Lozano Claims Adjusters

Final Approval of Settlement Granted – Posted February 11, 2021

On January 28, 2021, District Court Judge Corrigan granted final approval of the FLSA settlement. You can read the order here. We expect payments to be mailed out to you no later than March 14.

Please keep us posted on any changes of the address to which you would like your settlement checks mailed.

JOINT MOTION FOR FINAL APPROVAL FILED -- Posted September 10, 2020

None of the Opt-In Plaintiffs opted out of the settlement in this matter, and on September 8, 2020 we submitted a joint motion for final approval of the settlement to the Court. You can review the motion here. We will post an update here once we receive the decision.

If the Court approves the settlement, then your payment will be mailed to the mailing address we have on file for you within 45 days of the court granting final approval.

If you have moved or changed your contact information at any time after you received your settlement notice in the mail, please contact Julia Friday at 845-255-9370 to make sure we have your current contact information to mail the checks to you.

Settlement Notice Mailing - Posted July 10, 2020

We mailed the settlement notice out to all opt-ins on July 9, 2020.  You should receive a copy in the mail soon.  You can also view the notice here.  If you have moved or changed your contact information as compared to what is indicated in the notice, please contact Julia Friday at jfriday@getmansweeney.com to make sure we have your current contact information on file.

Preliminary Approval Recommended - Posted June 24, 2020

The Magistrate Judge issued a report and recommendation that the District Judge grant preliminary approval of the settlement.  You can view a copy here.  If no party objects to the Magistrate Judge’s report within two weeks, the report becomes a final order.  As the motion for preliminary approval was a joint motion, we do not expect any objection from defendants.  During the two-week period, we will be working on preparing the notice for dissemination, including calculating individual recoveries based on full participation by all Plaintiffs. The settlement allows any Plaintiff to “opt out”; that is they can elect not to participate. Plaintiffs who opt out will be in the same legal position that they were in when they joined the case and can pursue their claims separately. As people who participate in the settlement share a set settlement fund, recoveries for those who participate will increase if some people choose to opt out of the settlement.

Status Update – Posted May 11, 2020

The settlement agreement was filed with the Court for preliminary approval on May 1. You can view a copy of the settlement agreement here. If the Court grants preliminary approval of the settlement terms, notice will be sent to all the opt-in plaintiffs informing them of the terms of the settlement and their potential recovery, if they participate. The allocation of the settlement fund is based on each individual plaintiff’s weeks of work, hours of work within each week, and their pay. That is, each Plaintiff who participates in the settlement will receive a proportion of the settlement based on their own work and pay history. The settlement also provides that any Plaintiff who does not want to participate in the settlement can opt out and pursue their claims against the defendants. Non-participating Plaintiffs will be in the same position they were in vis-à-vis the Defendants as they were when they joined the case.

We will post another status update as well as send an email once we receive an Order from the Court.

Status Update -- Posted March 19, 2020

Defendants agreed to terms to settle the claims in this action in a manner that allows each Plaintiff to decide whether to accept an offer at this time or to continue litigating the claims (the “Settlement Terms”). The Parties asked the Court to stay the case while they finalize a settlement agreement and present it to the Court for approval.  The Settlement Terms require Defendants to make a settlement payment into an escrow account to protect the funds while the process for Court approval takes place. Defendants have not yet made the required settlement payment.

If the settlement goes through, the Plaintiffs will ask the Court to order notice sent to each Plaintiff informing her or him of the amount of her or his individual recovery if all Plaintiffs participate in the settlement, and her or his right to opt-out of the settlement. Plaintiffs who opt-out of the settlement retain all their rights against the Defendants and may continue to pursue their claims on an individual or collective basis.

We will continue to post here as the case develops.

Mediation Update – Posted January 30, 2020

On January 28, 2020, Getman, Sweeney & Dunn attended a mediation session with Defendants attorneys and representatives in Tampa, FL. Unfortunately, we did not reach a settlement. We are continuing to litigate the claims.

Update Regarding Notice Period Close, Upcoming Mediation: October 28, 2019

To date, more than 65 people have joined the case.

The deadline for class members to join the case is next Tuesday, November 5. After that date, Defendants have seven days to provide wage-and-hour data for the people who have joined. Plaintiffs then have 30 days to present a settlement demand to the Defendants.

A mediation is currently scheduled for Tuesday, January 28 in Tampa, FL.

Update: September 6, 2019

Notice of the Collective Action Lawsuit was granted on September 5, 2019 (read order here) and our office has mailed it out today.

The FLSA Notice can be viewed here.

Post-Mediation Update: August 5, 2019

To date, we have received 26 consents to sue – thank you!

Counsel for Plaintiffs and Counsel for Defendants met on Monday, July 29, 2019 in Tampa, FL where the parties discussed potential settlement of the claims. Although the parties did not settle, they agreed to continue settlement discussions as well as to a process designed to try to settle the claims in the case before continuing with litigation.

The proposed schedule for the process is as follows:

• By August 8, 2019, the Parties shall file a joint motion to send FLSA notice to the Individuals who worked for Lozano Claims Adjusters in Florida as licensed insurance claims adjusters and who were classified as independent contractors, paid a day rate for their work, and not paid overtime wages for hours worked more than 40 in a week between April 4, 2016 and the date of final judgment in this matter.

• Within seven days of the Court’s Order approving the notice and process, Defendants will provide Plaintiffs’ counsel with the FLSA Collective members’ names and contact information; seven days after receiving the Notice List, Plaintiffs shall send the notice to the FLSA Collective members.

• FLSA Collective Members shall have 60 calendar days from the issuance of notice to join their claims to the action.

• Within seven days of the end of the Notice Period, Defendants shall provide Plaintiffs’ Counsel with certain agreed upon data needed to determine individual FLSA Collective members’ damages.

• Within 30 days of receiving the complete Settlement Data, Plaintiffs shall present a settlement demand to the Defendants and the parties shall schedule a mediation to resolve the claims in the case.

• Within ten days of the conclusion of the mediation, the Parties shall report the results of the mediation to the Court.

The Court approved the Parties’ proposed schedule today. You can view a copy of the proposed schedule here.

Please continue to check the website for future updates.

Answers to Common Questions - Posted May 28, 2019

Which employees can be part of this lawsuit?

All persons who have worked for Lozano Insurance Adjusters, Inc. in Florida as insurance claims handlers since April 4, 2016, who were classified as independent contractors and paid a day rate for their work.

What work locations are covered by this lawsuit?

The claims in this lawsuit cover Lozano Insurance Adjusters, Inc.’s Florida worksites.

What claims are covered in this case?

The lawsuit at present covers claims for overtime pay under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and under Florida state law. The specific violations claimed are that Defendants misclassified Insurance Adjusters as independent contractors and failed to pay them overtime wages, and for all hours worked and required them to incur expenses that the Defendants are required to pay.

What damages are sought?

Damages sought under the FLSA include back overtime pay, an equal amount of liquidated damages, attorneys’ fees, and any costs of litigating the case. Damages for the Florida state law claims include reimbursement for expenses.

Do I have to pay to join the case?

No. The attorneys are handling this case on a contingent basis and will only be paid when we win through a settlement or final judgment. Under both the FLSA, when plaintiffs win an overtime case, defendants must pay the plaintiffs’ costs and attorneys’ fees.

Can Lozano Insurance Adjusters, Inc., Frank or Lissette Lozano, or Anchor Insurance Holdings, Inc. fire me or take action against me for joining the case?

The law prohibits retaliation for joining an overtime lawsuit. If any employee suffered retaliation, Defendants would be liable for additional monetary damages and may suffer criminal penalties.