Rideshare Sexual Assault (Uber/Lyft) Lawsuit in Ohio

Federal Consolidation — Uber MDL 3084 (N.D. Cal.): Ohio Uber plaintiffs are transferred to MDL No. 3084 before Judge Charles R. Breyer in San Francisco. Ohio markets including Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton contribute to the MDL plaintiff pool. The MDL provides Ohio plaintiffs with access to Uber's national safety data and internal communications regarding driver background check failures without duplicating litigation in Ohio's Northern and Southern federal districts.

Lyft — California JCCP 5029: Ohio Lyft claims are coordinated in JCCP No. 5029 before Judge Ethan Schulman in San Francisco Superior Court. Ohio plaintiffs may also bring claims in Ohio Common Pleas courts. The JCCP coordination provides shared expert discovery on Lyft's national safety failures, which supports individual plaintiff claims in Ohio and California.

Ohio Statute of Limitations: Ohio Revised Code § 2305.111 provides a 12-year statute of limitations for civil claims arising from sexual conduct with an adult. For childhood sexual abuse, ORC § 2305.111(C) provides a 12-year SOL running from age 18 (i.e., until age 30), or five years from the time the survivor discovers the injury is related to the childhood abuse, whichever is later. The discovery rule can further extend the period where the connection between the assault and the defendant's negligence was not immediately apparent.

Ohio Rideshare Regulations and Mandatory Reporting: Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4925 regulates TNCs and requires national criminal background checks. Drivers with any sexual offense conviction are permanently disqualified under Ohio TNC rules. Ohio's mandatory reporting law (ORC § 2151.421) requires certain professionals to report suspected child abuse; adult sexual assault is reported under ORC § 2921.22. Ohio's Attorney General maintains a sex offender registry that TNCs are required to check, creating a paper trail relevant to negligent hiring claims.