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

Big brands such as Godiva, Tinder, Acura, and Benecol are offering benefits to consumers thanks to class action lawsuit settlements.

The February deadlines for filing claims in these settlements are fast approaching, so read on to find out if you qualify. There are more claims than usual deadlining in the first week of the month.

Acura Infotainment System Class Action Settlement

Acura drivers who incurred battery-recharging costs and certain transportation costs may be eligible to have those expenses reimbursed.

Included in the Class are all current owners and lessees of a 2019-2020 Acura RDX who reside in, and who purchased or leased their vehicles (other than for purposes of resale or distribution) in the United States, Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory, as well as former owners and lessees of Class Vehicles who submit a claim. Also included are any U.S. military personnel who purchased a Class Vehicle during military duty.

Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit claimed Acura maker American Honda Motor Co. installed infotainment systems with defective software and hardware, leading the systems to freeze, crash, fail to boot, fail to connect to peripheral devices such as phones, and experience other troubles. The plaintiffs argue Honda should have either disclosed these defects before selling the vehicles or fixed them under warranty.

Submit a claim form by Feb. 4, 2022, to benefit from this settlement.

Tinder Age Discrimination $5.2M Class Action Settlement

California Tinder app users who subscribed to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold may be able to claim some cash and Super Likes thanks to a class action settlement resolving claims of age discrimination.

The Class is made up of all California Tinder users who subscribed to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold between March 2, 2015, and March 1, 2019, and were at least 29 years old when they made the purchase.

Plaintiffs had alleged that Tinder broke several laws by charging those older than 29 a higher price for Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold subscriptions.

Claims must be submitted no later than Feb. 9, 2022.

Walgreens Retirement Plan $13.75M Class Action Settlement

Walgreens has agreed to a $13.75 million settlement benefiting employees who claimed the company mismanaged its retirement savings plan.

The settlement benefits a nationwide Class of those who took part in the Walgreens Retirement Savings Plan, formerly called the Walgreens Profit-Sharing Retirement Plan, and invested in certain Northern Trust Focus Funds since Jan. 1, 2014. The following Northern Trust Focus Funds are covered by the settlement:

• Northern Trust Focus 2020 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2025 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2030 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2035 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2040 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2045 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2050 Fund
• Northern Trust Focus 2055 Fund

The plaintiffs filed their class action lawsuit in 2019, claiming Walgreens introduced the Northern Trust Target Retirement Trust Funds in 2013, despite a history of poor performance. However, even though the funds continued to perform poorly, Walgreens allegedly kept the funds for years, even adding more to the plan lineup.

According to the plaintiffs, these decisions resulted in the plan losing nearly $300 million since 2014.

Class Members may complete and submit a rollover form by Feb. 6, 2022.

BelVita Biscuits, Bites, and Sandwiches Added Sugar $8M Class Action Settlement

Mondelēz, maker of belVita products, has agreed to an $8 million settlement resolving false advertising claims.

The Class is made up of consumers in the United States who purchased certain flavors of belVita Crunchy Biscuits, belVita Soft Baked Biscuits, belVita Bites, and belVita Sandwiches between Nov. 16, 2013, and Nov. 17, 2021.

The plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit claimed Mondelēz International Inc. violated consumer protection laws through claims on the belVita packaging that allegedly misled consumers into believing the products are healthy despite a large amount of added sugar.

File your claim by Feb. 9, 2022.

Benecol Spread False Advertising $2M Class Action Settlement

Consumers who purchased certain Benecol spreads may be eligible to claim up to $20 without proof of purchase thanks to a recent settlement.

Those who are eligible include all customers who purchased a Benecol spread in the United States between Jan. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2011.

Johnson & Johnson and McNeil Nutritionals falsely and misleadingly advertised the products in order to boost profits, the class action lawsuit alleged. The Benecol spreads were advertised as containing “No Trans Fats” and “No Trans Fatty Acids” when they actually did contain trans fats.

The deadline to submit a claim form is Feb. 25, 2022.

