A Florida woman has filed a lawsuit against ride-share company Lyft, asserting that one of its drivers violently raped her, leading to a pregnancy and the subsequent birth of a son.
According to a criminal complaint reviewed by CrimeOnline, plaintiff Tabitha Means alleged that that incident occurred in 2019 after an unnamed Lyft driver followed her inside her home and repeatedly raped her.
The complaint was filed Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in California. Lyft’s company headquarters is based out of San Francisco.
On April 28, 2019, Means requested a Lyft ride after a night of drinking. She stated that the driver instructed her to sit in the front seat and, during the ride, began making inappropriate comments that made her uncomfortable.
“These inappropriate comments made Plaintiff very uncomfortable, and she was eager for the short ride to end,” the complaint read.
When they arrived at the plaintiff’s home, the driver allegedly parked and started touching Means inappropriately, according to the complaint. Means said she rejected his advances but the driver followed her into her home.
There, Means claimed she was subjected to repeated rape and forced to engage in oral sex. Means asserted that she pleaded with the driver to stop, and at one point, he allegedly responded with, “It will be just fine and over before you know it,” according to the complaint.
Tabatha Means Criminal Comp… by Leigh Egan
Approximately one month after the incident, Means took an at-home pregnancy test, which returned a positive result. A doctor confirmed two weeks later that was indeed pregnant, as outlined in the complaint. A DNA test later confirmed the Lyft driver as the father of Means’ son.
“[Means] later obtained an administrative order from Florida’s Child Support Services to obtain a DNA sample from the Lyft driver,” the complaint read. “The test results revealed the probability of 99.9999999998% that the Lyft driver is the father of [Means’] son.”
The lawsuit contended that Lyft failed to adequately protect Means, who is suing for breach of contract, general negligence, negligent hiring, and strict product liability.
“Lyft knows its customers are getting raped,” Means said Wednesday, according to KRON 4. “Every day is a struggle for me. At the same time, I need to be a mom to my youngest son. I love my kids so deeply, but there are a lot of mixed emotions.”
Means’ lawyer, Rachel Abrams, told reporters that there is a “full-blow sexual predator crisis at Lyft” and that the company continues to put profit before customers.
“Lyft’s attempt to deflect liability is a perfect example of its bad faith handling of this crisis.”
In response, a company spokesperson asserted that the incident didn’t happen after a Lyft app ride, but, rather, an arranged meeting between Means and the driver.
“The alleged incident from 2019 did not take place on the Lyft platform while using the Lyft app, but rather involved a separate trip arranged between the individuals involved. Lyft has worked to design policies and features that protect both drivers and riders, and we are always working to make Lyft an even safer platform.
“Lyft has a dedicated, around-the-clock safety response team, a partnership with ADT to aid in emergencies, and works with leading national organizations to inform our safety policies.”
Means is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Tabatha Means/SS via KRON 4 News/YouTube]
