Recently, awards from the $300 million Juul class action lawsuit are finally reaching affected people. For some, this has meant receiving much larger amounts of money than expected. On forums like Reddit, specifically r/juul, users have been sharing with surprise how they have received considerable sums in their Venmo accounts. It is not uncommon to see someone reporting deposits of more than $9,000.
Others have reported receiving $4,600 or even $6,200. The amount of money in dispute varies, and it appears that those who were able to present evidence of their past purchases of pods or Juul devices could be receiving more substantial payments, especially if their weekly vaping spending was high.
Origin and Details of the Juul Class Action
The root of these payments comes from a class action lawsuit that accused Juul of misleading its customers about the safety and addiction potential of its products. The central argument was that consumers would not have paid as much if they had known the real risks associated.
A court authorized a total of $201.9 million for approximately 842,000 valid claims. Juul agreed to a first settlement of $255 million last year. Complementing this, Altria, a large investor in Juul, committed to paying 45 million more. This resolution covers buyers of Juul products until December 7, 2022, who were able to submit their claims for compensation. This multimillion-dollar settlement also reflects a tacit acknowledgment of Juul’s problematic marketing practices that were alleged to, in part, inappropriately target minors.
How to Claim Your Part of the Settlement
For those who think they can be part of this agreement, the process to claim is quite straightforward. Interested parties need to fill out a claim, and those who already completed this step with the first agreement should not need additional actions.
However, those who have not yet filed must return a claim form to the settlement administrator, either by mail or through a designated website. Additionally, the deadline to file such claims was February 5, 2024. Failure to take action by this deadline would mean not receiving any monetary benefit from the settlement, although one would remain within the class of plaintiffs.
There are options for those who wish to opt out of the settlement, which would allow them to take individual legal action against Altria, but this excludes the possibility of receiving compensation from this specific settlement. At every step, potential beneficiaries should consider educating themselves or seeking appropriate legal counsel to make informed decisions.
Opportunities and Options Available to Claimants
If you have previously excluded yourself from the first agreement but have now changed your mind, there is the possibility of re-joining. To do so, you must send written notification to the agreement administrator. There is also room for objections to the current agreement, allowing members to express disagreement with specific parts of it before February 2024.
The purpose of the agreement is to ensure that eligible members receive compensation without facing the risks and costs associated with a lawsuit. Plaintiffs’ attorneys believe this settlement is in the best interest of everyone involved. Finally, those who are unsure about their eligibility can seek assistance by phone or email. The amounts allocated to the agreements, which exceed $300 million, seek to compensate for the economic complaints of those who were led to spend more than necessary due to a lack of transparency about Juul products.
Important dates
- September 19, 2023
- JLI deal received final approval
- February 5, 2024
- Deadline to submit a claim form (deadline has passed)
- February 5, 2024
- Deadline to Exclude Yourself from the Class Action (Deadline Has Passed)
- February 6, 2024
- Deadline to file objections to the agreement (deadline has passed)
- March 6, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
- Final approval hearing
As of today, there is no longer any possibility of claiming part of the money, because all the dates of the agreement have already passed. Now only those people who have already met all the requirements are being paid.
