WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The following is being released by the Notice Provider, Kinsella Media, LLC, about the coordinated lawsuits in In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2311.
There is an update for affected purchasers in these lawsuits about certain auto parts, as there have been additional Settlements that may affect their rights.
Three Defendants have agreed to new Settlements resolving claims that they fixed the price of certain auto parts. (The Court previously approved settlements totaling approximately $1.2 billion.) The additional Settlements being presented for Court Approval total approximately $3.152 million.
The lawsuits allege that Defendants fixed the price of auto parts, causing millions of consumers and businesses from around the country to pay more for certain new purchased or leased vehicles and replacement parts. Complete lists of included auto parts and vehicles are available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com.
Consumers and businesses may be included in the latest Settlements if, from 2002 to 2018, they:
- Bought or leased a qualifying new vehicle in the U.S. (not for resale), or
- Bought a qualifying vehicle replacement part (not for resale) from someone other than the manufacturer of the auto part.
In general, qualifying vehicles include new four-wheeled passenger automobiles, vans, sports utility vehicles, crossovers, and pickup trucks. Individuals can visit the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or call 1-877-940-5043 to determine if they are included in one or more Settlement Classes.
The Settlement Funds (after litigation expenses, attorney fees, and other costs) will be used to pay consumers and businesses in the District of Columbia and 30 states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Settlements also provide non-monetary relief, including agreements by certain Settling Defendants not to engage in certain anticompetitive conduct for a period of 24 months.
Affected consumers and businesses in the District of Columbia and 30 states can submit a claim form online or by mail by January 7, 2023. Anyone who already filed a claim does not need to submit another claim for the same vehicle or part. They should file an additional claim if they have new vehicles or parts to report. They can no longer submit a claim for the previous settlements.
Those included will get a payment of $100 or more, covering their claims across all settlements in this litigation (depending on the availability of funds). Claim forms are available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or by calling 1-877-940-5043.
Important Information and Dates:
- Eligible consumers or businesses that want to sue the additional Settling Defendants regarding a particular component part must exclude themselves from Settlement Class(es) that they would otherwise be part of by December 20, 2022.
- Eligible consumers or businesses can object to one or more of these Settlements or the Plan of Allocation by December 20, 2022.
- Eligible consumers or businesses may submit a claim form online or by mail by January 7, 2023.
- The Court has scheduled a virtual hearing at 2:00 p.m. on January 12, 2023, to consider whether to approve the Settlements and the Plan of Allocation. More information regarding the hearing is available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or by calling 1-877-940-5043.
- In the future, Settlement Class Counsel will ask the Court to award attorneys’ fees and reimbursement of costs and expenses. Any future fees, combined with previous fee awards, will not exceed 30 percent of the Settlement Amount across all cases plus interest.
For more information:
SOURCE Kinsella Media, LLC
