A recognized brand is paying out nearly $9 million as part of a class action settlement, and you could be among the people entitled to some of the money. The Supreme Court of the State of New York, Bronx County, made an announcement on September 13 regarding the settlement against Conopco Inc. and Unilever United States Inc. Conopco and Unilever are the advertiser and parent company of Breyers, respectively.
The class action lawsuit concerns Breyers natural vanilla ice cream flavor, which was theoretically falsely offered as having real vanilla flavor. “Plaintiffs filed this lawsuit against defendants alleging that defendants’ labeling of Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream gave consumers the impression that the ice cream contained vanilla flavor derived solely from the vanilla plant and not from sources other than the vanilla plant, and they allege that it contained vanilla flavors that did not come from the vanilla plant,” is what the court explained in a statement. “The defendants deny all of these allegations and have denied committing any wrongdoing. The court has not decided who is right.”
Who Is Eligible to Claim the Payment?
Consumers who purchased the natural vanilla ice cream between April 21, 2016, and August 14, 2024, could apply to receive cash. Although the jury is still out on the veracity of the natural vanilla flavoring, the defendants agreed to create a settlement fund of $8.85 for customers who paid for the boxes of natural vanilla.
The court is going to give consumers $1 for each box of Breyers Natural Vanilla Ice Cream they purchased in that date range. To be eligible for this, consumers must present proof of purchase. Customers with valid receipts may submit as many claims as they can authenticate. The court allows Breyers customers who do not have proof of purchase to submit up to eight claim forms, which would bring the total payment to up to $8 per person.
The court also determined that within one year of finalizing the agreement, Breyers “will be required to develop a new product formulation that does not include vanilla derived from plant sources other than vanilla.” Ice cream lovers who are interested in applying for the settlement can make the claim request through vanillaicecreamsettlement.com.
What Is a Class Action Lawsuit?
A class action lawsuit is a type of lawsuit that decides the rights and claims of multiple people in a single case. These class action lawsuits involve plaintiffs or class members who have suffered similar damages due to the unlawful actions of another party, usually a corporation or powerful industry leaders. They form a single lawsuit because, together, they have a stronger case.
On the other hand, joining makes legal costs lower. The reality is that it may be too costly for individual plaintiffs to take a large company to court. A class action lawsuit begins with one individual, the lead plaintiff, bringing together other people who have suffered similar injuries. All class members voluntarily participate in the class action lawsuit.
More People Could Be Eligible
The lead plaintiff and other members will generally choose class counsel. The class attorney or class representative is an experienced attorney or law firm who represents the entire class in court. The lawyer presents the documents that are necessary to certify the class.
If approved, anyone who believes they are entitled to compensation can join and become a member of the class. Once the class action is certified, other members can also make the decision to participate or refuse to participate in it.
