A Nevada man claims a Lyft driver dragged him the length of a football field during a freak mishap that unfolded when his wedding ring got caught in a door handle.
David Morris of Clark County is suing the online ride-hailing company for more than $30,000 in damages over the injuries he suffered in the alleged August 2024 incident, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
His lawsuit reportedly says that the vehicle’s door were locked when the unidentified driver arrived to pick him up.
When Morris knocked on a window, the driver allegedly “accelerated at a high rate of speed while plaintiff’s left hand was stuck in the door handle, caught by his wedding ring,” the Review-Journal said, quoting from the court filing.
“Plaintiff was dragged and slammed against pavement by defendant John Doe, Lyft driver, before plaintiff was able to get loose,” the lawsuit adds.
Morris reportedly accuses Lyft of negligence, alleging the company should have known the driver “was incompetent, unfit and dangerous.”
In response to an inquiry from The Independent, a Lyft spokesperson said, “We cannot comment on the specifics of ongoing litigation.”
Morris’ lawyer didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry.
Lyft’s website says that anyone who wants to qualify as a driver in Nevada must have a valid driver’s license, be at least 25 years old and pass a criminal background check and a review of their driving history.
Would-be drivers can be disqualified for being listed in the National Sex Offender Registry or convictions for crimes of violence, sex crimes including possession of child pornography, acts of terror and other offenses.
Applicants also have to get a state business license and their vehicles must be no older than a 2010 model, have four doors and five to eight seatbelts, including the driver’s, according to Lyft.
