Justice Department Sues Lyft, Saying Drivers Routinely Refuse Blind Riders With Guide Dogs and Wheelchair Users

By Kaeleb Savon Heck

DAVAO DEL NORTE, Nov. 11, 2026 — The U.S. Justice Department has sued Lyft, accusing the ride-hailing company and its drivers of routinely refusing rides to people with disabilities, including blind passengers who travel with guide dogs and riders who use folding wheelchairs.

The lawsuit, filed Nov. 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, alleges Lyft violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It seeks $53 million for people with disabilities who say Lyft discriminated against them and who complained to Lyft or to the department, along with a court order forcing Lyft to change its policies, train its staff and drivers on the law, and pay a civil penalty.

Among the riders named in the complaint is James Rath, a legally blind man from Franklin, Tennessee, who the Justice Department says has been denied rides repeatedly since he got his guide dog in November 2025, WSMV reported.

Lyft rejected the accusations. "We have long-standing policies requiring drivers to accommodate riders who travel with service animals or use foldable mobility devices, and drivers who violate these policies face serious consequences, including permanent deactivation," the company said in a statement reported by Reuters. Lyft said it has cooperated with the department's review.

The case follows a similar Justice Department lawsuit against Uber filed last year.

What the government says Lyft did

According to the Justice Department's announcement, the complaint makes three main claims:

• Ride refusals: Lyft and its drivers routinely refuse service to people with disabilities, including people with service animals and people who use mobility devices such as stowable wheelchairs.
• Improper charges: Lyft imposes surcharges on disabled riders, including cancellation fees charged to people whom drivers unlawfully refused to serve.
• Refusal to adjust policies: Lyft fails to reasonably modify its policies and practices where needed to avoid discrimination, including by denying riders with mobility disabilities the option to sit in the front seat when they need to.

"Individuals with disabilities should be able to rely on rideshare services free of discrimination," Acting Assistant Attorney General Jesus A. Osete of the department's Civil Rights Division said in the announcement. "We intend to uphold the ADA's promise that people with disabilities are entitled to equal access in every part of public life, including essential transportation services."

U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian for the Northern District of California tied the case directly to the earlier one. "Like our case against Uber for similar discriminatory conduct, we will devote all the resources necessary to make things right," he said.

A blind rider's story

WSMV's reporting on Rath shows what these refusals look like from the curb.

According to the complaint as described by WSMV, Rath uses a feature in the Lyft app to tell drivers ahead of time that he is traveling with a guide dog. In June 2026, he requested a late-night ride home from an airport. The driver allegedly said he did not take dogs and drove away without canceling the trip. Because the trip was still open, Rath could not request another Lyft while he waited for the driver to cancel.

The complaint says Rath reported the incident through the app, but Lyft did not follow up until he posted about it on social media three months later. The company then gave him a $10 credit, according to WSMV.

For a blind traveler, being stranded like that is more than an inconvenience. A sighted rider might walk to a taxi stand or read signs to find another option. A blind rider late at night at an airport is depending on the app working, and on the driver following the rules the app already told him about.

What the law says

Title III of the ADA covers businesses open to the public, including private transportation companies like Lyft. The Justice Department says the law requires Lyft to transport people with disabilities and their service animals, and to provide rides to and assist riders with stowable wheelchairs and mobility devices.

The department's announcement also spells out the definition that often comes up in these disputes. Under the ADA, a service animal is a dog trained to perform a task related to a person's disability, such as a guide dog leading a blind person. Emotional support dogs are not service animals under the ADA, because providing emotional support is not a task related to a disability.

Background: the Uber case

Last year the Justice Department sued Uber over the same federal law, accusing it of discriminating against passengers with disabilities. Reuters reported that the Uber suit sought $125 million for affected individuals who had complained to Uber or the department. Uber said it disagreed with all of the allegations and was committed to improving the experience of riders with disabilities.

Scripps News reported that Uber tried to have that lawsuit dismissed, but a judge ruled earlier this year that the civil rights case could go forward. No trial date has been set as the two sides work out how the case will proceed.

Analysis: a policy on paper versus a ride at the curb

Lyft's defense rests on its written policies, which do require drivers to accept service animals and folding mobility devices, and on its stated willingness to deactivate drivers who break them. The government's case is aimed at the gap between that policy and what riders say actually happens.

The details in the complaint, as reported, point at the company and not only at individual drivers. Cancellation fees charged after a refusal, a complaint left unanswered for three months, and a $10 credit are not one driver's choices. They are how a company's systems respond when something goes wrong. That is why the lawsuit asks not just for money but for changes to policies and training.

Two federal suits against the two largest U.S. ride-hailing companies, both under the same law, also send a wider message: the Justice Department treats ride refusals of disabled passengers as an industry-wide problem, not a handful of bad drivers.

For many blind people, ride-hailing apps are a big part of independent travel. They let someone get a car to their exact location without reading street signs or flagging a taxi. Every refusal chips away at that independence. This lawsuit puts some of those refusals in front of a federal judge.

What's next

• Lyft's response in court: Lyft has said it disagrees with the allegations. Its formal response to the complaint will come through the court process in the Northern District of California.
• Who could be compensated: The $53 million demand covers people who submitted complaints to Lyft or the Justice Department.
• Reporting discrimination: The Justice Department says people can report possible civil rights violations at civilrights.justice.gov. Its ADA Information Line is 800-514-0301, with TTY at 1-833-610-1264, and more information is at ada.gov.
• The Uber case: The earlier lawsuit against Uber is still moving forward without a trial date, and how it is resolved may shape this one.

Sources

• U.S. Department of Justice, "Justice Department Sues Lyft for Denying Rides to Passengers with Service Dogs, Wheelchairs": https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-lyft-denying-rides-passengers-service-dogs-wheelchairs
• U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, "United States v. Lyft": https://www.justice.gov/crt/case/united-states-v-lyft
• WSMV, "Blind Tennessee man named in DOJ lawsuit accusing Lyft of discriminating against service dogs, wheelchairs": https://www.wsmv.com/2026/11/10/blind-tennessee-man-named-doj-lawsuit-accusing-lyft-discriminating-against-service-dogs-wheelchairs-heres-what-know/
• Reuters via Investing.com, "US sues Lyft, alleges discrimination against disabled riders": https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/us-sues-lyft-alleges-it-denied-rides-to-passengers-with-service-dogs-and-wheelchairs-5013896
• Scripps News, "Lyft faces DOJ lawsuit seeking $53 million over treatment of disabled riders": https://www.scrippsnews.com/business/company-news/lyft-faces-doj-lawsuit-seeking-53-million-over-treatment-of-disabled-riders