This settlement resolves claims that Hydromax USA's Washington job postings left out the pay and benefits information the state requires employers to publish. If you applied for a job opening with the utility field-services company in Washington on or after January 1, 2023, you can file a claim by October 12, 2026 for an equal share of a fund worth up to $382,500.
Current Status
Claims are open. The deadline to submit a Claim Form is October 12, 2026, whether you file online or return a paper form by mail or email postmarked by that date. The same date is the deadline to opt out or to object. The court has not yet decided whether to approve the settlement: King County Superior Court issued an order preliminarily approving it on July 16, 2026, and the final approval hearing is set for December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Matthew Lapin. No payments have been issued and no payment date has been announced — the Notice says checks are mailed after final approval and after any appeals and other reviews are complete. If you received a notice with a LoginID and PIN, the action to take now is to file before October 12.What Changed Recently?
The claim window opened this summer. On July 16, 2026, King County Superior Court issued an order preliminarily approving the settlement and authorizing the settlement administrator, Simpluris, to issue the Notice and Claim Form to the class. That order is also what set the October 12 filing deadline and the December 18 hearing date.The underlying case is Jeffrey Hill v. Hydromax USA, LLC, Case No. 25-2-21725-6 SEA, pending in King County Superior Court in Washington before Judge Matthew Lapin. The complaint alleges that Hydromax USA violated RCW 49.58.110, the job-posting provision of Washington's Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, by running postings for open Washington positions that did not disclose the wage scale or salary range being offered. That statute requires employers with 15 or more employees to include pay and benefit information in job advertisements.
Hydromax USA is a utility field-services company that performs assessment, inspection and maintenance work for gas, water and wastewater systems. It denies that it is or can be held liable for the claims in the lawsuit, and it contends that it has not violated any law and that the claims are without merit. The Notice states that the court has made no determination on the merits and has not decided whether Hydromax USA violated the law, and that the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing. The parties agreed to settle to avoid the uncertainty, risk, and expense of continued litigation.
Who Qualifies?
The Notice defines the Settlement Class as everyone who applied for a job opening in Washington with Hydromax USA, LLC, from January 1, 2023 through July 16, 2026, where the job posting did not disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant.You did not need to be hired, interviewed, or even contacted. The claim is about what the posting said, not about the outcome of your application. The class was identified from Hydromax USA's own records, so the practical test is whether the Settlement Administrator sent a notice to you. If you are unsure whether you are included, the settlement website's contact page is the route to ask.
One wrinkle worth knowing: the FAQ page on the settlement website states the eligibility test more briefly, as a Washington job posting that did not disclose the wage scale or salary range for the position, while the Notice adds the benefits and other compensation language quoted above. The two describe the same class; the Notice carries the fuller definition, and the Settlement Agreement controls over any summary.
How Much Can You Get?
Hydromax USA agreed to a Maximum Settlement Fund of $382,500, and the Notice is explicit that what the company actually pays depends on how many Class Members submit a claim. Everyone who files a timely, valid Claim Form receives an equal share of the Net Settlement Fund. There are no benefit tiers and no documented-loss category — every valid claim is worth the same as every other one.The Notice does not publish a single estimated payment figure for the class. Instead, each Class Member's own estimated amount is printed on the Claim Form that came with their notice. Treat that number as an estimate rather than a guaranteed payment. The Notice also does not state a minimum settlement fund or a per-person cap, both of which several other Washington job-posting settlements do carry, so there is no published floor or ceiling on an individual share here.
What is disclosed is the set of deductions that come out of the fund before it is divided. Class Counsel will ask the court to approve $112,838 in attorneys' fees, plus costs and expenses not to exceed $5,000, and will separately request a $15,000 service award for the class representative — all payable from the Maximum Settlement Fund. Hydromax USA has agreed not to oppose those requests, but the court determines the proper amounts and may award less than requested. Subtracting the full requested amounts from $382,500 leaves roughly $249,662 before settlement administration costs, which the Notice does not disclose. A smaller fee or service award would leave more to divide among Class Members.
Payments are made by mailed check, and the Notice states that all checks expire and become void 180 days after the date of issuance. The Notice states that settlement payments will be characterized as non-wage damages rather than wages. Because payment arrives in the mail, the Notice asks Class Members to contact the Settlement Administrator if their address or phone number changes at any time.
What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?
No receipts, pay stubs, or application records are required — but proof is still required in the sense that matters. Filing online requires a LoginID and a PIN, both printed on the notice mailed to you. Under OCA's standard, an administrator-issued credential that gates the claim counts as proof, because someone who never received the notice or no longer has it cannot file without first contacting the administrator to have the credentials reissued.The Claim Form asks for identity and contact information rather than evidence of loss. All claims are subject to a verification process, and the Notice says the Settlement Administrator may request additional information before treating a claim as valid.
If you cannot locate your LoginID and PIN, the settlement website's contact page explains how to ask the administrator to retrieve them using your full name and mailing address. A paper Claim Form can also be submitted by mail or email instead of using the online portal.
What Is the Deadline?
October 12, 2026 governs all three options, which is unusual — on most settlements the opt-out and objection deadlines land well before the claim deadline. The Notice gives only the date, with no cutoff time or timezone, so treat the date itself as the limit.Claim Forms must be submitted online, or mailed or emailed and postmarked, on or before October 12, 2026.
Requests for exclusion must be mailed to the Settlement Administrator and postmarked no later than October 12, 2026. The Notice is specific that you cannot opt out by phone or email, that each person must submit their own request, and that group requests are not permitted. A valid request needs your full name, your address, a statement that you want to be excluded from the settlement in this case, and your signature and the date signed.
