are trained in supporting survivors compassionately and respectfully. Having successfully settled more than 500 rideshare sexual assault cases, the firm has developed expertise that combines legal strategy with trauma-informed care.

CNN, NPR, and The Guardian have covered our work, helping bring public attention to the scale of rideshare assault and the corporate failures that enable it. This media coverage validates survivors who were told their experiences were isolated incidents rather than symptoms of systemic problems.

Under Laurel's leadership, Levin Simes continues fighting for accountability and for every survivor whose safety was violated by companies that promised protection.

"No one gets in a rideshare expecting the driver to be the person they need protection from. The people we work with didn't do anything wrong. They trusted a system that promised safety. That trust was broken, and our job is to make sure companies can't bury that truth under corporate spin."

— Laurel L. Simes, Partner at Levin Simes

What Compensation Can Address in Rideshare Assault Cases

Money cannot erase what happened. What it can do is provide access to care, support your recovery, and hold corporations accountable for the safety failures that made the assault possible.

Survivors who pursue claims may recover compensation for:

• Therapy and mental health treatment to process trauma and work toward healing.
• Medical expenses for emergency care, follow-up treatment, and any physical injuries.
• Income loss when trauma affects your ability to work during recovery.
• Psychological harm including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and sleep disturbances.
• Punitive damages when corporate conduct was particularly reckless, sending a message that passenger safety cannot be sacrificed for profit.

Filing a claim also creates pressure for better screening, stronger safety measures, and corporate accountability that protects future passengers.

A national study found that survivors who worked with experienced attorneys received substantially greater financial support and were more likely to access care and protection throughout their case.

Resources for Colorado Rideshare Assault Victims

If you experienced sexual assault or rape in Colorado rideshare, support services are available.

• Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Violence provides resources, advocacy, and a 24-hour helpline at 1-877-372-2272. Their website offers information about support services throughout the state.
• Colorado Crisis Services operates a 24/7 hotline at 1-844-493-8255, offering confidential support and connections to local resources.
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) is the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization. Their National Sexual Assault Hotline operates 24/7 at 1-800-656-4673. RAINN also offers online chat services and resources at rainn.org.

These organizations provide confidential support without requiring you to make decisions about reporting or legal action. Reaching out for help is your choice to make on your timeline.