(WXYZ) — A lawsuit has been brought against ride-sharing companies Uber and Lyft, as well as Raiser LLC, the company that creates the apps for both services, after a woman says she was left permanently disabled due to her driver being distracted while using the apps.
The incident occurred on Oct. 17, 2017.
The plaintiff, Sheila Hawkins, of Detroit, is being represented by Royal Oak-based Rasor Law Firm, PLLC.
According to court documents, Hawkins had set up a prearranged ride through Lyft. During her ride, her Lyft driver, who was also a driver for Uber, was allegedly logged into both ride-sharing apps while transporting the plaintiff and traveling eastbound on I-696.
The lawsuit states that the defendant was driving distracted while interacting with both apps, which lack a hands-free option, when he crashed into a semi-truck that was stopped. The defendant was driving at 70 miles per hour, according to court documents.
Representatives for Hawkins state that the use of these apps cause "serious distraction" and violate Michigan's driving ordinances, which is cited by Michigan's distracted driving statute.
Hawkins suffered several injuries from the 2017 crash, including brain, head, neck, back and hip injuries. She's suing for amounts greater than $25,000, according to court documents.
The case was filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on Aug. 30.
Read complete court documents below:
Hawkins - Complaint (JBR + ... by on Scribd