Objections must be filed with King County Superior Court by October 12, 2026, with copies mailed to both Class Counsel and Hydromax USA's counsel, postmarked by the same date. A valid objection has to include your contact information, the case name and number, your reasons for objecting, your attorney's name and address if you have one, whether you or your attorney intend to appear at the hearing, a list of every other proposed class action settlement you have objected to in the last three years by case name, court, and docket number, the same list for your attorney, and your signature and date. An attorney representing you may file the objection through the court's e-filing system.
How Do You Take Action?
File online at the official settlement website, EPOA Settlement HUL, using the LoginID and PIN from your notice. The Claim Form can also be completed on paper and returned to the Settlement Administrator by mail or email, and the administrator can supply a copy on request through the site's contact page.The Notice, Claim Form, and Settlement Agreement are posted on the settlement website's Important Documents page. Paragraph 18 of the Settlement Agreement is the release. Unlike some of the broader releases in this line of Washington cases, this one is narrow and statute-specific: it covers claims that arose during the Settlement Class Period arising out of or relating to a violation of RCW 49.58.110, together with any attendant claims for relief under RCW 49.58.070 — interest, liquidated damages, exemplary damages, statutory damages, and attorneys' fees and costs. Claims outside that release are not waived by participating.
One point worth understanding before you decide: doing nothing is the worst of the three options. Unless you exclude yourself, you stay in the class and are bound by the release whether or not you file, so a Class Member who never submits a Claim Form gives up the claims and receives nothing for them.
What Happens Next?
The next milestone is the final approval hearing on December 18, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. before Judge Matthew Lapin, in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington, in Courtroom 4G. At the hearing the court will decide whether the settlement is fair, reasonable, adequate, and in the best interests of the class, and will rule on the fee, cost, and service-award requests along with any objections.The Notice cautions that the hearing date and time may change by court order, and that any change will be posted on the settlement website or reflected on the court's public docket. Attending is optional — Class Counsel will answer the court's questions, a timely written objection is considered whether or not you appear, and a Class Member who stays in the class may ask the court for permission to speak at the hearing.
If the court approves the settlement, it will enter a final judgment dismissing the lawsuit with prejudice, and checks will be mailed to Class Members who submitted timely, valid Claim Forms after all appeals and other reviews, if any, are complete. The Notice does not publish a funding or mailing schedule, and no payment date has been announced. An appeal would push the timeline back further.
Sources and Verification
This page is based on the official settlement website and the court-authorized Notice of Class Action Settlement and Claim Form issued in Jeffrey Hill v. Hydromax USA, LLC, Case No. 25-2-21725-6 SEA, King County Superior Court, Washington.- Official settlement website — EPOA Settlement HUL (claim portal, FAQs, important dates, important documents)
- Notice of Class Action Settlement and Claim Form, authorized July 16, 2026 (embedded below)
- Order preliminarily approving the class action settlement, entered July 16, 2026, as described in the Notice
Washington has produced a steady run of these cases. See our roundup of every open Washington job-posting settlement, the broader list of open class action settlements, or the explainer on wage and hour class actions.
Questions
Why is the $382,500 described as a maximum rather than a fixed settlement amount?
The Notice calls $382,500 the Maximum Settlement Fund and states that what Hydromax USA actually pays depends on how many Class Members submit a claim. Everyone who files a timely, valid Claim Form receives an equal share of the Net Settlement Fund, so this is a claims-made structure with a ceiling rather than a fixed pot that gets divided no matter what. The Notice does not publish a minimum fund figure or a per-person cap.
How much of the $382,500 actually reaches Class Members?
Class Members are paid from the Net Settlement Fund, which is what remains after the court-approved deductions. Class Counsel will ask the court to approve $112,838 in attorneys' fees plus costs and expenses of up to $5,000, and a $15,000 service award for the class representative, all payable from the Maximum Settlement Fund. Subtracting those requested amounts from $382,500 leaves roughly $249,662 before settlement administration costs, which the Notice does not disclose. The court decides the final amounts and may award less than requested, which would leave more for the class.
Does the class cover postings that listed a salary range but left out benefits?
The class definition in the Notice is written broadly. It covers people who applied for a Washington job opening where the posting did not disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant. The FAQ page on the settlement website states the test more briefly as a posting that did not disclose the wage scale or salary range. Rather than parse the difference yourself, the practical test is whether the administrator sent you a notice, because the class was identified from Hydromax USA's own records.
Could filing a claim affect a future job application with Hydromax USA?
The Notice addresses this directly. It states that Hydromax USA supports the settlement and will not retaliate in any way against any Settlement Class Member for participating, and that your decision to participate, not participate, or object will not affect any application for employment with the company or how it treats you as a current or former employee.
Why does the class period end on July 16, 2026?
July 16, 2026 is the date King County Superior Court issued the order preliminarily approving the settlement and authorizing Simpluris to send the notice and Claim Form. Settlement classes are typically closed as of the date the court approves the deal, so applications submitted after that date fall outside this class. A Washington job posting that omitted pay information after July 16, 2026 is not covered by this settlement and is not released by it.
How long will I have to cash the settlement check?
The Notice states that all checks expire and become void 180 days after the date of issuance. Because payments arrive by mail, the Notice also asks Class Members to tell the Settlement Administrator if their address or phone number changes at any time, so the check reaches the right place. Checks are not mailed until after final approval and after any appeals and other reviews are complete.
