August 22, 2018
Valerie Alberts v. Aurora Behavioral Health Care
Valerie Alberts v. Aurora Behavioral Health Care, California Superior Court Case No. BC419340 (Superior Court, Los Angeles County), was a wage and hour class action on behalf of nurses and mental health workers.Ā The plaintiffs alleged that meal/rest period violations were extensive at two Aurora facilities in Los Angeles, in large part because of facially invalid break relief policies/practices.Ā Econ One and Dr. Brian Kriegler were retained by the plaintiffs (i) to analyze Auroraās time/pay records, and (ii) to propose and implement a classwide damages methodology.Ā Ā Ā
The case initially was denied class certification by the trial court in 2013, then was reversed/remanded on appeal in 2015, and finally granted class certification after a renewed motion in 2018.Ā Dr. Krieglerās analyses and opinions were cited in both the California Court of Appeal opinion and subsequently in the trial courtās order granting class certification.Ā In total, the certified class included over 1,200 people and a class period that stretched from 2005 to 2013.Ā Once the parties reached a settlement of an undisclosed amount in 2023, Econ One was tasked with determining individual awards for each class member using a model that resembled the one presented in Dr. Krieglerās declarations.Ā