A new lawsuit claims that hourly workers at a wind turbine maintenance company were wrongly classified as independent contractors and denied overtime pay, raising questions about employee rights under federal labor law. The complaint was filed by Darien Wallace on March 24, 2026, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas against Sparrows Offshore LLC.
According to the filing, Wallace worked for Sparrows Offshore LLC from July 21, 2021 through February 2, 2026. He alleges that during this period—and for other current and former hourly workers—the company paid them on an hourly basis but did not provide time-and-a-half pay for hours worked beyond forty per week. The complaint states that “Defendant misclassified him as an independent contractor,” which resulted in a failure to comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements.
The lawsuit is brought as a collective action on behalf of all similarly situated employees who were paid hourly but not given overtime premium compensation due to their classification as independent contractors. Wallace’s legal team asserts that this practice violates both the FLSA and the Portal-to-Portal Act. The document explains that “Plaintiff and the Collective Action Members seek all damages available under the FLSA, including back wages, liquidated damages, legal fees, costs, and post-judgment interest.”
Wallace describes his role at Sparrows Offshore LLC as a turbine maintenance worker performing manual labor tasks such as cleaning turbines and assisting with repairs to electrical, hydraulic, and pneumatic components. He reports typically working sixty or more hours per week without receiving overtime premium pay. The complaint details how both he and other workers “retained no control over their work” and used tools provided by either Sparrows Offshore or its customers. It further alleges that these workers could not hire subcontractors or provide services to other companies while employed by Sparrows Offshore LLC.
The filing outlines several legal arguments supporting Wallace’s claim that he should have been classified as an employee rather than an independent contractor under federal law. It states: “Plaintiff and similarly stated workers, as a matter of economic reality,’ were in fact Defendant’s employees under the FLSA.” The document also claims that Sparrows Offshore set work schedules and rates of pay on a non-negotiable basis—factors cited as evidence of employee status rather than contractor status.
In addition to seeking unpaid overtime wages for himself and others going back three years from the date of filing, Wallace requests liquidated damages equal to those unpaid wages. The complaint also asks for reasonable attorneys’ fees, costs associated with bringing the case to court, post-judgment interest, and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The plaintiff demands a jury trial in this matter. As part of his requested remedies, Wallace asks for notice to be issued to all potential collective action members so they may join the case if eligible.
The attorneys representing Darien Wallace and putative collective action members are Ricardo J. Prieto (State Bar No. 24062947) and Melinda Arbuckle (State Bar No. 24080773) of Wage and Hour Firm in Dallas, Texas. The case is identified as Civil Action No. 4:26-cv-02358.
Source: 426cv02358_Darien_Wallace_v_Sparrows_Offshore_Complaint_Southern_District_of_Texas.pdf
