Juul Agreed To Settle 5,000 Vape Suits In North CA Case

Introduction

Juul Labs stated that it has agreed to resolve about 5,000 cases in a Northern California court case for an unknown price, putting an end to yet another legal battle over its selling and marketing of e-cigarettes blamed for the teen vaping epidemic.

The planned multidistrict lawsuit settlement would include personal injury, consumer class action, government, and Native American tribal claims in a transaction that the corporation said it had secured funding for.

According to a Juul spokeswoman, these agreements are a significant step in strengthening Juul Labs' operations and securing the company's route ahead in fulfilling its aim of transitioning adult smokers away from combustible cigarettes while combating underage usage.

In September, the business paid $438.5 million to resolve an inquiry by three dozen states. This inquiry focused on the company's early promotion of its goods, particularly the employment of juvenile models and the selling of flavours like mango and crème brûlée, which many said were intentionally directed at underage youths. The conditions of the settlement for Juul's marketing banned the business from targeting young people.

In a statement, a co-lead counsel for the plaintiffs stated that these settlements will provide meaningful compensation to victims and their families, real funds to schools for abatement programmes, and assistance to government and tribal entities in preventing youth e-cigarette use across the United States.

The business is still waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to make a decision on permanent clearance to sell its vaping devices and pods. The FDA dismissed the company's attempt to keep its e-cigarettes on the market in June. Juul was granted a temporary court injunction, and the FDA subsequently put its decision on hold for additional examination, which is still ongoing.

According to Juul, the settlement encompassed about 10,000 claimants, many of whom claimed they were unaware that the product may be more addictive than cigarettes. The plaintiffs, who included school districts, also claimed that the e-cigarettes were excessively harmful due to their appeal to young people. They alleged everything from racketeering to fraud and unjust enrichment.

A co-founder of Parents Against Vaping E-Cigarettes expressed hope that the compensation would be significant enough to recompense millions of American families whose lives had been upended by Juul's teenage vaping pandemic. In this multidistrict action, the organisation is not a plaintiff.

She expressed concern about the lack of details initially released by Juul and expressed hope that the judge overseeing the litigation would order Juul to produce documents proving whether the company had purposefully targeted adolescents.

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