Do You Qualify for Any of March’s Class-Action Settlements?

Several class action settlements are accepting claims through the end of the month, many open to consumers nationwide. Check out these settlements involving BMW, HelloFresh and others to find out if you are owed some money.

Major Class-Action Settlements for March 2021

Jeffrey Epstein Victims Compensation Fund

Jeffrey Epstein’s assault victims still have time to file a claim for compensation.

The Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund Program was established to benefit survivors of the sexual abuse perpetrated by the multimillionaire.

Epstein, who died in his jail cell in August 2019, had abused young women he recruited to his Palm Beach County home.

Experts estimate Epstein may have abused hundreds of women since the 1990s, the Palm Beach Post reported.

Many women have reported abuse since the fund was established, increasing the initial estimate of the number of victims, with some victims feeling safer coming forward since his death, according to the Palm Beach Post.

Victims are able to benefit from the fund “regardless of where they were harmed” or “when they were harmed.”

Claimants’ benefits will depend on the circumstances of the alleged abuse, but the settlement administrator estimates some victims could claim thousands or millions of dollars.

The claim deadline for those who are already eligible or who have registered a claim is March 25, 2021.

BMW Coolant Pump Settlement

Vehicle owners affected by an allegedly defective BMW coolant pump may be able to claim up to $1,000 in reimbursements thanks to a class action settlement.

Anyone in the U.S. who owned or leased certain 2007 through 2019 BMW vehicles is eligible to make a claim.

The class action lawsuit argued that BMW knew of the defective coolant pump but failed to fix the problem or reimburse vehicle owners and lessees for repair costs.

Consumers are eligible to claim up to $1,000 in out-of-pocket repair costs, as well as an extended warranty.

The deadline to file a claim is March 20, 2021.

HelloFresh Settles over Marketing Calls

Consumers who received marketing calls from HelloFresh may be able to claim a portion of a $14 million class action settlement.

A class action lawsuit had claimed HelloFresh’s marketing calls violated the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).

Anyone in the United States who was called by HelloFresh, either directly or through a third party, from Sept. 5, 2015, to Dec. 31, 2019, may be eligible to benefit from the marketing calls settlement.

In order to be eligible for the settlement, consumers must have had at least one call placed to their cellphone via a dialing platform. They also need to have received at least two marketing calls during any 12-month period in which the numbers were listed on the National Do Not Call Registry for at least 31 days before the calls, and must have have received at least one callafter their number (wireless, landline, cellphone or mobile) was registered on HelloFresh’s internal do-not-call list.

The estimated payout amount is expected to be $30 to $50, but the actual amount to be awarded will depend on the number of claims filed.

File your claim by March 29, 2021.

Western Dental Services Late Fees Suit

Western Dental Services has agreed to a $3 million settlement to resolve a class action lawsuit that claimed the company improperly assessed and collected late fees.

Anyone who entered into any installment contract with Western Dental Services for services performed in California and has been charged or paid one or more late fees between Feb. 20, 2014, and May 8, 2019, is eligible to file a claim.

Class Members who do not file a claim will qualify to receive a $25 voucher, while those who do file a claim are eligible to collect up to $15 per late fee paid, up to a maximum of $225.

Western Dental also has agreed to waive outstanding late fees charged between the relevant dates.

The deadline to file a claim in this settlement is March 19, 2021.

Accordia Life Insurance Settlement

Policyholders with Accordia Life and Annuity Co. and Alliance-One may be eligible to claim a portion of a class action settlement.

The class action lawsuit accused Accordia Life and Annuity Co. and Alliance-One of failing to properly administer certain life insurance policies.

Anyone who owned an insurance policy from Accordia Life and Annuity Co. on or after May 1, 2014, or from Athene Annuity and Life Co., Athene Annuity & Life Assurance Co. of New York, or First Allmerica Financial Life Insurance Co. in force after Aug. 1, 2015, is eligible to file a claim.

A range of monetary and non-monetary relief is available, and individual awards will vary.

Claim forms in this settlement must be filed by March 20, 2021.

