Samaniego v. HKS Builders & Consultants Inc.
Case Details
- Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
- 710 Labor: Fair Standards
- Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
- Unknown
- Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
- default judgment
- State
- New York
- Circuit
- Second Circuit
Related Laws
No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Claim Types
Outcome
Plaintiffs prevailed on default judgment in a Fair Labor Standards Act and New York Labor Law wage-and-hour case. The court awarded back pay, liquidated damages, statutory penalties for recordkeeping violations, and prejudgment interest, along with attorneys' fees and costs.
What This Ruling Means
Samaniego v. HKS Builders & Consultants Inc.
What Happened
Workers employed by HKS Builders & Consultants Inc. sued the company for wage theft—failing to properly pay them for hours worked. The case involved violations of federal wage laws and New York state labor protections that require employers to pay workers fairly and keep accurate records of their hours.
What the Court Decided
The court ruled in favor of the workers and awarded them $46,526.73 in damages. This payment included back pay (wages owed), additional penalties (double damages), penalties for improper record-keeping, and interest that accumulated over time. The court also ordered the company to pay the workers' lawyers' fees and court costs.
Why This Matters for Workers
This case shows that courts will enforce wage laws against employers who cheat workers out of pay. When employers fail to appear in court to defend themselves, judges can still rule against them. Workers who believe they've been underpaid have legal protections and can recover not just the missing wages, but also additional penalties designed to punish wrongdoing and discourage future violations.
This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.
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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
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