Vail Resorts has been the series of several class action suits, one of which was filed in the state of California. This suit involved claims that the company failed to properly pay its employees for years at a time. Developments in the case may point to a resolution.
Proposed settlement
A judge in California has made the decision to grant a preliminary approval of a proposed $13 million deal. This arrangement is intended to bring to a close a number of contentious wage and hour class actions against Vail Resorts.
A settlement would not apply merely to the plaintiffs who are directly involved in the action; it would also help to settle all of the various allegations made against the company. The main charge is that Vail Resorts failed to reimburse employees for equipment and hours worked over the last three to four years.
A lawsuit needs to be certified
The key to successful wage and hour class action lawsuits is understanding the nature and purpose of official certification. This is a concept that determines when certain crucial elements of a case can and will be resolved. The most efficient way to do so is to find a basis of proof that they all have in common. Certification occurs at this point.
This is a process that, once completed, can spare all parties involved a great deal of time, energy and money. Neither the court nor any of the plaintiffs will have to expend energy on proving all of their individual circumstances. The fact that a basis with common proof is present will settle the matter.
Getting a case certified gives the plaintiff a considerably larger base of credibility to start from. It also gives the plaintiff in the case more power, which can be used to wield leverage that may result in a much more favorable outcome. The turnaround in the Vail Resorts case may well be proof of this theory.