Class action settlement
MultiCare $55.5M Spine Surgery Class Action Settlement
Last updated from the official settlement website (multicarespinesettlement.com). Re-checked .
Individuals who had spine surgery performed by Dr. Dreyer at certain hospitals between July 2019 and March 2021 may qualify to claim a settlement payment.
Who qualifies and how to claim
What you could get
- $2,000Tier 1: Class members can submit a claim to receive a $2,000 flat cash payment with no documentation required.
- Up to$750,000…surgery can submit a claim to receive a cash payment up to $750,000.
Pulled from the write-up below. The official settlement website and the court's documents have the final word.
MultiCare $55.5M Spine Surgery Class Action Settlement
Editor & Community Manager
November 13, 2026 11:05 AM
Patients who had spine surgery performed by Dr. Jason Dreyer under general anesthesia at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital or MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane County between July 23, 2019, and March 10, 2021, may be eligible to submit a claim to receive a cash payment from a class action settlement .
MultiCare Health System Inc. agreed to pay $55.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged MultiCare and Dr. Dreyer were responsible for a pattern of medically unnecessary or improper spine surgeries at their Spokane County hospitals. Medical records indicate the settlement class includes approximately 475 patients.
Who can file a claim?
Class members must meet the following criteria:
- Dr. Jason Dreyer performed one or more spine surgeries on them under general anesthesia.
- Their procedure took place at MultiCare Deaconess Hospital or MultiCare Valley Hospital in Spokane County.
- Their surgery occurred between July 23, 2019, and March 10, 2021.
The class also includes authorized representatives of incapacitated class members and estates of deceased class member.
Read the full details
How much are settlement payments?
Class members have the following benefit options
- Tier 1: Class members can submit a claim to receive a $2,000 flat cash payment with no documentation required.
- Tier 2: Class members who contend their surgery was unnecessary or negligently performed can request a review by a panel of spine surgery experts who will have access to class member records. Approved Tier 2 claimants will receive a pro rata cash payment according to the plan of allocation. Class members who submit for a Tier 2 review will give up their Tier 1 $2,000 cash payment to fund the review cost.
- Tier 3: Class members who qualify for a Tier 2 payment and contend they suffered extreme and egregious harm resulting from their surgery can submit a claim to receive a cash payment up to $750,000. Tier 3 payments will be in additional to Tier 2 payments. The settlement administrator will deduct the cost of the Tier 3 review, estimated at $5,000 to $10,000, from the Tier 2 payment.
The estate of a deceased class member is eligible for Tier 1 or Tier 2 only.
How to claim compensation
To receive a settlement payment, class members must file a claim online . The claim deadline is Jan. 4. 2027.
Required proof and claim information
- To submit a claim online, class members must provide the unique ID and PIN from the settlement notice they received.
- All class members must provide their Social Security number when submitting their claim.
- Tier 1 claimants do not need to provide any supporting documentation.
- Tier 2 claimants do not need to supporting documentation, but the experts will review medical records on file with the hospital.
- Tier 3 claimants must provide supporting documentation showing extreme harm, such as paralysis, permanent disability, severe chronic pain, multiple revision surgeries and emotional trauma. This may include medical records or imaging studies from non-MultiCare providers.
If the experts deny a Tier 2 or Tier 3 claim, the class member can submit an appeal to the settlement administrator, according to the appeal process detailed in the plan of allocation .
Payout options
The settlement administrator may reduce class member payments due to liens, reimbursement claims, court-ordered garnishments, judgments or other legal obligations, including claims by health care insurers for reimbursement of medical expenses the insurer paid, including, but not limited to, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or other government-sponsored plans.
Settlement fund breakdown
The $55,500,000 settlement fund will include:
- Settlement administration costs: To be determined
- Attorneys’ fees: Up to $18,315,000 plus reimbursement for expenses
- Service award to class representatives: $25,000 each
Documents & history
The public record, word for word. Every line below is what the court or the settlement administrator published; we only add short notes on what each item means. The original document has the final word, and it is always one click away.
The story so far
Claims are open until Jan 4, 2027, 50 days left. The final approval hearing is on Feb 2, 2027.
