Lawsuit filed against Lyft after NC mom's alleged sexual assault
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- High-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who increased his prominence as the family attorney for Trayvon Martin, addressed members of the media Tuesday in Durham regarding a lawsuit against ride-sharing company Lyft.
Crump's appearance in the Triangle follows the case of a Durham couple, Carla and Andre Boynton, who were killed during a Lyft ride in Detroit earlier this year, as well as a pending case against Cary driver Ryan James Davey, who was arrested and charged in April 2026 for allegedly assaulting Raleigh mother Diamond Cannady during an evening Lyft ride on March 31.
Cannady claims Davey sexually assaulted her multiple times and even exposed himself during her ride with him. She also claims Davey was under the influence at the time of the ride.
"There was never no 'hey, how you doing'," Cannady told ABC11 back in April. "He yanked me and started kissing me. He kissing my neck, and I got mad, so I started pushing him. That made him mad."
Davey was held without bond as a condition of Iryna's Law and is still in custody. His attorney declined to comment on the matter when reached.
On Tuesday, Crump said, "We're standing up with Diamond against this multi-billion dollar corporation."
He filed a $50 million lawsuit in Durham County on Tuesday against Lyft for its alleged role in Cannady's incident.
Cannady said of the incident, "It took something from me I can't get back. We still months down the line, and I'm still trying to get back to who I was before this happened."
Several members of Boynton's family were also present for Tuesday's news conference and flanked behind Crump and two other attorneys during their remarks.
"You had a Lyft driver who was going 90 mph on city highways and city streets where the speed limit was 25 mph. Continuously. Recklessly. And caused their mother and father to be tragically killed. And the ironic part is he survived, and they died," Crump said of the Boynton couple's death. "You know your mother and father were going to leave this earth. But...losing mommy and daddy at the same time. They were incredible people."
Attorney Kevin O'Brien added, "Justice for all means (Lyft) can't escape justice and accountability when their drivers and their own actions harm, injure, and kill their passengers."
"I would never want a child to not being able to experience not dancing with their father during their wedding," cried one of Boynton's daughters.
Crump and O'Brien said they plan to bring an additional lawsuit against Lyft on behalf of the Boynton family at a later date.
"As soon as the competency issue is decided, which we expected to be decided in September, then we will be filing a lawsuit," said O'Brien.
In a statement to ABC11, Lyft replied, " Our goal is for everyone to feel safe and respected on the Lyft platform, and there is no place in our community for acts of violence, dangerous behavior, or inappropriate actions behind the wheel. Lyft continues its work to promote safety for the millions of people who use Lyft every day."
The company also does not comment on the specifics of ongoing litigation.
Davey was previously convicted of a DWI offense and would have been disqualified from being a rider on Lyft's platform. However, the offense occurred outside of the window that would have made him ineligible as a driver. Only a certain number of specific charges are taken into consideration if an applicant driver is convicted of an offense beyond seven years.
"That's why we filed the lawsuit. It stops today, Lyft," said attorney Crump.
Davey was indicted on July 28 for his alleged behavior against Cannady. His attorney told ABC11 that his client is still in custody and they have no further comment.