Godiva Chocolates $15M False Advertising Class Action Settlement

Anyone who purchased Godiva chocolates may be able to claim as much as $15 without proof of purchase — or $25 with proof — under the terms of a recent class action settlement.

The Class is made up of anyone who purchased any of the covered Godiva chocolate products — all chocolate products made and sold by Godiva or under the Godiva brand that contain chocolate — between Jan. 31, 2015, and Oct. 26, 2021, in the United States.

The company allegedly claimed that the chocolates are made in Belgium when they are not.

Claim forms must be submitted by Feb. 23, 2022.

Farmers Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange $7M Class Action Settlement

Consumers in the U.S. who are insured by Farmers and made property loss claims through Farmers Insurance Exchange, Truck Insurance Exchange, or others may be eligible to receive a payment.

The Class is made up of individuals with policies through Farmers Insurance Exchange, Fire Insurance Exchange, Mid-Century Insurance Co., Truck Insurance Exchange, or Farmers Insurance Co. of Arizona who paid general contractor’s overhead costs when making property loss claims between Dec. 13, 2013, and April 7, 2021.

Plaintiffs allege that Farmers was required to pay general contractor’s overhead and profit as a part of their covered damage claims. However, Farmers argues it acted properly under its insurance contracts and Arizona law and should not be held responsible for the plaintiffs’ claims.

File your claim form by Feb. 8, 2022.

Artech Data Breach Class Action Settlement

Those who were affected by a 2020 Artech data breach will each be eligible to claim up to $10,000.

The Class is made up of all individuals who previously received a notice from Artech informing them they were affected by the company’s January 2020 data breach.

During the breach, which lasted from Jan. 5 to 8, 2020, hackers accessed, opened, and downloaded thousands of Artech employee files that contained information such as names, Social Security numbers, and birthdates.

The deadline to file a claim is Feb. 26, 2022.

Capacitors Indirect Purchaser Class Action Settlement

A number of defendants have settled class action lawsuit claims alleging antitrust practices surrounding capacitors.

The Class is made up of any person or entity in the “Indirect Purchaser States” — California, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and New York — who, between Jan. 1, 2002, and Feb. 28, 2014, purchased one or more capacitor(s) from a distributor (or from an entity other than one of the defendants) that a defendant or alleged co-conspirator manufactured.

Capacitors — which store electric charges between conductors separated by an insulator — are found in most electronic devices including computers, home appliances, and cellphones.

Allegedly, these companies worked together to keep the price of the devices high for direct and indirect purchasers alike.

Claim forms must be submitted no later than Feb. 18, 2022.

Health Insurance Innovations $27.5M Class Action Settlement

Consumers throughout the United States who purchased plans through Simple Health or Nationwide Health may be eligible to claim some compensation.

The Simple Health Class includes consumers who bought limited benefit indemnity plans (LBIPs) or ancillary products through Simple Health and paid fees or premiums that were not recovered through a future chargeback or refund. These fees or premiums were incurred due to medical expenses that weren’t covered by the LBIPs but would’ve been covered by an Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plan.

The Nationwide Health Class is made up of all those who purchased the Health Insurance Innovations defendants’ — now known as Benefytt Technologies — limited benefit indemnity plans and/or ancillary products and paid fees and/or premiums not completely recovered through a refund or chargeback.

Class Members may also belong to the Medical Expense Subclass, the Tax Penalty Subclass, or both.

The Medical Expense Subclass is made up of individuals who incurred medical expenses not covered by the LBIPs but would have been covered by an ACA-compliant plan, while the Tax Penalty Subclass includes those who incurred a penalty under the ACA individual mandate as a result of purchasing the LBIPs, which do not qualify for tax exemptions the way ACA-compliant plans do.

Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit alleged Health Insurance Innovations led them to believe the offered “limited benefit indemnity plans” and “medical discount plans” were comprehensive medical insurance when they are not ACA-compliant.

File your claim by Feb. 9, 2022.

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