Detroit Nurse Wages Antitrust Class Action Settlement

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit involving an alleged conspiracy to suppress the compensation of nurses in eight hospitals in Detroit. If you were employed as a registered nurse at a hospital in the Detroit area between Dec. 12, 2002 and Dec. 12, 2006, you may be entitled to benefits from the class action settlement.

The Detroit nurse wages class action lawsuit was filed in 2006 by two nurses who alleged that certain hospitals in Detroit conspired to suppress the compensation of registered nurses and exchanged information about their compensation in violation of federal antitrust laws. The plaintiffs claim that the registered nurses at eight Detroit area hospitals were underpaid.

The following hospitals were named as defendants in the Detroit nurse wages class action lawsuit:
• Detroit Medical Center
• Henry Ford Health Medical System
• Mount Clemens General Hospital Inc.
• St. John Health
• Oakwood HealthCare Inc.
• Bon Secours Cottage Health Services
• William Beaumont Hospital
• Trinity Health Corp.

All of the defendants deny the allegations and maintain that they did not underpay registered nurses. Seven of the defendants previously agreed to settle the Detroit nurse wages class action lawsuit, and money has already been distributed to qualified claimants. Detroit Medical Center is the last of the defendants to reach a settlement, and will pay $42 million to resolve the litigation. The Detroit Medical Center settlement received final approval on Jan. 26, 2016.

Who’s Eligible

Class Members of the Detroit nurse wage settlement include the following:

“All registered nurses who provided direct patient care in short term acute care facilities, exclusive of supervisory, managerial and advanced practice nurses, who were employed by Defendants within the Detroit-Warren-Livonia Metropolitan Statistical Area (‘Detroit MSA’) at any time from December 12, 2002 through December 12, 2006.”

NOTE: Not all RNs are eligible for benefits from this class action settlement. A list of eligible job titles is available here.

Potential Award

Varies.

Proof of Purchase

N/A

Notice of Settlement

NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT »

Claim Form Deadline

04/16/2016

NOTE: Claim Forms were mailed on Feb. 16, 2016. If you believe you are an eligible Class Member but haven’t received a Claim Form, contact the Settlement Administrator.

If you previously had a claim approved for one of the other Detroit nurse wages class action settlements, you do not need to submit another Claim Form. Your claim will be processed based on your previously submitted information.

If you need to update your address or contact information, you must provide your updated information to the Settlement Administrator at the address listed below.

Case Name

Pat Cason-Merenda, et al. v. Detroit Medical Center, et al., Case No. 2:06-cv-15601, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Final Hearing

01/27/2016

Settlement Website

www.DetroitNurseWages.com

Claims Administrator

Detroit Nurses Claims Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting – 2249
P.O. Box 2244
Faribault, MN 55021-1644
1-800-231-5970

Class Counsel

Mark A. Griffin
KELLER ROHRBACK LLP

COHEN MILSTEIN SELLERS & TOLL PLLC

JAMES & HOFFMAN PC

Defense Counsel

Robert Walters
GIBSON DUNN & CRUTCHER LLP

Join a Free Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone. Get a free case evaluation now.