Rhode Island Purchasers/Lessees of New Vehicles and Purchasers of Certain Replacement Parts Now to Benefit from $604 Million in Settlements

WASHINGTON, Nov. 29, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Notice Provider, Kinsella Media, LLC, about the lawsuit In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation, MDL No. 2311.

There is an update for affected purchasers in this lawsuit about certain vehicle components, as there have been additional Settlements that may affect their rights.   

Twelve additional Defendants have agreed to Settlements resolving claims that they fixed the price of certain vehicle components.  (The Court previously approved settlements with 11 Defendants, totaling approximately $225 million.)  The additional Settlements being presented for Court Approval total approximately $379 million.

The lawsuits allege that Defendants fixed the price of certain vehicle components, causing millions of consumers and businesses from around the country to pay more for certain new or leased vehicles and replacement parts.  A complete list of included parts is available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com.

Consumers and businesses may be included in the Class if, from 1996 to 2016, they:

1. Bought or leased a qualifying new vehicle in the U.S. (not for resale), or
2. Bought a qualifying vehicle replacement part (not for resale) from someone other than the manufacturer of the part.

In general, qualifying vehicles include four-wheeled passenger automobiles, cars, light trucks, pickup trucks, crossovers, vans, mini-vans, and sport utility vehicles.  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 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 cooperation, and an agreement by certain Settling Defendants not to engage in certain anticompetitive conduct for a period of 24 months. 

Affected consumers and businesses can submit a claim form online or by mail to get a payment.  There is no deadline yet to submit a claim.  Claim forms are available at the website, www.AutoPartsClass.com, or by calling 1-877-940-5043.  At this time, it is unknown how much each individual or entity that submits a valid claim will receive.  Payments will be based on the Plan of Allocation, which is available for review on the website.

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 March 16, 2017.
• Eligible consumers or businesses can object to the Plan of Allocation or one or more of the additional Settlements by March 16, 2017.
• Eligible consumers or businesses may submit a claim form online or by mail.
• The Court will hold a hearing on April 19, 2017, to consider whether to approve the Settlements. Settlement Class Counsel may also request reimbursement of costs and expenses as well as attorneys' fees of up to 27.5% of the Settlement Funds (after costs and expenses).

For more information:

• Visit: www.AutoPartsClass.com
• Call: 1-877-940-5043
• Write to: Auto Parts Settlements, P.O. Box 10163, Dublin, OH 43017-3163

SOURCE Kinsella Media, LLC

Related Links

http://www.autopartsclass.com