Quest Diagnostics $6 Million Courier Wage Settlement, California Route Service Representatives Paid Without a Claim Form

Quest Diagnostics’ proposed $6,000,000 settlement resolves long-running wage-and-hour claims by California Route Service Representatives (RSRs), the couriers who pick up and deliver lab specimens. Eligible employees do not need to file a claim form. If the settlement is finally approved, payments will be calculated from Quest’s employment records. A final approval hearing is listed for January 26, 2027 at 9 a.m.

The settlement covers non-exempt California-based Route Service Representatives who worked from September 9, 2011 through March 2, 2026. Employees who want to opt out, object or dispute their credited workweeks generally have 45 days after the administrator first mails the notice. The exact calendar deadline depends on the mailing date, which was not verified as of October 28, 2026, so use the date printed on your notice.

Status note: the copy of the preliminary-approval order reviewed was still labeled a proposed order, with no completed signature or date, and the hearing on it was listed for September 15, 2026. This article therefore describes the agreement as proposed and awaiting final approval.

Quick Facts: Quest Diagnostics Courier Wage Settlement

Detail	Information
Settlement amount	Up to $6,000,000, subject to the agreement’s adjustment provisions
Defendants	Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Inc.
Case name	Clark v. Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Inc., et al.
Case number	BC594022 (consolidated with BC660722 and BC594129)
Court	Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles
Judge identified in proposed order	Laura A. Seigle
Class	Non-exempt California-based Route Service Representatives and similarly titled employees
Class period	September 9, 2011 through March 2, 2026
PAGA period	September 9, 2014 through March 2, 2026
Claim form	Not required for the proposed automatic class payments
Response deadline	45 days after initial notice mailing; different rules apply to remailed notices
Final approval hearing	January 26, 2027, 9 a.m., Department SS-17 (per proposed order)
Settlement administrator	CPT Group, Inc.
Official settlement website	CPT Group case website for Clark v. Quest Diagnostics; it may still show the earlier 2022 notice, so check it for the 2026 update
Individual payment amount	Not yet established
Payment date	Not confirmed

Who Qualifies for the Quest Diagnostics Courier Wage Settlement?

You may be in the class if you worked for Quest Diagnostics or Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories in California as a non-exempt Route Service Representative, or a similarly titled employee, during any part of September 9, 2011 through March 2, 2026. Former employees are included. The class was certified on May 31, 2019, and the proposed order states it includes more than 1,000 members.

Employees outside California are not included just because they worked for Quest. This settlement resolves California employment claims.

PAGA group. A separate group may share in the $75,000 employee portion of the civil-penalty allocation under California’s Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA). The PAGA period runs from September 9, 2014 through March 2, 2026. PAGA members cannot opt out of that portion, so opting out of the class settlement does not remove a qualifying employee from it.

What Is the Quest Diagnostics Courier Wage Lawsuit About?

Former employees Craig Clark and Henry Nelson sued on behalf of themselves and other couriers. They alleged that Quest:

• failed to pay minimum wages for all hours worked, including alleged on-call time, meal-period dispatch calls and post-clock-out tasks such as scanning specimens;
• miscalculated overtime, including by not counting nondiscretionary bonuses and shift differentials;
• failed to provide compliant meal and rest periods or pay premiums;
• issued inaccurate wage statements;
• failed to pay all wages at termination;
• failed to reimburse necessary business expenses; and
• engaged in unfair business practices.

Quest denies the allegations, and the agreement states that the settlement is not an admission of liability.

How the Quest Diagnostics Lawsuit Developed

Craig Clark filed a class and PAGA complaint on September 9, 2015 in Los Angeles County. Henry Nelson filed a separate complaint on May 4, 2016, which was removed to federal court and later returned to state court. The cases were consolidated, and a consolidated complaint was filed on July 7, 2017. The court certified the California class on May 31, 2019. The parties mediated on August 11, 2025, reached an agreement on December 2, 2025, and signed an amended settlement agreement on September 8, 2026.

Which California Wage Laws Are Involved in the Quest Diagnostics Settlement?

• California Labor Code §§ 510 and 1194: overtime and recovery of unpaid minimum wage and overtime.
• California Labor Code §§ 226.7 and 512: meal and rest periods and premium pay.
• California Labor Code § 226: itemized wage statements.
• California Labor Code §§ 201–204: timing of wages and final pay.
• California Labor Code § 2802: reimbursement of necessary business expenses. The amended settlement added a claim on this point.
• California Labor Code § 2699 et seq. (PAGA): civil penalties on behalf of the state and aggrieved employees.
• California Business and Professions Code § 17200 et seq.: unfair competition. The agreement also lists other Labor Code provisions in its release.

These laws frame the allegations. Listing a statute does not mean a court found that Quest violated it.

If you follow California wage cases, you may also want to read about the Trader Joe’s Wage and Hour Settlement, Check If You Qualify, Trader Joe’s Wage and Hour Cases, No. JCCP 5196 and the KQED $895,000 Wage Theft Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Dulaney v. KQED, Inc., No. CGC-24-612506.

How Much Could Quest Diagnostics Couriers Receive?

No fixed amount per courier has been published. The proposed formula is:

Individual payment = (your eligible workweeks ÷ total eligible class workweeks) × net settlement amount.

Each class member receives credit for at least one workweek. The agreement estimates about 334,000 workweeks through November 24, 2025, and the final total may differ.

