Law Firm Sues Veracity Research Over Breaks
Employment law firm Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP has filed a lawsuit against Veracity Research Co. The suit alleges the company failed to provide employees with legally required meal and rest breaks. This allegedly led to underpayment of wages since employee time was not accurately recorded.
The class action lawsuit against Veracity Research Co. (VRC) is filed in the Orange County Superior Court of California, case number 30-2025-01533351-CU-OE-CXC. The allegations extend beyond missed breaks, claiming the company also failed to pay minimum and overtime wages, provide accurate itemized wage statements, reimburse required business expenses, and pay sick wages. VRC is a national private investigation firm that specializes in insurance defense and corporate investigations, employing investigators directly as W-2 employees rather than using subcontractors. The company's investigators gather information for clients to validate insurance claims and mitigate claim management for various entities including insurance carriers, law firms, and government bodies. Under California law, non-exempt employees are generally entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break for a shift over five hours and a second one for a shift longer than ten hours. The law also mandates a paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked. For each day a legally required break is not provided, employers are required to pay the employee an additional hour of their regular pay. Online reviews from individuals identifying as VRC employees frequently mention issues with low pay, inconsistent work hours, and poor management. Common complaints also include the necessity of using personal vehicles for work and a perception that the company prioritizes its bottom line over employee welfare. The law firm representing the employees, Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, specializes in employment law and has a history of filing class-action lawsuits against companies for alleged labor code violations. In a separate but related action, a notice under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) was filed against Veracity Research Co., L.L.C. by an employee named Tiffany Bell, represented by the same law firm. This notice alleges violations of the California Labor Code and could potentially involve around 250 impacted employees.
