zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Culture
/
Lyft Slapped With Another Class Action Lawsuit About Driver Employment Status
Lyft Slapped With Another Class Action Lawsuit About Driver Employment Status-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:12:57

Image for article titled Lyft Slapped With Another Class Action Lawsuit About Driver Employment Status

is facing another class-action lawsuit taking direct aim at alleged widespread and intentional misclassification of drivers as independent contractors.

The suit was filed in the Northern District of California by representatives of Lyft driver Donald Brunner Jr. of Burbank who has driven full-time for Lyft since March 2016. By the suit’s estimation, Brunner Jr. has worked 42 to 70 hours per week on the platform ever since, logging 500 to 1,100 miles per week. The suit alleges he and other drivers were deprived of reimbursed expenses, overtime, and minimum wage, among other rights employees have.

This is hardly the first time Lyft has been sued over the driver classification issue. Another case, Whitson v. Lyft, was settled in June for undisclosed terms. Back in 2017, Lyft , although it took almost four years to be settled and very much left the question of driver classification unanswered; it was also settled before the l in the Dynamex decision that opened the door to gig economy misclassification lawsuits. Norton v. Lyft, which was filed in Dynamex’s wake, is still winding its way through the courts. For its part, Uber for $20 million six years after it was filed.

One of the issues that gave Uber tremendous leverage in that settlement was the fact that the that the arbitration clauses drivers must agree to in order to work on the platform—directing legal matters to an arbitration proceeding rather than the courts—prohibited class actions.

But Brunner’s representatives argue that Lyft waived its right to arbitration by not paying the necessary fees to the American Arbitration Association, which, according to the complaint, Lyft agrees to do in its terms of service. The AAA requires the fees be paid in advance of any hearing, so Lyft’s alleged refusal to pay it essentially blocked the arbitration process.

Otherwise, the suit makes pretty standard arguments regarding driver classification:

Lyft’s business is entirely dependent on drivers to provide its service;Drivers lack meaningful degrees of business autonomy, including setting their own rates or building business relationships with passengers for future services;Lyft unilaterally controls the terms of employment and requires drivers to maintain high ride “acceptance rates,” meaning drivers do not have the freedom to cancel rides at their discretion without being punished by Lyft;By giving drivers only 15 seconds to accept rides, it prohibits drivers from being engaged in any other meaningful activity even when not providing any services on the Lyft platform

If previous cases are any indication, it will take years for any type of resolution, assuming there is one at all.

We reached out to Lyft asking if they have any comment on the lawsuit and will update this story if we hear anything back.

by on Scribd

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Culture
Subaru Had It Right All Along
Subaru Had It Right All Along
When first came to the United States, it sold small funky cars that were decidedly un-American. As the company grew its own identity and became more established in the U.S., it became the first automaker to offer an all-wheel-drive passenger car in 1975. Subaru was also an early-adopter of...
May 14, 2025
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
2024 Kia EV9: What Do You Want To Know?
At long last, we are about to get behind the wheel of for the first time. Sure, , and sure, , and sure , but hey — what can you do? Anyway, before we get behind the wheel of this three-row electric beast, we want to know what you...
May 14, 2025
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
Watch ABS Fail When MotorWeek Tests A 1997 Chevy S-10
MotorWeek’s is some of the on the internet. The long-running automotive news magazine has a treasure trove of tests after being on the air for over 40 years. Where else can you find detailed instrumented testing of long-forgotten cars like the or a ? MotorWeek’s recent Retro Review upload is...
May 14, 2025
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
Toyota Is Moving A Prewar 700-Ton Press Machine Halfway Around The World
closed its São Bernardo Plant in November 2023, marking the end of its first overseas production facility. The closure caps off a period of continuous car production in São Paolo, , lasting over 60 years. The plant was home to a Komatsu 700-ton press that predates itself. And now...
May 14, 2025
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I Entered My Lifted Miata In A Real Off-Road Race, Here's What Happened
I have two automotive loves: The first is the Miata, the second is off-road racing. For a while I raced air-cooled Volkswagens in the deserts of California and Nevada and I was lucky enough to co-drive in a class 11 stock bug in the Baja 1000 a few years...
May 14, 2025
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I Can't Get Enough Of This YouTuber Who Builds Tiny, Fully Functional Scale-Model Cars
I love tiny, of . I have a that is roughly half the size of a normal cat, and she’s perfect. I own a 2013 , which is like the miniature version of a normal-sized vehicle (at least here in Texas) — but beyond that, I also own a Hot...
May 14, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved