California Lyft Driver Class Action Settlement: Prime Time Surcharge

Class Members of the Lyft settlement include: “All current and former Lyft drivers who gave at least one ride to a passenger in California during a Prime Time period between August 18, 2014 and April 7, 2017, for which Lyft has not refunded the amount of its commission on the Prime Time Premium, excluding ‘Lyft Line’ rides and other rides where the Lyft mobile smartphone application did not display a Prime Time ‘pop-up’ of the type alleged in this case.”

Lyft Inc. has agreed to pay $1.95 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it improperly charged commissions on drivers’ “Prime Time” premiums.

If you used the Lyft smartphone app to give a ride to a passenger in California during a “Prime Time” period between Aug. 18, 2014 and April 7, 2017, you may be entitled to compensation from the Lyft class action settlement.

Plaintiffs Alex Zamora and Rayshon Clark originally filed the Lyft class action lawsuit in May 2016.

According to the Lyft class action lawsuit, Lyft violated various laws and contracts by charging commissions on Prime Time premiums added to passengers’ fares during periods of high demand.

Zamora and Clark claim that Lyft informed riders that the Prime Time surcharge “goes entirely to your driver” or is “for your driver.” Lyft initially implemented the Prime Time surcharge in December 2013, but in August 2014, the company allegedly began treating the surcharge as a component of the base fare and took a commission.The plaintiffs claim that the Prime Time surcharge was a form of gratuity, and that California law prohibits Lyft from taking the money.

The Lyft class action lawsuit also accuses the ride-hailing company of misclassifying drivers who provided rides in California as independent contractors instead of employees. Those claims were previously resolved in a separate Lyft class action settlement that received final approval in March 2017 and was affirmed by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in September 2017.

Lyft denies the allegations but agreed to settle the Prime Time class action lawsuit to avoid the burden and expense of ongoing litigation.

In addition to offering payments to eligible Class Members, Lyft has also agreed to modify its practices so that passengers are no longer informed that a Prime Time premium goes “to the driver” or is “for the driver,” or similar language.

Class Members who would like to opt out of or object to the Lyft Prime Time class action settlement must do so no later than Aug. 24, 2018.

Who’s Eligible

All current and former drivers who gave at least one ride to a passenger in California during a Prime Time period between August 18, 2014 and April 7, 2017, for which Lyft has not refunded the amount of its commission on the Prime Time Premium, excluding “Lyft Line” rides and other rides where the Lyft mobile smartphone application did not display a Prime Time “pop-up” of the type alleged in this case.

Potential Award

Varies, depending on the total number of Prime Time rides the Class Member gave during the Class Period.

Proof of Purchase

A Claimant ID number is required to file a claim online. If you do not have a Claimant ID number, contact the Settlement Administrator for assistance. You can also download a Claim Form here.

Claim Form

CLICK HERE TO FILE A CLAIM »

NOTE: If you do not qualify for this settlement do NOT file a claim.

Remember: you are submitting your claim under penalty of perjury. You are also harming other eligible Class Members by submitting a fraudulent claim. If you’re unsure if you qualify, please read the FAQ section of the Settlement Administrator’s website to ensure you meet all standards (Top Class Actions is not a Settlement Administrator). If you don’t qualify for this settlement, check out our database of other open class action settlements you may be eligible for.

Claim Form Deadline

9/20/2018

Case Name

Alex Zamora, et al. v. Lyft Inc., Case No. 3:16-cv-02558-VC, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

Final Hearing

9/20/18

UPDATE: The California Lyft Driver Prime Time Surcharge Class Action Settlement was granted final approval on September 26, 2018. Let Top Class Actions know when you receive a check in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

Settlement Website

www.LyftClassActionSettlement.com

Claims Administrator

Lyft Class Action Settlement
Settlement Administrator
c/o Rust Consulting Inc. – 6069
P.O. Box 54
Minneapolis, MN 55440-0054
877-310-0486
info@LyftClassActionSettlement.com

Class Counsel

Jahan C. Sagafi
Rachel Bien
OUTTEN & GOLDEN LLP

Defense Counsel

Rachel E. Meny
Simona A. Agnolucci
Jay Rapaport
KEKER VAN NEST & PETERS LLP