Learn Everything About The Juul $255m Class Action Settlement Approval
Vaping has been one of the fastest-growing trends in recent years. The promise that vaping will help a person stop smoking cigarettes is catchy. Many new vapers want to try something exciting and trendy.
Yes, vaping has gained many new users worldwide. But the industry experiences legal rollercoasters. The Juul Vape Settlement case is one of them. This piece will give a detailed rundown of this case.
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A Federal Judge Gives Go-ahead on Lawsuit Settlement
Federal Judge William Orrick gave preliminary approval to Juul’s settlement. The settlement payment would affect millions of claimants. Statistically, this equalled about 15% of claimants. $255 million is to meet the class-action settlement agreement.
San Francisco Judge Approves Juul's $255M Class Action Settlement https://t.co/9vTK8Bv1TX
— Legal Times (@Legal_Times) January 21, 2023
That settlement had been a long time coming. Before now, Juul and Altria were to face trial in April 2023. The settlement approval means Altria will face trial. Only class members who refused settlement will remain in the trial.
Case Prehistory: What Has Happened Before Now?
So, how did we get here? The lawsuits against Juul claimed the manufacturer lied about its products. They believe Juul vape products were responsible for a vapid epidemic. This epidemic spread across young people like wildfire. Their lawsuit said Juul marketed their products as ‘vaping pods 5% nicotine’.
Plaintiffs also claimed Juul claimed its products were safer than cigarettes. There’s no evidence to support this allegation.
Juul Has Bigger Debt $1.7 billion to Worry About
The $255m settlement approval may be the current source of Juul’s worries. But vape news shows they have a bigger debt looming over them. News outlets report that Juul owes $1.7 billion to 10,000 claims. These claims included personal injury, class action, and school district claims.
Juul reportedly settled 5,000 lawsuits for $1.7 billion, the largest amount reported so far in the deals the company has made to resolve claims it fueled the teen vaping crisis. https://t.co/LSRj6xQI5R
— NYT Health (@NYTHealth) December 10, 2022
Personal injury claims say Juul vape products caused seizures and health problems. Families and parents of the victims filed these claims. Judge Orrick refused to let board members charged with fraud and negligence go. They were Hoyoung Huh, Nicholas Pritzker, and Rias Valani.
Furthermore, the US Food and Drug Administration is yet to enact a ban on Juul’s products. The Juul ban has been in existence since June 2022. The FDA issued a marketing denial order for all Juul products in the US. They were to stop selling and distributing. It’s reported that the company filed an emergency motion against this order.
There needs to be a more review of Juul’s products before the ban starts. The FDA hasn’t reached a final decision. Till then, Juul vape products will continue to be sold.
What Would Happen After the Settlement Approval?
Orrick’s preliminary action judgement for the $255 million means many things. The court could allow an initial $3 million to settle out-of-pocket expenses. These expenses cover distributing notices and first-year potential trust administration costs.
There were many claims that the settlement was expensive. This affected the value of the out-of-pocket expenses.
What’s the Public Reaction to this New Development?
The public is happy at this new occurrence. The Juul case will be a deterrent to other malicious manufacturers. Manufacturers will be careful about their product claims. It will restore integrity to the US vape industry.
Conclusion
The $255m class action approval is only the first step. The trial continues on April 17. The case has contributed for many months. Altria has filed a motion for a stay till the appeal of its 2022 class certification. Juul filed a motion to dismiss for failure of compliance. William Orrick’s decision will come in April. Tell us what you feel about the new developments in the Juul case.
