Insurer Overtime Class Action Stays in California Federal Court

A proposed class action lawsuit accusing an insurance agency of wage theft and other labor violations can remain in a California federal district court because the amount in controversy exceeds a $5 million threshold, a judge said.

Judge Jennifer L. Thurston denied an ex-Fred Loya Insurance Agency Inc. employee’s motion to remand her lawsuit against the company to California state court on Tuesday. The insurer met the removal burden by showing by a preponderance of evidence that the amount in controversy was roughly $8.5 million, according to the judge’s order.

Martha Ochoa sued Fred Loya in February in ...