- Next
- Claim deadline Jan 4, 2027 · in 7 weeks
Below is every step on record. The key moments come first; tap one to read about it, or pick a filter to see more. Read the graph left to right: each line is one place where things happen, the 0 court cases and the settlement’s website, and the big labelled marks are the moments that matter. Tap one to read about it. Puzzled by a word? See court words, in plain English.
- A decision by the judge
- A date to know
- Money paid out
- A request to the judge
- Paperwork or an update
- Still to come
Coming up 2
- DeadlineDeadline coming up
Claim deadline
- HearingCourt hearing scheduled
Final approval hearing
Nothing of this kind in the list.
Court filings come from the court's public docket through the free RECAP archive; official documents from the settlement administrator's own site. Other dates come from the official settlement site and the summary above. We show the record as published and do not interpret it for your case. Nothing here is legal advice.
Where this information comes from
- Official settlement websitemulticarespinesettlement.com
Court words, in plain English What words like “motion” or “docket” mean. You never need them to file a claim.
- Attorneys’ fees money
What the lawyers for the group ask to be paid for bringing the case. It comes out of the settlement fund, and the judge decides the amount, often less than asked.
For example: The lawyers asked for a quarter of the fund in attorneys’ fees; the judge decides how much they get.
- Claim form what you fill in
The form you send to get your share of the settlement, online or by mail. Filing one is free.
For example: Send the claim form before the deadline, or you may not be paid.
- Class member you, probably
Anyone who fits the group the settlement covers. If you qualify, you are a class member, even if you never heard of the case before.
For example: If you bought the product during the years the notice lists, you are likely a class member.
- Class certification a decision
The judge agreeing that one case can speak for a whole group of people in the same situation.
For example: After class certification, the case went ahead for all the customers, not only the two who sued.
- Docket /DOK-it/ the court’s record
The court’s diary for a case: a numbered list of every paper filed and every step taken, in order.
For example: The judge’s order was added to the docket on May 20.
- ECF number /E-C-F/ a page number
ECF is the courts’ online filing system (Electronic Case Filing). "ECF 233" is item 233 on the case’s docket; "ECF 213-1" is the first attachment to item 213.
For example: A settlement agreement filed as ECF 251 is the 251st item on that case’s docket.
- Final approval hearing a date
Also called the fairness hearing: the day the judge listens to anyone with concerns, then decides whether the settlement is approved for good.
For example: The final approval hearing is usually the last big date before payments go out.
- Motion a request
A formal "please" to the judge: one side asks for something, like more time or approval of the deal. Nothing changes until the judge answers.
For example: The lawyers filed a motion to extend the claim deadline.
- Object /ob-JECT/ your choice
Staying in the settlement but telling the judge what you think should be better. You can still be paid.
For example: If you think the fees are too high, you can object before the deadline.
- Opt out your choice
Choosing to leave the settlement. You get nothing from it, but you keep your right to bring your own case.
For example: If you opt out, you will not get a payment from this settlement.
- Order a decision
The judge’s answer, and the part that counts. "Granted" means yes, "denied" means no, "granted in part" means yes to some of it.
For example: An order granting the motion means the judge said yes.
- Preliminary approval /pre-LIM-in-airy/ a decision
The judge’s first "this looks fair enough to move ahead". Notices go out and claims open, but it is not the final say.
For example: After preliminary approval in June, the claim form went online.
- RECAP /REE-cap/ a source
A free public library of federal court papers run by the non-profit Free Law Project. The court documents on this page link to its copies.
For example: We found the judge’s order in the RECAP archive.
- Service award money
A small thank-you payment to the people who brought the case on everyone’s behalf (the class representatives). It comes from the fund and the judge decides it.
For example: The two people who started the case each asked the judge for a service award.
- Settlement administrator a company
The company that runs the claims for the court: it sends the notices, checks the claims and mails the payments. Questions about your claim go to them.
For example: The settlement administrator mails the checks once the judge approves the deal.
- Unopposed /un-uh-POZED/ a word in requests
Both sides agree on the request, so it usually goes through smoothly.
For example: An unopposed motion to move a deadline is almost always granted.