Stryker Settles Howmedica Suit for $3 Million

Stryker settled a 2013 class-action lawsuit by a former employee for $3 million over allegations its Howmedica subsidiary did not reimburse for business expenses and did not have a reimbursement policy, which is illegal under California law.

Stryker failed to have the case dismissed in 2014 in the U.S. District Court for Northern California. The $3 million settlement is to be paid to the 134 plaintiffs pending court approval.

Stryker’s settlement applies to all Howmedica California sales reps from Feb. 1, 2009, to October 2012, in the craniomaxillofacial, reconstruction, trauma and extremities and joint preservation divisions. A hearing is set for Oct. 1. — Jason Scott