On June 7, 2022, a federal judge in Idaho ruled that pizza delivery drivers across five different states can pursue their claims as a class action lawsuit, instead of being forced to file hundreds of individual lawsuits.
As many of you are aware, the attorneys at Biller & Kimble, LLC have spent the last five years fighting against the pizza industry on behalf of our minimum wage delivery driver clients. This case, called Edwards v. PJ Ops Idaho, LLC, et al., was filed in July 2017. After years of litigating against the massive Papa John’s Pizza franchisee, the case has reached a pivotal stage: Chief Judge David C. Nye of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho has granted the delivery-drivers’ Motion for Class Certification. With Judge Nye’s Order, delivery-drivers continue their winning streak on these motions against the pizza industry, making it the tenth pizza delivery driver under reimbursement case certified as a class action.
And the reason the Court sided with the delivery drivers makes sense – all of the delivery drivers assert the same claims. The crux of the drivers’ claims is that they are paid at or around minimum wage, they use their own vehicles to deliver the company’s food, the company does not adequately reimburse the drivers for the cost of driving their vehicles, and the failure to properly reimburse triggers a minimum wage violation. Class action cases are specifically designed to allow people with very similar claims to consolidate their resources and pursue their case together, instead of having to file hundreds of individual lawsuits.
Of course, the fight will continue. Not only has the Defendant pizza company sought to appeal the Judge’s well-reasoned decision, we suspect that they will continue to fight having to pay their drivers the wages owed to them. But for now, Judge Nye’s decision confirms that delivery drivers’ need not fight a David-versus-Goliath battle in order to recoup their unpaid wages. Instead, our clients can rely on the more efficient, and less costly, class action process to even the playing field.
Contact our firm for a free and confidential consultation at 513-202-0710 or by completing the form below to see what you can do to help yourself and other drivers all around the country.
"*" indicates required fields
ADVERTISING ONLY: The information on this blog is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your own situation.
Past results obtained by Biller & Kimble, LLC are no guarantee of future results. Each case or matter is different and must be judged on its own merits.