Lyft and Uber announced Friday that they will cover the legal fees of any driver who is sued under Texas’ recently-enacted abortion law.
The disastrous legislation, which went into effect this week, allows private citizens to file civil suits and collect damages against anyone aiding an abortion. As a result, ride-share drivers who perform drop-offs or pick-ups at abortion clinics could face fines exceeding $10,000, CBS News reports. As the New York Times noted, although abortion patients “may not be sued, but doctors, staff members at clinics, counselors, people who help pay for the procedure, even an Uber driver taking a patient to an abortion clinic are all potential defendants.”
Lyft’s co-founders and general counsel said in a press release and email to its users early Saturday, “This law is incompatible with people’s basic rights to privacy, our community guidelines, the spirit of rideshare, and our values as a company.”
Calling the Texas law “completely unacceptable,” Lyft said it has created a fund to cover 100 percent of legal fees for drivers on its platform sued under the new law. The San Francisco-based company will also donate $1 million to Planned Parenthood to “help ensure that transportation is never a barrier to healthcare access.”
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi responded to Lyft’s statement in a tweet announcing a similar policy for its driver.
“Right on @logangreen. Drivers shouldn’t be put at risk for getting people where they want to go,” Khosrowshahi wrote. “Team @Uber is in too and will cover legal fees in the same way. Thanks for the push.”
