The Justice Department sued Lyft Inc. in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleging the rideshare company discriminated against passengers with disabilities in violation of Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act^1,2.

ABC7 Chicago, citing the complaint, said the department accused Lyft of denying rides to people who travel with service animals or who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices, charging improper fees, and failing to change policies after receiving thousands of disability-related complaints each year¹. The AP reported the same venue and said the department is seeking $53 million for people who submitted complaints to Lyft or the department².

The complaint, as summarized by ABC7 Chicago, alleges Lyft does not adequately train drivers and customer-service staff on ADA duties, monitor drivers, or provide meaningful relief after discrimination¹. The government is also asking the court to order Lyft to stop the alleged discrimination, change policies to comply with the ADA, train staff and drivers, and pay a civil penalty, ABC7 Chicago reported, citing a Justice Department release¹.

Lyft, in a statement carried by ABC7 Chicago, said discrimination has no place in its community and that drivers who refuse service animals or foldable mobility devices can be permanently deactivated¹. The company said it has in-app tools for riders traveling with service animals, cooperated with the department's review, and remains committed to serving riders with disabilities¹.

ABC7 Chicago said the complaint includes accounts from named riders, including James Rath of Tennessee and Virginia Prince of California, who said drivers refused guide dogs, and Jodie Simon of Nevada, who said drivers refused rides because of a wheelchair¹. Whether a court will find a pattern of ADA violations, and how Lyft will respond in the litigation, is not yet established on the public record^1,2.