Can I sue if Lyft denied me because my MVR shows a license suspension that isn't mine?

Question

I applied to drive for Lyft and got denied because their background check shows my license is suspended. I've never had my license suspended - I checked with the DMV and my license is active and has always been active. When I looked at the Motor Vehicle Report that the screening company pulled, it shows a suspension from five years ago in a state I've never even lived in. The person's name is similar to mine but with a different middle initial and a birth year that's off by 15 years. I need to start driving for Lyft to make extra money for my family, but they won't even consider my application because of this false suspension. I tried disputing it but the company said it's accurate based on their records. How can it be accurate when it's clearly not me?

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

When a consumer reporting agency reports a license suspension on your MVR that doesn't belong to you, and it results in your denial from Lyft, that's a serious FCRA violation with significant financial consequences. Background check companies must use sufficient identifiers to accurately match driving records - name similarity alone is not enough.

The fact that this record shows:

A different middle initial
A birth year 15 years different from yours
Activity in a state where you've never lived

...demonstrates the screening company failed to use reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy.

Take these immediate steps:

Get official documentation from your state DMV: Request a certified Motor Vehicle Report showing your complete driving history and current license status. This is your strongest evidence that the suspension doesn't belong to you.
Identify the screening company: Determine which consumer reporting agency provided the MVR to Lyft (likely Sterling, Checkr, or another background check company). Lyft should have provided you with an adverse action notice naming the company.
Dispute with proof of identity mismatch: Send the screening company a written dispute by certified mail including:
- Your certified DMV record showing no suspension
- Proof you've never lived in the state where the suspension occurred
- Documentation highlighting the different middle initial and birth year
- A clear demand that they correct the error and resend the accurate report to Lyft
Preserve the denial notice: Keep all communication from Lyft about your denial, especially anything mentioning the license suspension.
Contact us with your documentation: Send us both the incorrect MVR report and your official DMV record. We can immediately escalate your dispute, demand the screening company's matching methodology, and pursue legal action if needed.

You may have an FCRA claim for:

Lost income from being unable to drive for Lyft
The time and stress of clearing up their error
Potential punitive damages if the company's matching procedures are particularly inadequate

The screening company violated the FCRA by reporting someone else's license suspension under your name using insufficient identifiers. Under the law, if we win your case, they pay our attorney's fees, so there's no cost to you for professional legal representation.

Don't accept their claim that the error is "accurate based on their records" when you have proof from the DMV that it's not yours. We'll make them take responsibility for their sloppy matching procedures.