Legal Notice In Re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation

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Jul 27, 2017, 15:00 ET

PHILADELPHIA, July 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The following release was issued by RG/2 Claims Administration LLC, as Notice Administrator, on behalf of Duane Morris LLP

Legal Notice

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN

In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, No. 12-md-02311

If You Are a Truck and/or Equipment Dealership That Purchased New Vehicles or Bearings for a Vehicle in the U.S. Since January 1, 2000 You Could Receive Money from Settlements of a Class Action

A lawsuit involving the prices of certain vehicle Bearings has been settled with certain Defendants in a class action in this litigation ("Settling Defendants"). The Settling Defendants are identified below. The case is a separate class action within the lead case known as In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, 12-md-02311 (E.D. Mich.), which is currently before United States District Judge Marianne O. Battani.

You may be part of class action settlements if you are a Truck and/or Equipment dealership that indirectly purchased Bearings, which were manufactured or sold by a Defendant or any subsidiary, affiliate, or alleged co-conspirator of a Defendant, and/or purchased new vehicles for resale or lease containing these parts ("Dealer") in the District of Columbia or one or more of the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

These Settlements may affect your rights. Read on for more information.

What Is The Lawsuit About?

The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants agreed to unlawfully raise the price of certain motor vehicle Bearings. As a result, dealers of Trucks and/or Equipment who purchased for resale or lease new Trucks and/or Equipment containing those parts or who indirectly purchased those parts as replacement parts, which were manufactured or sold by a Defendant or any subsidiary, affiliate, or alleged co-conspirator of a Defendant, allegedly paid more than they should have. Although the Settling Defendants have agreed to settle, the Settling Defendants do not agree that they engaged in any wrongdoing or are liable or owe any money or benefits to Plaintiffs. The Court has not yet decided who is right.

The Court has appointed Duane Morris LLP as interim class counsel ("Class Counsel") in these lawsuits to represent your dealership and all other members of the class action. Your dealership will not be charged directly by these lawyers, and any fees that they are paid will come from any settlements or recovery in the lawsuit. If your dealership wants to be represented by its own lawyer, it may hire one at its own expense.

Who's Included In The Settlements?

Your dealership is part of the Settlements if it is a Truck and/or Equipment Dealer and falls within the definition of the settlement classes ("Settlement Classes") approved by Judge Battani. The class definitions are set forth in the full length Notice, which is available at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com. The term "Truck and/or Equipment Dealer" or "Truck and/or Equipment Dealership" means an entity or person authorized to engage in the business of selling or dealing in Trucks and/or Equipment at retail in the United States. A list of the part included in these Settlements and its manufacturers can be found at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

Who Are The Settling Defendants?

The Settling Defendants are SKF USA Inc. ("SKF USA"), Nachi-Fujikoshi Corporation and Nachi America Inc. ("Nachi"), and NSK Ltd and NSK Americas, Inc. ("NSK" and collectively with SKF USA and Nachi, "Settling Defendants"). A list of the Defendants, their affiliates, and the alleged co-conspirators for the case involving the vehicle Bearings described in the Settlement Class definitions and settlement agreements are available at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

What Do The Settlements Provide?

Generally, you are included if, at any time from January 1, 2000 through May 25, 2017, inclusive, you were a dealer of heavy-duty (Class 8) or medium-duty (Class 4, 5, 6, & 7) trucks, buses, commercial vehicles (excluding automobiles, light trucks, vans, sports utility vehicles, crossovers, pickup trucks, and/or similar motor vehicles sold by automobile dealers), all-terrain vehicles, construction equipment, mining equipment, agricultural equipment, railway vehicles, materials-handling vehicles, and other similar vehicles ("Trucks and/or Equipment") that: (a) purchased new Trucks and/or Equipment containing a Bearing, which was manufactured or sold by a Defendant or any subsidiary, affiliate, or alleged co-conspirator of a Defendant; or (b) indirectly purchased such a Bearing as a replacement part. Indirectly means you bought the vehicle replacement part from someone other than the manufacturer of the part.

The specific definitions of who is included in the Settlement Classes are set forth in the Settlement Agreements between the Plaintiffs and the Settling Defendants. Those Settlement Agreements, and the related Complaint are accessible on the website www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

The Settlement Funds amount to $4,745,000. Detailed information about the Settlements and the parts involved can be found in the full-length Notice, which is available at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com. The amount of money your dealership may receive, if any, will depend upon where the dealership purchased the affected vehicles or component parts, the type and quantity of vehicles and parts your dealership purchased in the states listed above and the District of Columbia, and the total number of claims made by eligible Truck and/or Equipment Dealers.

What Are My Rights And Options?

1. Opt Your Dealership Out of One or More of the Settlements

If your dealership indirectly purchased any of the Bearings listed in the Settlement Class definitions as components in the specified Trucks and/or Equipment or as parts and purchased such new vehicles or parts in the states listed in this Notice or the District of Columbia and does not want to be legally bound by the Settlements, your dealership must exclude itself ("opt out") in a writing postmarked by August 23, 2017, or it will not be able to sue, or continue to sue, the Settling Defendants (including all related entities covered by the releases in the Settlement Agreements) about the legal claims settled in the Settlement Agreements.

If your dealership submits a valid and timely request for exclusion / opt out from a Settlement, it will not share in the proceeds of that Settlement, and it will not be bound by the judgment. To be valid, the request for exclusion / opt out must follow the instructions set forth in the full-length Notice and be postmarked by August 23, 2017. The full instructions and requirements for opting out may be viewed at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

2. Object to One or More of the Settlements

If your dealership wishes to object to the Settlements or the request for attorneys' fees, reimbursement of expenses, and service awards, it may write to the Court and counsel about why it objects. To be considered, your dealership's objection must be filed according to the procedures set forth in the full-length Notice and postmarked no later than August 23, 2017. The full instructions and requirements for objecting to the Settlements may be viewed at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

3. Attend the Final Approval Hearing

The Court will hold a Final Approval Hearing at a time TBD on September 13, 2017, at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse, 231 W. Lafayette Blvd., Courtroom 272, Detroit, MI 48226 to decide whether to approve the Settlements and the request for attorney's fees, reimbursement of expenses, and service awards. You or your own lawyer may attend and ask the Court's permission to speak, but you don't have to participate in the hearing in order to attend. To request to speak at the Final Approval Hearing, you must follow the procedures set forth in the full-length Notice no later than August 23, 2017.

This notice is a summary only. The complete terms, including the definitions of what parties and claims are being released, are set forth in the full-length Notice, settlement agreements, and the Court filings, which may be obtained at www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

For More Information, Contact the Settlement Administrator toll free at 1-866-742-4955 or visit www.TruckDealerSettlement.com.

SOURCE: J. Manly Parks, Duane Morris LLP, 30 South 17^th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, Telephone 215-979-1342 and Tina Chiango, RG/2 Claims Administration LLC, P.O. Box 59479, Philadelphia, PA 19102-9479, Telephone 866-742-4955, Facsimile 215-979-1695, [email protected]

SOURCE RG/2 Claims Administration LLC