Grubhub Driver Settlement 2026 -- $24.75 Million for California Delivery Drivers Misclassified as Independent Contractors
By Steve Levine
Published: April 2, 2026
Claim Deadline: June 18, 2026
Payout: Based on miles driven (minimum $25)
Who: California Grubhub delivery drivers (Dec 2014 -- Mar 2026)
What Is This Settlement About?
Grubhub agreed to pay $24.75 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging the company misclassified California delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. The lawsuit claimed this independent contractor misclassification violated California labor law, resulting in drivers being denied minimum wages, overtime pay, and reimbursement for necessary business expenses like gas and vehicle maintenance.The case (Lawson et al. v. Grubhub Holdings Inc. et al., Case No. 15-cv-05128 JSC) was originally filed in September 2015 and has been litigated for over a decade. During the case, the court found that lead plaintiff Raef Lawson had been misclassified by Grubhub for purposes of his minimum wage and overtime claims and had experienced minimum wage violations. The parties reached this settlement after five formal mediation conferences.
Grubhub denies that it violated the law and denies that drivers were or are employees. The court has not decided in favor of any driver other than the lead plaintiff.
Who Qualifies?
You qualify if you used the Grubhub platform as an independent contractor to accept or complete at least one delivery in California between December 3, 2014 and March 13, 2026. If Grubhub's records show you made deliveries in California during this period, you should have received a settlement notice.This settlement is for California drivers only. If you drove for Grubhub in other states, this settlement does not apply to you.
How Much Will I Get?
Your payout is calculated based on how many miles you drove while using the Grubhub app as a delivery driver in California. The claims administrator will review Grubhub's records to determine each driver's estimated mileage. Drivers who drove more miles receive proportionally larger payments. Every driver who submits a valid claim is guaranteed a minimum payment of $25.The exact per-person amount cannot be calculated until the court approves the settlement, deductions are made, and all valid claims are tallied. Here is how the $24.75 million fund breaks down before distribution to drivers: up to $8,250,000 (33.33%) for attorneys' fees and costs, up to $260,000 for settlement administration, $2,000,000 to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency for PAGA penalties (of which $500,000 goes back to the class), up to $100,000 service award for Plaintiff Lawson, and up to $5,000 service award for Plaintiff Marshall.
After those deductions, the remaining net settlement fund is divided among all drivers who file valid claims, proportional to their miles driven. If you drove full-time for Grubhub in California over several years, your share could be meaningful. If you completed only a handful of deliveries, you would receive closer to the $25 minimum.
How Do I File a Claim?
Submit your claim online at GrubhubCalSettlement.com or mail a paper claim form to the claims administrator. Your claim must be submitted or postmarked by June 18, 2026.If you received a settlement notice, it contains your unique SIMID number which you will need to file online. If you did not receive a notice but believe you qualify, contact the claims administrator.
If you file a claim and also opt out, the opt-out takes priority and you will not receive payment.
What Happens If I Do Nothing?
If you do not file a claim by June 18, 2026, you will not receive any payment. But unless you formally exclude yourself (opt out), you will still be bound by the settlement release. This means you will give up your right to sue Grubhub or pursue individual arbitration over the wage and hour violations, misclassification, unpaid wages, overtime, expense reimbursement, and other California labor law claims covered by this settlement.If you want to keep your right to sue Grubhub separately, you must opt out by sending a written exclusion request to the claims administrator postmarked by June 18, 2026. If you opt out, you get no money but retain your right to pursue your own case.
When Will Payments Be Sent?
The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM via Zoom before the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. If the court approves the settlement and no appeals are filed, initial payments will be distributed approximately 30 days after the settlement becomes final. If there are objections or appeals, payments could be delayed for months or longer.Settlement checks will be void 180 days after issuance if not cashed. Any unclaimed funds will be directed to Legal Aid at Work.
Case Information
Case: Lawson et al. v. Grubhub Holdings Inc. et al., Case No. 15-cv-05128 JSC
Court: U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
Filed: September 23, 2015
Plaintiffs: Raef Lawson and Rejenna Marshall
Defendant: Grubhub Holdings Inc.
Allegation: Misclassified California delivery drivers as independent contractors, denying wages, overtime, and expense reimbursement
Settlement Fund: $24,750,000
Class Period: December 3, 2014 through March 13, 2026
Who Qualifies: California Grubhub delivery drivers with at least one completed delivery
Payout Basis: Proportional to miles driven (minimum $25)
Claim Deadline: June 18, 2026
Opt-Out Deadline: June 18, 2026
Final Approval Hearing: July 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM (Zoom)
Attorneys' Fees: Up to 33.33% ($8,250,000)
PAGA Payment: $2,000,000 ($1.5M to state, $500K to class)
Class Counsel: Lichten & Liss-Riordan P.C., Law Offices of Todd M. Friedman P.C.
Settlement Website: GrubhubCalSettlement.com
How Do I Find Class Action Settlements?
Find all the latest class actions you can qualify for by getting notified of new lawsuits as soon as they are open to claims:Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Settlement Website: GrubhubCalSettlement.com
Submit Claim
Sources
• Official Settlement Website -- GrubhubCalSettlement.com• Court-authorized settlement notice, Lawson et al. v. Grubhub Holdings Inc. et al., Case No. 15-cv-05128 JSC (N.D. Cal.)
Filing Class Action Settlement Claims
Please note that your claim form will be rejected if you submit a settlement claim with any fraudulent information. By providing this information and your sworn statement of its veracity, you agree to do so under the penalty of perjury. If you are not sure whether you qualify, visit the class action administrator's website. OpenClassActions.com is a consumer advocacy and class action news site, and is not a class action administrator or a law firm.
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Pre-Qualify| Grubhub Driver Settlement Summary | |
| Status | Open — File Claim Now |
|---|---|
| Claim Deadline | June 18, 2026 |
| Settlement Fund | $24,750,000 |
| Who Qualifies | CA Grubhub drivers (Dec 2014 – Mar 2026) |
| Payout Basis | Proportional to miles driven (min $25) |
| Final Hearing | July 30, 2026 at 9:00 AM (Zoom) |
| Allegation | Independent contractor misclassification |
| Website | Grubhub Cal Settlement |