If you were sexually assaulted during an Uber or Lyft ride in Missouri or Illinois, you may have legal options. What happened to you was not acceptable, and it was not your fault. Holland Injury Law, LLC, is a St. Louis personal injury law firm that handles rideshare sexual assault cases for survivors in Missouri and throughout Illinois. Our attorneys take these cases seriously, handle them with discretion, and work to hold the responsible parties accountable.
A confidential consultation can help you understand where you stand and what your options may be. If you prefer, your consultation with our sexual assault attorney can be handled virtually.
Survivors of rideshare assault often spend time questioning their own decisions. Why did I get in? Should I have said something sooner? Could I have stopped it? These questions are a natural response to trauma, but they are not a reflection of fault.
The law does not require you to have done everything perfectly. It looks at whether the driver acted wrongfully and whether the company that put that driver on the road took reasonable steps to protect you. What happened was not something you caused, invited, or deserved. We will help you hold them responsible for the harm they caused you
Rideshare sexual assault is far more common than most people realize. Uber’s own safety reports have acknowledged thousands of reported incidents over a multi-year period. Lyft’s published safety data reflects a similar pattern. These are only the incidents that were reported. The actual number of survivors is likely much higher.
Many people who experience assault during a rideshare trip do not come forward immediately. Some feel uncertain about whether what happened counts. Some worry about privacy. Others are concerned about not being believed. Those concerns are understandable, and they are concerns we hear often.
At Holland Injury Law, LLC, we approach every rideshare assault case with respect for the person behind it. We do not pressure survivors to take any particular path. We listen, we explain the options, and we let you decide how to move forward. Everything shared with our law office is completely confidential.
One of the most common hesitations survivors have is the idea of walking into a law office and talking about what happened face to face. That is not required here. We handle rideshare sexual assault cases remotely for clients across Missouri and Illinois.
That means:
Whether you are in the Soulard neighborhood, near the Delmar Loop, in St. Charles County, or across the river in the Metro East area of Illinois, you can speak with a lawyer without leaving your home. Remote representation does not change the quality of the legal work. It simply removes a barrier that stops some survivors from ever making that first call.
There is often uncertainty about whether a specific incident rises to the level of a legal claim. The answer depends on the facts, but the range of qualifying conduct is broader than many survivors assume.
Sexual assault in a rideshare context may include:
You do not need to have experienced the most severe form of assault for your situation to matter legally. Courts in Missouri and Illinois consider a range of conduct when evaluating these claims. If something happened that you did not consent to and did not want, it is worth discussing with an attorney.
Rideshare companies have the technology to track every ride in real time. They have data on driver behavior. They have received thousands of complaints. And yet assaults continue to occur.
Part of the problem is with how these companies screen drivers. Background checks used by Uber and Lyft have known limitations. They typically look back only a set number of years and may not capture out-of-state records, pending charges, or patterns of behavior that did not result in a conviction. Unlike traditional taxi companies, rideshare platforms classify their drivers as independent contractors, which affects how much oversight they exercise day to day.
There is also a pattern of inadequate response to complaints. Survivors and passengers who have reported concerning driver behavior have sometimes found that the company took little meaningful action. A driver who received prior complaints may have continued to accept rides.
One of the more significant issues in rideshare litigation is the question of what the company knew, when it knew it, and what it chose to do about it. When a company receives a warning and does not act and a passenger is later harmed by that same driver, the company’s inaction becomes part of the claim against them.
In a rideshare sexual assault case, more than one party may share legal responsibility.
The driver. The individual who committed the assault can be held personally liable for their conduct. A civil claim against the driver is separate from any criminal case and operates under a different standard of proof.
Uber or Lyft. The rideshare company may also bear responsibility, depending on the facts. Claims against these companies typically focus on negligence, which means a failure to act with reasonable care. In this context, that may include:
Both Missouri and Illinois law recognize negligence-based claims against companies that fail to protect the people they serve. While rideshare companies often point to their independent contractor classification to limit their exposure, that classification does not automatically shield them from liability when their own conduct contributed to the harm.
Courts in the St. Louis area, including those in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, as well as courts in Madison and St. Clair counties on the Illinois side, handle these types of civil claims. Our attorneys are familiar with the courts and procedures in both states.
Many survivors assume their situation disqualifies them from taking legal action. In practice, the absence of certain elements does not necessarily end a case.
You did not file a police report. A civil claim does not require a police report. While a report can be useful evidence, it is not a prerequisite for pursuing a lawsuit. A civil case and a criminal case are separate processes with different standards of proof.
You have no physical evidence. Many rideshare assault cases rely heavily on digital evidence, including ride records, GPS data, driver history, and communications with the company. An attorney can work to obtain this information through the legal process.
