Overview
- The Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of California on Monday, Nov. 9, accusing Lyft and some drivers of routinely refusing rides to passengers with trained service animals and to riders who use foldable or stowable wheelchairs.
- The complaint says affected riders complained to Lyft or the DOJ and that drivers sometimes charged cancellation or other fees after denying service, which the government says violates Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- The DOJ is asking the court to award $53 million to harmed passengers, to order Lyft to revise policies and practices to comply with the ADA, and to require company staff and drivers to receive ADA training.
- Lyft rejects the allegations and says it has long-standing policies, in-app tools to notify drivers about service animals and mobility devices, and enforcement steps such as driver deactivation, while the company says it cooperated with the DOJ review.
- A ruling for the government could force industry-wide changes in how ride-hail platforms enforce driver compliance with disability rules and could lead to more federal oversight, while a different outcome would leave questions about enforcement of written policies in practice.