Proposed allocation	Amount or limit
Gross settlement amount	$6,000,000
Attorneys’ fees	35% of the gross fund ($2,100,000), or actual fees if higher, subject to court approval
Litigation costs	Up to $225,000
Class representative awards	Up to $45,000 for each of the two representatives
Administration costs	Estimated not to exceed $30,000
PAGA allocation	300,000(225,000 to the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, $75,000 to eligible employees)

These are proposed terms, not court-approved awards. Amounts the court does not approve for fees, costs or awards go back into the net fund. Quest pays the employer’s share of payroll taxes separately.

Could the Quest Diagnostics Settlement Fund Increase?

Yes. If actual workweeks exceed 367,400 (10% above the estimate), the agreement provides for either an increase in the settlement amount based on the excess or an option for Quest to shorten the class period. Treat any per-person estimate in your notice as more reliable than dividing $6 million by a headcount.

How to Get a Quest Diagnostics Courier Settlement Payment

1. Confirm your dates. Check that you worked as a non-exempt RSR or similarly titled employee in California between September 9, 2011 and March 2, 2026. Leaving Quest earlier does not exclude you.
2. Watch for your notice. CPT Group is to mail notices to addresses in Quest’s records, updated through the U.S. Postal Service’s change-of-address database. The notice should list your workweeks, any PAGA pay periods and an estimated payment. Update your address if you have moved.
3. Check your workweeks. If the figures look wrong, send a written dispute with supporting records, following the notice instructions.
4. Decide whether to stay in the class. You generally do not need to do anything to remain. A valid opt-out removes you from the class payment but not from the PAGA settlement.
5. Cash your check promptly. Checks are valid for 180 days. Uncashed checks are voided and the funds sent to California under its Unclaimed Property Law, subject to the court’s discretion. The agreement says you remain bound by the release even if you do not cash the check.

What Is the Quest Diagnostics Settlement Deadline?

There is no claim-form deadline. The key deadlines are the response deadline for opting out, objecting or challenging workweeks, and the 180-day check-cashing period. The response deadline is 45 calendar days after the administrator first mails the notice. If a notice is remailed after being returned, the later of 55 days after the initial mailing or 14 days after the remailing applies.

Can Quest Diagnostics Employees Opt Out or Object?

Yes. An objection tells the court why you believe the settlement, an award or the allocation is unfair, and you remain in the class. An opt-out request excludes you from the class settlement and generally preserves your ability to bring a separate claim over the released claims, subject to applicable law.

The request must be valid, signed, dated and timely. If someone submits both an opt-out and an objection on time, the agreement treats the opt-out as valid and the objection as invalid. Use the deadline printed on your notice.

Key Dates in the Quest Diagnostics Courier Wage Settlement

Date	Event
September 9, 2015	Craig Clark files the initial class and PAGA complaint
May 4, 2016	Henry Nelson files a separate lawsuit
July 7, 2017	Consolidated complaint filed in Los Angeles County
May 31, 2019	Court certifies the California class
August 11, 2025	Mediation
December 2, 2025	Settlement agreement reached
September 8, 2026	Amended settlement agreement executed
September 15, 2026	Date listed for the preliminary-approval order; signed order not verified
45 days after initial notice mailing	Response deadline for opt-outs, objections and disputes
January 26, 2027, 9 a.m.	Final approval hearing listed in the proposed order
After the settlement is effective	Payments; no confirmed date

For another large piece-rate and wage case, see AllAboutLawyer’s coverage of the CRST Expedited Piece-Rate Settlement, Check If You Qualify — Keith Huckaby v. CRST Expedited, Inc., et al., No. 2:21-cv-07766-ODW-PD.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Quest Diagnostics $6 Million Settlement

Is the Quest Diagnostics courier settlement approved?

The parties signed an amended agreement, and the proposed order sets a January 26, 2027 final approval hearing. The copy of the preliminary-approval order reviewed was marked as proposed with no completed signature, so final approval has not been established.

Do Quest Diagnostics couriers need to file a claim?

No claim form is needed for the proposed automatic class payments. Review your notice and act if you want to opt out, object or dispute your workweeks.

Which Quest Diagnostics employees qualify?

Non-exempt California-based Route Service Representatives and similarly titled employees who worked during September 9, 2011 through March 2, 2026, subject to the agreement’s definitions and exclusions.

How much will each Quest Diagnostics courier receive?

There is no guaranteed amount. The class payment is based on eligible workweeks and the PAGA payment on qualifying pay periods, after fees, costs, awards and administration expenses.

Does Quest Diagnostics admit violating California wage laws?

No. The agreement disclaims any admission of wrongdoing or liability.

What if I worked for Quest Diagnostics but never received a notice?

Check your employment dates and address history, and confirm whether notices have been mailed. The administrator’s case website may still show a 2022 notice and deadline that do not apply to the 2026 agreement. You can also check the Los Angeles County Superior Court case record for Case No. BC594022.

Official Sources and Records

1. Official settlement website: CPT Group case website, Clark v. Quest Diagnostics. The administrator’s page for Case No. BC594022 may still display the earlier 2022 notice and deadlines, which do not apply to the 2026 agreement.
2. State record: California Labor and Workforce Development Agency PAGA case record, Case No. LWDA-CM-297715-17. It identifies the case and lists the settlement documents submitted, including the amended settlement agreement and the preliminary-approval order, which are the source for the class definition, payment formula, PAGA allocation and opt-out rules in this article.
3. Earlier case records: Consolidated complaint and May 31, 2019 class-certification ruling.
4. Court case record: Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. BC594022.

This article is for general information only and is not legal or tax advice. AllAboutLawyer.com is not a law firm. The allegations are disputed and the proposed settlement is not an admission of liability.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. All facts checked against the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency record and the administrator’s case website (CPT Group) linked above; the signed preliminary approval order was not independently verified, as of October 28, 2026. Last Updated: October 28, 2026.