The proposed $24,750,000 settlement covered people who used the Grubhub app as California delivery drivers between December 3, 2014 and March 13, 2026. Claimants shared the fund based on miles driven, with no payment under $25. The claim deadline passed June 18, 2026; the court has not yet approved it.
Benefit Summary
Eligible class members may receive Pro rata payment; at least $25.
Payments come from the $24,750,000 settlement fund and may change after approved deductions.
Available Awards
Pro rata payment; at least $25
Who Is Included
The settlement class includes people who agreed to use the Grubhub platform as independent contractors, offered delivery services, and accepted or completed at least one California delivery between December 3, 2014, and March 13, 2026.
- Proof required: A claim form is required. The notice does not describe any documents needed to prove monetary losses or eligibility beyond submitting the claim.
Claim and Payment Information
- Claim method: Online, mail, or email
- Claim deadline: 2026-06-18
- Instructions: Complete and submit a claim online, or fill out the enclosed claim form and send it to the Claims Administrator by mail or email. Notify the Claims Administrator if your address changes.
Questions & Answers
Who is included in the settlement class?
- You may be in the Settlement Class if you agreed to use Grubhub’s platform as an independent contractor to offer deliveries and accepted or completed at least one delivery in California from December 3, 2014, through March 13, 2026.
- The notice says Grubhub’s records were used to identify people receiving the notice, but receiving a notice does not itself provide a payment. You must submit a timely claim and stay in the class to receive money.
What do I need to do to seek a payment?
- Submit a claim by June 18, 2026. You can submit it online, or complete the enclosed claim form and send it to the Claims Administrator by mail or email.
- The notice does not say that you must provide particular supporting documents with your claim. It directs claimants to use the online instructions or enclosed form.
- Tell the Claims Administrator if your address changes so payment can be sent to the correct address.
How will my payment be calculated?
- The payment pool left for class members is called the Net Settlement Amount. It will be divided based on each claimant’s estimated Grubhub delivery miles during the class period.
- Grubhub’s available records will be used to estimate miles. A class member who submits a claim will receive no less than $25, but the final amount is not yet known.
- The $24.75 million settlement fund is not all available for driver payments. It also covers approved fees, costs, administration, service awards, employment taxes, and the payment to California’s Labor and Workforce Development Agency.
When might payments be sent, and what happens if I do not cash my check?
- The settlement must first receive court approval and become final. The notice says initial settlement shares will be distributed about 30 days after that happens.
- It also says payments may be mailed within a couple of months after the July 30, 2026 hearing if the court approves the settlement and there are no objections or appeals. Objections or appeals could delay payment by more than a year.
- A check becomes void if it is not deposited or cashed within 180 days after it is issued. Unclaimed funds will be sent to Legal Aid at Work.
How do I opt out, and what does opting out change?
- To exclude yourself, also called opting out, send a written exclusion request by mail. It must be postmarked by June 18, 2026.
- Your request must clearly say you want to be excluded from the Lawson v. Grubhub class action and include your name, any former names, address, telephone number, and signature. A legally authorized representative may sign, but your lawyer may not.
- If you opt out, you cannot receive a settlement payment, even if you submit a claim. The notice says you keep the ability to pursue the claims asserted in this lawsuit elsewhere or in individual arbitration, but you still release PAGA claims.
What claims do I give up if I remain in the settlement?
- If you stay in the class, you release the settlement’s covered claims against Grubhub, whether or not you submit a claim. Those claims include claims tied to the allegations in the case and independent-contractor classification during the settlement period.
- The notice says this release does not include certain claims outside the release, including retaliation, wrongful termination, unemployment, disability, workers’ compensation, and claims outside the class period.
- There is a separate rule for federal wage claims under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): class members other than the named plaintiffs release FLSA claims only if they submit a claim. PAGA claims are released even by people who opt out.
Can I object to the settlement?
- You may object only if you do not opt out. An objection is not a way to ask for a larger personal payment; it is a way to tell the court why you believe the settlement, fee request, costs, or service awards should not be approved.
- Send a written objection to the court by June 18, 2026. It must include the case name and number, your contact information and Grubhub service dates, why you think the settlement is unfair, and whether you plan to attend the hearing. If appearing through a lawyer, include the lawyer’s identifying and contact information.
- You may also send an objection to the Claims Administrator, but the notice says it must be sent to the court to be considered.
What happens at the court hearing?
- The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 30, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. by Zoom. The court will decide whether the settlement is fair and whether to approve requested attorneys’ fees, costs, and service awards.
- You do not have to attend. The notice says the court may reschedule the hearing without sending another notice.
Other Important Dates
- Exclusion deadline: 2026-06-18
- Objection deadline: 2026-06-18
- Final approval hearing: July 30, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
- Hearing location: Via Zoom: https://cand-uscourts.zoomgov.com/j/1613661817?pwd=Z0tnSzBvKzJMN25SRFB3M1B6dFBadz09
Case Details
- Total settlement fund: $24,750,000
- Case name: Lawson et al. v. Grubhub Holdings Inc. et al.
- Case number: 15-cv-05128 JSC
- Court: United States District Court for the Northern District of California
- Administrator: Claims Administrator
- Official Settlement Website: https://www.GrubhubCalSettlement.com
Sources
Official Settlement Website
Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Visit Site →Claim form, FAQ, deadlines, administrator information
Official Settlement Notice (PDF)
Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits
Open PDF →Court-approved notice describing eligibility and benefits