Zavala Artiega v. Griffin Organics, Inc.
Case Details
- Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
- Labor: Fair Standards
- Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
- Unknown
- Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
- consent decree
- State
- New York
- Circuit
- Second Circuit
Related Laws
No specific laws identified for this ruling.
Claim Types
Outcome
The court approved a settlement of the plaintiff's Fair Labor Standards Act claims for $15,000 total ($10,000 to plaintiff, $5,000 in attorneys' fees and costs), finding the agreement fair and reasonable after considering the totality of circumstances and applicable legal factors.
What This Ruling Means
Zavala Artiega v. Griffin Organics, Inc.
What Happened
An employee named Zavala Artiega sued Griffin Organics, Inc., claiming the company failed to pay required wages. This type of claim—called wage theft—occurs when employers don't properly compensate workers for hours worked.
What the Court Decided
Rather than go to trial, both sides agreed to settle the dispute. A federal judge in New York approved the settlement as fair and reasonable. The company paid a total of $15,000 to resolve the case: $10,000 went directly to the worker, while $5,000 covered the employee's legal costs and attorney fees.
Why This Matters for Workers
This case illustrates that employees have legal protections against wage theft under federal law. When companies violate these protections, workers can pursue compensation through the courts. The approval of this settlement sends a message that employers cannot keep wages they owe. Workers facing similar situations should know that legal remedies exist and that courts take wage violations seriously.
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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