This article provides educational information. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult with a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation. If you are in crisis, please contact the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
Deciding to pursue a legal claim after experiencing sexual assault is a deeply personal decision, and the legal process that follows can feel overwhelming from the outside. Many survivors who may have viable claims hesitate because they do not know what to expect, worry about privacy, or are uncertain whether their experience meets the threshold for a lawsuit. This article is intended to walk through the process clearly and compassionately, so that survivors can make informed decisions about whether and how to move forward.
Your Safety and Wellbeing Come First
Before anything else: if you are still in crisis, or if you have not yet spoken with someone about what you experienced, please reach out to the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. RAINN connects survivors with trained staff who can provide confidential support, answer questions, and help connect you with local resources. Pursuing a legal claim is one path toward accountability. Taking care of yourself comes first.
The legal process is designed to be navigated with the support of an attorney who represents your interests. At every stage, your attorney is responsible for managing the procedural aspects of the case, and you will not be expected to face any part of this alone. What is required of you, primarily, is honest communication with your attorney, responsiveness to requests for documentation, and patience with a process that takes time.
Step One: The Initial Consultation
The process begins with a free, confidential consultation. At The Shatter Law Firm, this conversation is held in strict confidence, carries no obligation, and does not require you to have made any decision about pursuing a claim. During this conversation, you will be asked to describe what happened, including the date and circumstances of the incident, the rideshare platform you were using, and what, if any, steps you took afterward, such as reporting to the company or contacting law enforcement. You will also be asked about any documentation you have access to, including trip receipts/records from the app, communications with the company, and any medical or mental health records.
You do not need to have all of your records or a perfectly organized account of every detail. The purpose of the initial consultation is to understand your situation well enough to assess whether pursuing a claim makes sense and what the path forward looks like. Your attorney will explain your options honestly and give you the information you need to make a decision that is right for you.
Step Two: Retaining an Attorney
Rideshare sexual assault claims are handled on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no upfront legal fees. Your attorney's fee comes from a percentage of any settlement or judgment you recover. If no recovery is obtained, you owe no attorney fee. This arrangement is designed specifically to ensure that access to legal representation is not conditioned on a survivor's financial resources. Before formalizing the representation through a retainer agreement, our law firm professionals will explain the fee percentage, how litigation costs are handled, and what your rights and obligations are as a client.
Step Three: Gathering Documentation
Once you have engaged a law firm, early work focuses on gathering the documentation that supports your claim. Your assistance in providing receipts will be requested and the law firm will assist in requesting any additional trip records from the rideshare platform, any communications between you and the company following the incident, medical records documenting treatment, mental health records, and any other relevant materials. If a police report was made, those records will also be requested.
Your attorney will also discuss with you the details of the incident and your experience in the period that followed, including the impact on your work, your relationships, and your daily life. This information is essential to accurately characterizing the full scope of harm your claim addresses. You will be asked to provide honest, complete information. Everything shared with your attorney is protected by attorney-client privilege.
Step Four: Filing and the Litigation Process
Your attorney will prepare and file a complaint on your behalf in the appropriate court. Cases against Uber and Lyft are generally transferred to the Northern District of California MDL following filing. Your identity in court filings can be protected through the use of initials or a pseudonym, and your attorney will work to ensure maximum privacy protections are in place. Typically prior to filing, you will need to complete a Plaintiff Fact Sheet, a standardized document collecting information about the incident, your rideshare platform use history, and your damages. Accuracy and completeness on this form are important, and law firm representatives will work with you to prepare it carefully.
Step Five: Discovery and Case Development
The discovery phase involves the exchange of information and documents between both sides. Much of the common discovery in the MDL, including obtaining internal company documents about safety practices and policies, is handled by the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee and benefits all individual cases. At the individual case level, you may be asked to provide additional documentation and answer written questions about your background and the incident. and potentially participate in a deposition, an out-of-court examination conducted under oath by defense attorneys. Your attorney will prepare you thoroughly for any deposition and will be present throughout the process to protect your interests.
Step Six: Resolution
Most mass tort cases ultimately resolve through settlement rather than trial. The rideshare sexual assault litigation has not yet produced a global settlement as of mid-2026, but the scale and maturity of the litigation suggest that settlement discussions could intensify in the coming years. When and if a settlement program is established, your attorney will explain the terms and provide an honest assessment of whether the offer fairly reflects the value of your specific case. The decision to accept or decline a settlement is yours to make, informed by your attorney's guidance.
For cases that do not settle, trial provides the path to resolution. Mass tort trials involve opening statements, witness testimony, expert testimony, and closing arguments, with a jury determining whether the defendant is liable and, if so, what compensation is appropriate. Whatever the path to resolution, you will not walk it alone. The Shatter Law Firm is committed to standing beside every survivor we represent from the first conversation through the final outcome of their case.
Ready to Discuss Your Case?
Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. Call 855-758-7949 or visit shatterfirm.com/contact. No fees unless we win.