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Universal Logistics Biometric Case Wins Class Action Status in Illinois

A federal court granted class action status to a lawsuit challenging Universal Logistics Holdings' use of fingerprint scanning technology at its Harvey, Illinois facility. The case, filed in 2021 by driver Brandon Willis against Universal Intermodal Services, a subsidiary of publicly-traded ULH, now extends to all workers who used the biometric system between March 30, 2016 and the present. The lawsuit alleges violations of Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act, which requires written consent before collecting and retaining fingerprint data. The defendants include Universal Intermodal Services, HR-1 LLC, Universal Management Services and Data System Services. The BIPA statute, enacted in 2008 and amended in 2024, is considered the nation's most stringent biometric privacy law. A similar case against in-cab video provider Lytx resulted in driver settlements ranging from $650 to $850 per person.