Lyft Driver Seeks Dismissal of Claims, Blames Passenger’s Actions for Injuries
A Lyft Inc. driver is seeking dismissal of all claims against him in a lawsuit brought by a passenger who alleges that she jumped out of a car window moments before her unconscious driver crashed into a parked vehicle, saying he suffered a diabetic emergency just before the crash and cannot be liable.
Driver Claims Medical Emergency
Lal Finci’s Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of driver Christian Denis Cooper. Lyft also was originally sued but was dropped by the plaintiff as a defendant in February 2024. On Tuesday, Cooper’s lawyers filed court papers with Judge Mark A. Young in advance of an April 29 hearing in which they will urge him to grant their motion to eliminate the driver as a defendant, saying he could not have breached any obligation regarding Finci’s safety while he was incapacitated.
Driver’s Lawyers Cite Medical Emergency
The lawyers contend that Finci caused her own injuries when she jumped from Cooper’s car. "He was transporting her as a passenger under the Lyft rideshare platform when, for the first time in his life, he suffered a medical emergency due to acute hypoglycemia," Cooper’s lawyers said of their Type 1 diabetes client in their court papers. Finci was responsible for her own injuries, according to Cooper’s attorneys’ court papers.
Finci’s Account of the Incident
Finci was transported by Cooper from Santa Monica to Rodeo Drive in the early afternoon of July 16, 2021. Cooper told Finci that his spouse had cancer and that he needed to stop to buy some things from a 7-Eleven store on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, the suit filed in July 2023 states. The driver returned 15 to 20 minutes later and asked Finci, "Are you ready for the ride?" according to the suit. However, he did not immediately leave until after Finci asked him if he was feeling all right and able to drive, the suit states.
Driver’s Version of Events
According to Cooper’s lawyers’ court papers, the driver bought some Red Bull drinks at the 7-Eleven to alleviate his low blood-sugar sensations and remembers nothing after that until he saw police and emergency workers tending to him. Finci, on the other hand, claims that when Cooper returned from the store, his face was "very scary and creepy" and that after he began driving erratically along Wilshire Boulevard, sometimes on the sidewalk, he ignored her demands to stop and let her out.
Consequences of the Incident
The suit states that a few moments later, Finci saw that the driver’s eyes were shut, so she reached over and tried to awaken him after he appeared to be unconscious. "He momentarily woke up and then passed out again," the suit states. Finci thought the car might crash soon, and so she tried to open the back door of the car, but because it was locked, she rolled down the window and jumped out, the suit states. Moments after Finci hit and rolled on the ground, she heard a loud crash from the driver’s car striking a parked vehicle a few hundred feet ahead of her, the suit states. Finci suffered severe physical and emotional harm, according to her suit.
Conclusion
In this case, the driver is seeking dismissal of all claims against him, citing a medical emergency that rendered him incapable of breaching any obligation regarding the passenger’s safety. The outcome of this case will depend on the court’s evaluation of the evidence presented and the parties’ arguments.
FAQs
- What is the driver’s claim?
The driver is claiming that he suffered a medical emergency due to acute hypoglycemia, which rendered him unable to drive safely and caused him to crash into a parked vehicle. - What is the passenger’s claim?
The passenger is claiming that the driver was negligent in his actions, which led to her injuries and emotional harm. - What is the current status of the case?
The case is pending in Santa Monica Superior Court, with a hearing set for April 29 to consider the driver’s motion to dismiss the claims against him. - What are the potential outcomes of the case?
The potential outcomes of the case include the driver being found liable for the passenger’s injuries, or the case being dismissed and the driver being cleared of any wrongdoing.
