Ex-driver claims Las Vegas Limousines failed to pay overtime

A former driver for Las Vegas Limousines has filed a class-action lawsuit that accuses the company of failing to pay overtime wages.

"Defendant simply did not pay plaintiff or any other limousine driver overtime pay when they worked over 40 hours in a workweek," the complaint alleges. "Defendant apparently (and mistakenly) believed the plaintiff and all of its limousine drivers were exempt from overtime pay."

No one at Las Vegas Limousines could be reached for comment Friday.

Las Vegas resident Emil Botezatu, who worked for the company from March 2014 until October of last year, filed the federal lawsuit Thursday as a type of class action known as a "collective action." He is represented by Reno attorneys Mark Thierman, Joshua Buck and Leah Jones.

Buck estimated that the potential class includes "well over 200 people." He said the failure to pay limousine drivers overtime wages "seems to be somewhat of an industry-wide practice." The attorney has a similar lawsuit pending against Executive Las Vegas.

Most limousine drivers are not exempt from overtime pay under federal law, Buck said.

According to Botezatu's lawsuit, he received 25 percent of the recorded fare as a commission. Although his employer ensured that he received at least the minimum wage for the hours he worked, the complaint alleges, the company failed to pay him 1½ times his regular rate of pay when he worked more than 40 hours in a week.

"In total, plaintiff is owed at least $3,846.61 in overtime wages, not including liquidated damages, interest, attorneys' fees or costs," according to the lawsuit.

The complaint alleges violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Nevada law.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710. Find her on Twitter: @CarriGeer