Time has passed. Waiting to come forward is common among survivors. The emotional process of deciding whether to take legal action can take months or longer. That delay does not automatically bar a claim, though deadlines do apply and are discussed below.
You did not report it through the app. Failure to use Uber’s or Lyft’s in-app reporting system does not eliminate your legal rights. The companies’ internal processes are not the only path to accountability.
You were intoxicated or impaired. Your ability to consent was limited if you were under the influence at the time of the assault. That does not reduce the driver’s responsibility or the company’s potential liability.
A civil claim in a rideshare sexual assault case may seek compensation, also called damages, for the harm you have suffered. Damages refer to the financial recovery a court may award to address losses caused by another party’s wrongful conduct.
Compensation in these cases may cover:
| Compensation Type | What It May Cover |
|---|---|
| Medical costs | Emergency care, follow-up treatment, and treatment for any physical injuries related to the assault. |
| Therapy and counseling | Mental health treatment, including trauma-focused therapy, which survivors often need for months or years after an assault. |
| Lost income | Wages lost because of missed work, reduced capacity to work, or career disruption caused by the trauma. |
| Pain and suffering | Compensation for the emotional distress, anxiety, fear, and lasting psychological impact of the assault. |
| Loss of enjoyment of life | Changes in how you live, socialize, or move through the world as a result of what happened. |
In some cases, courts may also award punitive damages when a defendant’s conduct is found to be especially reckless or intentional. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar conduct in the future. Missouri generally does not cap damages in sexual assault cases, which means juries have significant discretion in evaluating the full scope of harm.
The value of any individual case depends on its specific facts, the evidence available, and how the case proceeds. We do not promise outcomes. What we can do is evaluate your situation carefully and pursue the full range of compensation that the facts may support.
When you contact Holland Injury Law, LLC, about a rideshare assault, the process begins with a confidential conversation. No pressure. No judgment. Just a straightforward discussion about what happened and what your options may be.
From there, if we take your case, our work typically involves:
Gathering and preserving evidence. This includes requesting ride records, GPS data, driver history, and any prior complaints about the driver from Uber or Lyft. Digital records tied to the trip can be critical, and they may not be retained indefinitely, which is one reason acting sooner rather than later matters.
Communicating with Uber and Lyft. We handle all contact with the rideshare companies and their legal teams. You do not need to respond to any outreach from these companies on your own. Anything you say to them without legal counsel could affect your case.
Filing in the appropriate court. Depending on where the assault occurred and where you reside, your case may be filed in Missouri state court, Illinois state court, or as part of federal multi-district litigation currently pending against Uber. Our attorneys can explain which path may make the most sense given your circumstances.
Protecting your privacy. In many cases, survivors can proceed using initials or a pseudonym to limit public exposure of their identity. Courts in both Missouri and Illinois recognize the sensitive nature of these cases, and we take steps to protect your privacy throughout.
We work on a contingency basis, meaning there is no upfront cost to you. Our fee comes from any recovery we obtain. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
Not every injury involving an Uber or Lyft trip involves sexual assault. If you were injured in a crash while riding in or struck by an Uber or Lyft vehicle, Holland Injury Law also represents clients in rideshare accident claims involving negligent drivers. While these cases involve different legal issues, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients pursue compensation after injuries involving rideshare services.
In Missouri, adult survivors of sexual assault generally have a limited window to file a civil personal injury claim, though the specific deadline depends on the facts of your case and when the harm occurred or was discovered. Missouri also has separate provisions that may apply to survivors who were minors at the time of the assault.
In Illinois, the deadlines for civil sexual assault claims have been extended in recent years, and the applicable period can vary depending on the circumstances. Illinois survivors may have more time than they assume, but that is not a reason to delay.
A few things worth knowing:
If you are uncertain whether your window to file is still open, the only way to know for sure is to speak with an attorney. Waiting to find out carries real risk.
If you were sexually assaulted during an Uber or Lyft ride in St. Louis, anywhere in Missouri, or in Illinois, a personal injury lawyer at Holland Injury Law, LLC, is available to speak with you privately. There is no upfront cost, no obligation to file, and no pressure to make any decision before you are ready.
Our attorneys handle rideshare sexual assault cases for clients throughout the St. Louis metro area, including St. Louis City, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and across the river in Madison, St. Clair, and surrounding Illinois counties.
You have the right to understand your options. You have the right to confidential legal advice. And you may have a case that holds the driver, the company, or both responsible for what happened.
When you are ready, we are here. Contact Holland Injury Law, LLC, for a confidential consultation.
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