Can I sue Lyft if my Lyft driver did not let me in the car because I had a service dog?

Yes, you can sue Lyft if your Lyft driver did not let you in the car because you had a service dog. Lyft drivers must follow Federal laws, State laws, and company policy when it comes to service animals. You should document the interaction as thoroughly you can so you have proof of discrimination. It is important that you keep your animal safe throughout the incident; some drivers may be too aggressive and try to drive off with your dog or else hurt him in some way.

Discrimination Policies

According to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, no individual can be discriminated against based on his disability or issue. Not every disability manifests in crippling physical form; that is, not every individual will be unable to walk of his own will and not every rider will be visibly in need of assistance. These individuals may have mental disorders and disabilities that require the use of service dogs. Service dogs may help open doors, be guide dogs for the blind, provide medication, calm down those with anxiety, providing alerts for high heart rate and blood sugar levels, and more.

It is against the law to ask about anything related to a service dog, such as its certificate or what kind of disability the individual has. The only questions that can be asked are whether or not the animal is required because of a disability and to question the kind of work the animal has been trained to perform.

Lyft provides certain agreements in its terms that must be accepted concerned service dogs. These agreements are in according with the ADA and with State laws. The drivers are not permitted to refuse rides to individuals with service animals because it is viewed as discrimination. Notably, drivers cannot refuse based on comfort levels, allergies, fears, or any other reason. On the other hand, riders can refuse to take trips if the drivers have service animals assisting them.

It is Lyft’s policy that all service animals must be taken on rides. There is a single strike for Lyft drivers; any other occurrences, or a particularly egregious violation or refusal on the first act, is grounds for permanent dismissal from the platform. Lyft recommends that drivers take action or filing complaints after the ride has been concluded.

For those who are disabled, though, action should not wait. You should seek to file a lawsuit against Lyft for not allowing your service animal as soon as possible. You may be able to join a Lyft service animal class action lawsuit to tackle the issues with the company and the drivers.

Gathering Evidence for a Lyft Discrimination Claim

It may be difficult to gather sufficient evidence to sue Lyft if your Lyft driver did not allow your service dog to ride with you. The reason is due to the ephemeral nature of Lyft rides compared to employment discrimination. Employment discrimination often happens over a period of time but a Lyft ride only occurs once for a short amount of time. You thus will not have as many opportunities to collect evidence.

You should immediately file a complaint with Lyft upon the discrimination occurring. You can go into the Lyft app and navigate to the feedback section for your ride. You should detail exactly what happened and make your claim as clear and concise as possible.

You should then take down all the information you can of the ride. This should include the name of the driver, the make and model of his vehicle, the license plate number, the amount you paid, your destination and starting point, your credit card statement showing the receipt for the ride, an email confirming the ride and payment, and more. Screenshots and print outs will be crucial.

There may have been other passengers who saw the driver refuse the ride, or you may have been riding with an acquaintance. Other individuals nearby could also have witnessed the rider leave or overheard him say that he would not pick up anyone with an animal. You should interview these individuals for their testimonies, as additional perspectives will greatly benefit your lawsuit.

All of your evidence can be gathered and submitted to an attorney, who will write a demand letter and will negotiate a fair deal from Lyft. However, you may be able to join a Lyft service dog class action lawsuit. A class action lawsuit is a claim taken up by numerous plaintiffs against a shared defendant; in this case, individuals who have been discriminated against for having their service dogs can file a claim against Lyft for its drivers acting in such a manner.

It is not recommended that you try to file a claim by yourself with no help from outside representation. You may not know the first thing about filing a lawsuit or what the law says regarding disability discrimination. It is in your interests to leave the claim up to an experienced attorney who has handled Lyft claims before.

Statute of Limitations for a Lyft Disability Discrimination Lawsuit

Every type of claim, including discrimination claims, are subject to a statute of limitations. What is a statute of limitations? A statute of limitations is essentially a deadline to sue. All claims must be filed within the time allowed by the filing deadline. In most discrimination cases, the statute of limitations is less than one year after the incident occurred. However, those cases are primarily related to employment discrimination. Because there was no employment, the law dictates that the individual adheres to the personal injury statute of limitations, or 2 years from the date of the incident.

Many claims go without any resolutions because individuals forget to file them or they do not know when the time limits expire. However, joining a class action lawsuit prevents that issue from occurring. If you have questions about the deadline for your case, you can speak with a lawyer to determine how much longer you have to take action. Remember that if you do not file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations, you will be barred from receiving any compensation in the future.

You may be able to have the statute extended if you were underage at the time of the incident or if the defendant vacated the state thereafter. Our lawyers will be able to assist you and determine how long you have to sue.

Winnings from a Lyft Service Dog Disability Claim

What compensation can I receive if I file a Lyft discrimination claim? The specific type and amount of compensation that you can receive will vary based on the details surrounding the situation. Victims of disability discrimination can be paid various amounts and types of compensation for their damages. You should not be expected to walk away from such an incident empty-handed. We will make sure that you are given compensation for any lost income you suffered if you were unable to go to work because of a canceled ride, or reimbursement for any missed events, trips, and more. You may be able to further acquire pain and suffering damages to account for the mental trauma you suffered due to the discrimination; this may include coverage for PTSD, fear, anxiety, psychological scarring, and more.

Punitive damages can also be awarded; these are awarded if a party acts with gross negligence or deliberately tries to cause any harm. In discrimination cases, it may be due to the refusal to punish the driver or the refusal to listen to a complaint about the treatment.

Be aware that if you file a Lyft class action lawsuit for service animal discrimination, the compensation you win will be spread among the plaintiffs involved in the case. Although there will be ample evidence and each individual’s experience will be different, the drawback of such cases is that there is no specialized compensation amount. In addition, it is important to note that class action lawsuits can generally take much longer to settle because of the number of claimants that can be involved.