(Bloomberg) — Uber Technologies Inc. won a ruling that may putoff the outcome of a bid by California drivers to be treated asemployees in a lawsuit that has grown dramatically both in size andpotential liability.

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco on Tuesday saidhe won’t issue a final ruling following a June trial if hisdecision to add more than 100,000 drivers to the class actionhasn’t been resolved on appeal.

In his Dec. 9 ruling, the judge allowed all drivers covered bythe case to seek expense reimbursement, including as much as 57 1/2cents for every mile driven. Chen had previously allowed thedrivers to seek tips in the case.

A victory for the drivers seeking the pay and benefits ofemployees rather than independent contractors threatens to upendthe ride share company’s business model and cut into its more than$60 billion valuation. Experts have said the stakes in the lawsuitgrew by hundreds of millions of dollars as a result of the Dec. 9ruling.

Chen concluded then that the company’s contract with its driversimproperly required them to resolve disputes through arbitration,preventing them from suing. Uber then sought to put the case onhold when it asked an appeals court to review the contract’sarbitration provision.

In Tuesday’s order, Chen said there’s a public interest in notdelaying trial in the lead case in the nation on the status of Uberdrivers. He also said “a serious legal question has been raised byUber” that justifies waiting for the company’s appeal on thearbitration issue to play out before the final outcome of the caseis decided.

Jessica Santillo, a spokeswoman for Uber, said the company willask the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco to halt allproceedings in the case until the judge’s Dec. 9 order is reviewedon appeal.

Drivers’ lawyer

Shannon Liss-Riordan, the lawyer for the drivers, said she’spleased the June 20 trial date remains intact.

“Uber had attempted to avoid this trial altogether while itsappeal proceeds,” she said in an e-mail. “Judge Chen agreed withour argument that the trial must go forward in any event, with orwithout Uber’s appeal and so there is no reason for the trial bedelayed. ”

The case is O’Connor v. Uber Technologies Inc., 13- cv-03826,U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (SanFrancisco).

Related: Uber drivers win Seattle vote oncollective-bargaining rights