Turrieta v. Lyft

This is another case in which we addressed an employer that treated workers as independent contractors, who we believe were required to be treated as employees under California law. This case dealt with Lyft Drivers and sought relief under the Private Attorney General Act for misclassification, failure to pay overtime, and failure to reimburse business expenses. On January 2, 2020, the court approved a settlement of $15,000,000. Despite the large settlement amount, there was an objection to the settlement and an attempt to intervene in the case by two other Lyft drivers who had brought separate, overlapping Private Attorney General cases. The trial court denied the motion to intervene and approved the settlement. The Graves Firm successfully defendant the ensuing appeals both at the Court of Appeal, and before the California Supreme Court. Ultimately, on August 1, 2024, the California Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Court of Appeal, in Turrieta v. Lyft, 16 Cal. 5th 664 (2024), and held that the State's interest in a PAGA claim does not provide a PAGA plaintiff with the right to intervene, object to, or move to vacate a judgment in a separate overlapping matter.