WEST PALM BEACH, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A Palm Beach County woman has filed a civil lawsuit against Lyft and a driver identified as Leodanis, alleging she was hurt while riding as a passenger in a Lyft vehicle in West Palm Beach.
The complaint, Janetta Jones v. Lyft Florida, Inc., a/k/a Lyft, Inc., and Leodanis, was filed January 16, 2026 in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida (Civil Division), under Case No. 502026CA000595XXXAMB. The suit was filed by attorneys with The Florida Law Group of Tampa, including Dennis M. Hudson Jr., Chris M. Limberopoulos, and Steve Rawls, according to the complaint. The filing does not list attorneys for the defendants.
Jones alleges she was a passenger in a Lyft vehicle, described as a Toyota RAV4, on or about January 18, 2024, while traveling in West Palm Beach. According to the complaint, Leodanis was driving the vehicle and was transporting Jones as she provided directions to the destination.
The complaint claims that during the trip, the driver “suddenly slammed on his brakes while traveling at a high speed without reason or warning,” causing Jones to be thrown forward into the back seat and injured. Jones alleges the driver failed to operate the vehicle safely and drove with careless disregard for passenger safety.
In Count One, Jones brings a negligence claim against Leodanis. She alleges the driver’s actions caused injuries and seeks damages “in excess of fifty thousand dollars” excluding costs, interest, and attorney’s fees, according to the complaint.
The complaint lists categories of damages Jones claims, including alleged permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability, pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical limitations and impairments, decreased capacity for enjoyment of life, loss of earnings, medical expenses, and aggravation of a preexisting condition. The complaint also states that if the injuries are determined not to be permanent, Jones claims entitlement to damages resulting from non-permanent injuries, including benefits not paid by Personal Injury Protection, as described in the filing.
In Count Two, Jones alleges vicarious liability against Lyft, asserting that “upon information and belief” the driver was employed by or was an agent of Lyft and was acting within the scope and course of that relationship at the time. The complaint alleges Lyft acted through the driver when he allegedly operated the vehicle negligently, and it seeks damages from Lyft on that basis.
The lawsuit includes a demand for a jury trial. The allegations in the complaint are claims by the plaintiff and have not been proven in court.
The original complaint, Janetta Jones v. Lyft Florida, Inc., a/k/a Lyft, Inc., and Leodanis, Case No. 502026CA000595XXXAMB, as filed January 16, 2026, with the Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.
Learn more about how auto negligence lawsuits typically unfold in Florida.
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