Lyft wins approval of driver settlement from U.S. judge

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco had previously rejected a $12.25 million deal as too small.

Lyft and larger rival Uber are attempting to resolve lawsuits by drivers who contend they should be classified as employees and therefore be entitled to reimbursement for expenses, including gasoline and vehicle maintenance. Drivers currently pay those costs themselves.

The profits and valuations of so-called on-demand technology companies would be affected by a determination that these workers are employees.

Chhabria had said the previous Lyft deal "short-changed" drivers because it represented only 9 percent of the potential value of drivers' reimbursement claims. The new deal represents about 17 percent of that amount.

In his order on Thursday, Chhabria said the new deal "adequately addresses the flaws identified in the Court's prior ruling." Like the previous agreement, drivers would remain independent contractors.

Representatives for Lyft and an attorney for the drivers could not immediately be reached for comment. Chhabria will likely set a hearing for later this year to consider final approval.

Uber has agreed to settle a similar lawsuit involving California and Massachusetts drivers in a deal worth up to $100 million. That agreement is under review by a different federal judge in San Francisco.

(Reporting by Dan Levine)