Judge Approves $78M Air Methods Class Action Settlement

A $78 million settlement was recently approved by a judge in a lawsuit filed by helicopter workers who claim they were subject to California labor law violations.

About the Air Methods Class Action Settlement

A class action lawsuit against Air Methods Corporation of Coloradowas certified in 2015 after multiple workers for the company claimed that they had been denied fair wages and other benefits. Air Methods is a privately owned helicopter company that provides emergency medical transports for doctors and patients. The company also operates helicopter tours.

According to the plaintiffs, flight crew workers were required to work frequent 24 hour shifts where they stayed on site at the company’s helicopter base. These workers were required to be ready to operate a medical transport helicopter at a moment’s notice. However, they claim that they were not paid overtime wages for all hours worked in excess of 8 hours on these shifts.

In most states, workers who work at least 40 hours a week are entitled to overtime pay for all additional hours. This rate of pay must be at least one and one half times the worker’s regular rate of pay. For workers in California, there are additional overtime requirements. In this state, workers are also required to be paid overtime for hours worked in excess of 8 hours each day.

The plaintiffs claim that they were not given overtime wages for 16 out of the 24 hours they worked on their shifts. Additionally, they also claim that they were not allowed to take meal or rest breaks during these hours. They claim that they were essentially required to be on call at the helicopter site without being compensated for their time.

While Air Methods has not admitted any guilt, they have agreed to settle the case by paying out approximately $78 million in a settlement agreement. Under the Air Methods class action settlement agreement, each Class Member would receive approximately $100,000. Additionally, the agreement requires Air Methods to pay its workers overtime wages in the future. This is expected to increase the wages of Air Methods workers by approximately 20%.

About Wage and Hour Laws in California

Both federal and state laws protect workers from being taken advantage of by their employers. Under California law, the minimum wage for workers is between $11 and $12 depending on the size of the employer. Additionally, workers are entitled to overtime for all hours worked in excess of 8 hours in a single day or 40 hours in a week. If a worker works more than 12 hours in a single day, they are required to be double their regular rate of pay for these hours. Even overtime that was not approved by the employer must be compensated.

Workers are also entitled to meal and rest breaks depending on their industry and how many hours they work in a given day. If these breaks are not given to the worker, they are required to be compensated for this time.

If you worked for Air Methods and were not compensated for all overtime hours worked, you may be entitled to compensation through the Air Methods class action settlement. Additionally, California workers in any industry who believe they have been subject to wage and hour violations including withholding of overtime pay, minimum wage violations, denial of meal or rest breaks, or intentional misclassification may be eligible to speak with an experienced attorney about their rights.

Workers who file wage complaints regarding their employer are generally shielded from being retaliated against, and may be able to recover reimbursement compensation through a class action lawsuit.

Join a Free California Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were forced to work off the clock or without overtime pay within the past 3 years in California, you have rights – and you don’t have to take on the company alone.

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