General FAQs

A Class Action is a lawsuit brought by one or more persons or entities, referred to as “named plaintiffs”, on behalf of a large group of people who have the same type of claim. The group, or class, shares common important facts. Claims are typically pursued as a class action when it is not practical or feasible to file many relatively small individual lawsuits. An individual, corporation or government agency may initiate a class action.

Typically there are no costs associated with joining a class action lawsuit. With most class actions, the attorneys primarily work on a contingent fee basis, where the firm advances all costs and expenses. If the firm is successful in obtaining a recovery on behalf of class members, the firm will ask the court to award attorney fees and costs incurred in the litigation from the recovery. The amount of the fee award will depend on a number of factors, including the size of the recovery, current laws and guidelines, and the duration and complexity of the litigation.

Every lawsuit is different; therefore, there is no way of knowing exactly when each one will be resolved.

A Settlement Notice is a notice that describes the terms of the settlement and outlines the rights of the class members under that settlement.

Every case is different. The damages paid to class members depends greatly on the type of claim, the related financial loss, the difficulty establishing the Defendants' liability, the volume of claims filed and approved, and the terms of the Settlement Agreement.

A Class Period is a specific time frame during which a company is alleged to have acted improperly in the conduct of its business. The class period is specified in both the Complaint and Notice. It is always possible that a class period may be extended or shortened during the Preliminary and Final Settlement Hearing decisions.

Yes, as long as you are a member of the Class as defined in the Notice or settlement papers, and you are not an excluded party as defined therein.

You must complete a claim form pursuant to the instructions contained therein, and sign the certification and, if included, a Substitute Form W-9. A claim may be submitted on a photocopy of an actual claim form but may not be altered in any way. You should then return the completed Claim Form (and supporting documents, as required) to the Claims Administrator.  Do not send your Claim Form to the Court or to any of the parties or their counsel. Also, keep a copy of what you send for your files. You should also retain any records you have used to compile your claim concerning purchases of the subject products during the class period. Failure to complete all applicable parts of a Claim Form may result in denial of the claim, delay processing the claim, or  otherwise adversely affect the claim and its recovery.

No. There are companies that may write or call members of a settlement class upon learning of a pending class action distribution and offer to help class members file Claim Forms in exchange for a share of the money that the class members may ultimately recover. (You do not need to use one of these companies). Assistance is available from the Administrator, and from Class Counsel identified in the accompanying notice, at no cost to you.

The Administrator generally does not confirm the receipt of every claim in writing, unless specifically required in a settlement agreement. However, you may request such confirmation at any time. You should not assume that your claim has been filed until you receive confirmation, in writing, from the Administrator. If you wish confirmation of receipt of your claim when you mail it, you should send it by certified mail, return receipt requested or any method that provides you with proof of mailing and of receipt.  (Note, except for the overnight postal services, other courier services cannot be delivered to a PO Box).