Roadrunner Transportation Data Breach

Roadrunner Transportation Systems employees may be eligible to claim up to $5,000 thanks to a class action settlement over a 2018 data breach.

All current and former Roadrunner employees whose human resources information was compromised in a data breach that occurred between April and May 2018 may file a claim.

Employees’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birthdates, payroll information, among other personal data, were compromised during the data breach.

Class Members may file claims for ordinary losses, such as costs related to credit monitoring services, or extraordinary losses, such as those associated with identity theft or other misuse of their personal information.

The losses must not have been previously reimbursed and must plausibly have resulted from the breach.

File your claim form by March 22, 2021.

Mountaire Farms Parent Co. Pollution Suit

The parent company of Mountaire Farms’ has agreed to pay $65 million to settle a class action lawsuit alleging its Millsboro, Delaware, poultry processing plant contaminated the surrounding groundwater and air.

Anyone who, on or after May 1, 2000, owned, leased, resided on, or were employed full time at a property lying in whole or in part within the Groundwater Area, and not the Air Area; at a property lying in whole or part within the Air Area, but not the Groundwater Area; and at a property lying whole or part within both the Groundwater Area and the Air Area may be eligible to benefit from the Mountaire Farms settlement.

A map of the Air and Groundwater areas is available here.

Allegedly, Mountaire Farms and Mountaire Corp.’s other subsidiaries generate more than 2 million gallons of sludge and wastewater each day that contains blood, fecal matter, animal fat, and other contaminants.

That water then allegedly enters plaintiffs’ properties.

The amount awarded to each claimant will depend upon how many people submit a valid claim and the severity of iinjuries and damages.

The claim form deadline is March 22, 2021.

Homeowners Depreciation Settlement

LM Insurance Corp., Liberty Insurance Corp., Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co., and Safeco Insurance Company of America have agreed to a settlement that would compensate holders of some commercial property and residential homeowners insurance policies whose nonmaterial depreciation was improperly deducted.

The companies had allegedly improperly deducted depreciation attributed to labor and other nonmaterial item costs when adjusting homeowners insurance claims in Tennessee and Mississippi and commercial property damage claims in Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Eligible claimants are all policyholders under any residential, manufactured home, condo, dwelling or rental property homeowners insurance policy issued by LM Insurance Corp., Liberty Insurance Corp., Liberty Mutual Fire Insurance Co., and Safeco Insurance Company of America who made a claim for structural loss for property in Tennessee or Mississippi during the applicable time periods that was a covered loss.

In addition, policyholders also may file a claim if they were under any commercial property insurance policy issued by Ohio Security Insurance Co. who made a claim for structural loss for property in Tennessee, Mississippi or Ohio during the applicable class periods that was a covered loss resulting in an actual cash value payment from which nonmaterial depreciation was withheld, or that would have resulted in such a payment but the nonmaterial depreciation withholding caused the loss to drop below the deductible.

The relevant time periods are:

• Tennessee LM policyholders: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after May 31, 2018
• Tennessee Liberty, Liberty Fire and Safeco policyholders: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after Oct. 17, 2018
• Tennessee Ohio Security policyholders: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after March 2, 2018
• Mississippi policyholders of LM, Liberty, Liberty Fire, and Safeco: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after Oct. 17, 2016
• Mississippi policyholders of Ohio Security: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after March 2, 2017
• Ohio policyholders of Ohio Security: Structural loss claims with dates of loss on or after March 24, 2018

Payouts will vary. Consumers to whom all nonmaterial depreciation hasn’t been paid will receive 100 percent of the estimated nonmaterial depreciation withheld and not later paid out, in addition to 5% interest on that amount from the date of the last actual cash payment to the settlement’s preliminary approval date.

Claimants who had their nonmaterial depreciation withheld and then later paid will receive 5% interest on the estimated nonmaterial depreciation initially withheld, from from the date of the last actual cash payment from which the depreciation was withheld to the date it was paid.

Claims must be submitted by March 23, 2021.

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