The Zimmerman Reed Uber settlement is not a single class-action payout. Zimmerman Reed LLP, a Minneapolis plaintiffs’ firm, has been filing individual arbitration claims on behalf of Uber drivers since 2016, alleging the company misclassifies them as independent contractors and owes them unpaid wages and business expenses. Drivers who want to join can request a free case review at zrclaims.com or by calling 1-888-485-4366.1ZR Claims. Driver Intake The firm works on contingency, so there is nothing to pay upfront.2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
What the Claims Are About
The core allegation is that Uber treats drivers like employees in practice, setting fares, controlling how the work gets done, and retaining the power to deactivate accounts, while classifying them as independent contractors on paper. That classification lets the company avoid obligations owed to employees, including minimum wage, overtime, paid sick leave, health insurance contributions, and reimbursement for the cost of doing business.2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
Through Zimmerman Reed, drivers can seek compensation for:
- Business expenses like gas, insurance premiums, and vehicle maintenance
- Improper wage deductions from driver earnings
- Damages tied to unfair business practices and misrepresentation of the working relationship2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
The firm also notes that drivers cannot legally be retaliated against for consulting an attorney or asserting their rights.2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
Why the Case Is in Arbitration, Not Court
Uber’s terms of service require drivers to resolve legal disputes through individual arbitration, and the agreement includes a class action waiver that bars drivers from joining collective lawsuits. Drivers had a 30-day window to opt out of the arbitration clause when they accepted the terms, but most did not, leaving individual arbitration as their only path to pursue claims.
Rather than treating that as a dead end, Zimmerman Reed built its strategy around it. Instead of one class action, the firm files arbitration demands one driver at a time. Under standard arbitration rules, the corporate defendant typically pays the filing, case-management, and arbitrator fees for each individual case, and those per-case costs mount quickly when thousands of claims arrive together. The firm says it has represented “hundreds of Uber drivers in individual arbitrations.”2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
How to Sign Up
The intake process is short. Go to zrclaims.com, select the rideshare or gig companies you drove for, sign the form, and submit it for a free case review. Drivers who prefer to speak with someone can call 1-888-485-4366. The intake page is copyright-dated 2026 and continues to accept submissions from anyone who has worked for Uber or other rideshare and gig companies.1ZR Claims. Driver Intake
Because the firm works on contingency, drivers pay nothing upfront and the firm takes a percentage of any recovery.2ZR Claims. Gig Economy Driver Rights
What Payouts Look Like
Public information does not disclose specific dollar amounts recovered in these arbitrations. The firm notes that “many” of its client outcomes are confidential.3Zimmerman Reed LLP. Cases Each arbitration is decided on its own record, so a driver’s potential recovery depends on how long they drove, what expenses they incurred, and what wage rules apply in their state.
Not the Same as the New York or Massachusetts Settlements
Drivers searching for a “settlement” often land on two large state deals that are separate from Zimmerman Reed’s arbitrations and run on their own claims tracks.
In November 2023, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced a $328 million settlement, with $290 million from Uber and $38 million from Lyft, resolving investigations into companies that had improperly deducted sales taxes and Black Car Fund fees from driver pay. The covered period was 2014 to 2017 for Uber and 2015 to 2017 for Lyft, and about 100,000 current and former drivers were eligible to file claims.4Office of the New York State Attorney General. Attorney General James Secures $328 Million From Uber and Lyft for Taking Earnings From Drivers5The New York Times. Uber Lyft Drivers Wage Theft Payout The deal also set a minimum of $26 per hour for drivers outside New York City, adjusted annually, and one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. In exchange, the attorney general’s office dropped its misclassification investigation, and neither company admitted fault.6NPR. Uber and Lyft Drivers in New York Will Get $328 Million in Back Pay
On June 27, 2024, Uber and Lyft agreed to pay $175 million ($148 million from Uber, $27 million from Lyft) to settle a lawsuit brought by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. Most of the money goes to current and former drivers who earned less than minimum wage after expenses between July 2020 and July 2024. Checks are scheduled for early fall 2025 and are classified as mileage reimbursement rather than taxable income.7Staffing Industry Analysts. Uber, Lyft Pay $175M Massachusetts IC Settlement8Uber Lyft Mass AGO Settlement. Uber Lyft Mass AGO Settlement The Massachusetts deal also set a minimum of $32.50 per hour for time spent driving to pickups and transporting passengers, effective August 15, 2024, along with paid sick leave, health stipends for drivers working more than 15 hours per week, and up to $1 million in occupational accident insurance. Drivers stayed classified as independent contractors.
Those funds are administered through state channels, not through Zimmerman Reed. A driver who qualified for the New York or Massachusetts payout would have received it through those programs regardless of whether they hire a private firm.
About Zimmerman Reed
Zimmerman Reed LLP was founded in the early 1980s and is headquartered in Minneapolis, with additional offices in Los Angeles and Phoenix. It handles complex plaintiffs’ litigation and class actions across many industries. Past results the firm points to include roles in the retired NFL players’ concussion settlement, which has paid out more than $1 billion; a $125 million securities settlement involving Regions Financial; and the $59.4 million Target data breach settlement, where the firm served as lead counsel for affected banks and credit unions.9ZR Claims. About Us