Justia California Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

Plaintiffs, former workers for defendant, a large software company headquartered in California, sued defendant claiming overtime compensation under the Labor Code for days longer than eight hours, and weeks longer than 40 hours, worked entirely in California; claiming that defendant's failure to pay overtime for work performed in California was an "unlawful [or] unfair... business act or practice" for purposes of California's unfair competition law (UCL), Bus. & Prof. Code, 17200 et seq.; and claiming restitution under the UCL in the amount of overtime compensation due under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 207(a), for weeks longer than 40 hours worked entirely in states other than California. The court held that the Labor Code's overtime provision did apply to plaintiffs' claims for compensation for work performed in California and that the same claims could serve as predicates for claims under the UCL. The court also held that plaintiffs' claims for overtime compensation under the FLSA for work performed in other states could not serve as predicates for the UCL. View "Sullivan, et al. v. Oracle Corp., et al." on Justia Law

Plaintiff sued a truck driver, the truck driver's employer, and a second driver after plaintiff sustained severe, permanent injuries from an automobile accident. At issue was whether plaintiff, who asserted both theories of respondeat superior and negligent entrustment against the employer and the employer admitted vicarious liability for any negligent driving by its employee, could still pursue the negligent entrustment claim. The court affirmed its holding in Armenta v. Churchill that an employer's admission of vicarious liability for an employee's negligent driving in the course of employment barred a plaintiff from pursuing a claim for negligent entrustment. Therefore, the trial court erred in not applying that holding to this case. The court held that, had the trial court not made the error, it was reasonably probable that the jury would have reached a result more favorable to defendants. Accordingly, the court reversed the judgment of the Court of Appeals and directed that court to reverse the trial court's judgment and remand the case for a complete retrial. View "Diaz v. Carcamo, et al." on Justia Law