Federal officials are accusing Lyft and its drivers of routinely denying rides to passengers with disabilities and they are seeking millions of dollars in damages.
The U.S. Department of Justice sued Lyft this week alleging that the ride-sharing service is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, which bars private transportation companies from discriminating against people with disabilities.
Per the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Lyft and its drivers regularly refuse service to people with disabilities including those with service animals or stowable wheelchairs. What’s more, the company imposes cancellation fees and other surcharges in circumstances when rides have been illegally denied, according to the complaint.
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The Justice Department said that Lyft drivers “insult and demean people with disabilities” and the company’s customer service representatives ask disrespectful questions.
Lyft would not modify its policies, practices and procedures to avoid discrimination, the lawsuit alleges. In addition, federal officials said that drivers denied reasonable requests such as allowing a person with mobility challenges to sit in the front seat.
“Individuals with disabilities should be able to rely on ride-share services free of discrimination,” said Jesus A. Osete, acting assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We intend to uphold the ADA’s promise that people with disabilities are entitled to equal access in every part of public life, including essential transportation services.”
The Justice Department said that after it notified Lyft of its investigation, the company added a voluntary feature allowing riders to notify drivers that they would be accompanied by a service animal. Nonetheless, the lawsuit indicates that discrimination against those with service animals continued.
Lyft pushed back against the suit.
“We disagree with the Department of Justice’s allegations. Discrimination has no place in the Lyft community,” the company said in a statement. “We have long-standing policies requiring drivers to accommodate riders who travel with service animals or use foldable mobility devices, and drivers who violate these policies face serious consequences, including permanent deactivation. We’ve backed those policies with in-app tools, like letting riders tell drivers in advance that they’re traveling with a service animal and reminding drivers that refusing one is against the law. We’ve cooperated with the DOJ throughout its review and remain committed to serving every rider, including riders with disabilities.”
The lawsuit seeks $53 million in damages for individuals with disabilities who have submitted complaints to Lyft or the Justice Department and a civil penalty. In addition, the agency wants a court order forcing Lyft to end its discriminatory actions, changes to Lyft’s policies and ADA training for staff and drivers.
This is not the first time that the Justice Department has taken legal action against a prominent ride-sharing service related to treatment of passengers with disabilities. The agency filed a lawsuit with similar allegations against Uber last year.
Previously, Lyft reached an agreement with the Justice Department in 2020 over claims of disability discrimination. At the time, the company agreed to update its policies to ensure that people with foldable wheelchairs and walkers were given equal access to rides.
